Payton
THANKSGIVING MORNING I woke up excited. I hadn’t seen Alex since the morning after girls‘ night out when he informed me he had “club business,” so we couldn’t hang out, so he dropped me home, kissed me quickly, and was gone. To make matters worse, the week got away from us, and we’d only managed a few stolen moments on the phone. The only bright spot on our drive home was that Lily was with him, so she and I got to talk a little and I convinced Alex to stop at Starbucks for hot chocolates which helped me butter up his daughter.
I showered and did my makeup and hair, but dressed in sweats and a T–shirt first, since I knew we’d be doing last minute cleaning and I didn’t want to sweat through everything. I walked upstairs to find the house in organized chaos, Bailey and my sisters were already in the kitchen, Brock and my brothers–in–law more than likely hiding. Macey and Dallas would be here later, which was surprising. It was rare Brock and Dallas had holiday time off at the same time.
“Good morning, sunshine. Nice of you to show,” my oldest sister Kristen droned sarcastically.
I stuck my tongue out at her before I pulled her in for an extra long, annoyingly sappy hug. I was a hugger… Kris, not so much.
Bailey giggled. “I just got here five minutes ago, so you’re in good company.”
“Where are Mom and Dad?” I asked and hugged my other older sister, Anna.
“Herding the kids,” Anna said “Or having sex in a closet.”
“Ew! Anna!” Kristen complained. “Gross,”
“Talk to Dad about it. He over shares.”
“He told you they were going to have sex in a closet?” Bailey asked.
“He calls Mom his GILF. He implies it every time he says it”
“Okay, enough of that subject,” I said. “What can I do to help?”
“Mom bought stuff for the kids and put them on the table. Mugs or something,” Anna said. “Can you grab the candy and fill them, please?”
“No problem.” I grabbed the bags of chocolates from the hiding place in the pantry and headed to the large dining room. table.
My mom had purchased Christmas mugs for each of the little kids, including one for Lily, why would also be used to mark their place settings at the kids‘ table. Thinking of Lily brought Alex to mind and my stomachtered. I couldn’t wait to see him… and kiss him. That made me think again about Lily and now my heart dropped. I wouldn’t be able to kiss him. His daughter would be with him and his sister.
“Why so glum?”
I raised my head to see my brother walking toward me. “I’m not glum,”
“You’re in your head, sissy, I can tell Brock sat in the chair at the head of the table to my left. “Thinking about Hawk?”
I sighed. “Yeah”
“He’s a pretty good guy. Pay
“You think?
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“Yeah.” He smiled. “He’s clean”
“Ohmigod, Brock. You did a background check on him?”
“Are you surprised?”
I rolled
my eyes. “No, I guess not, but it would have been nice to know beforehand.”
“You know me. I want to know what I’m up against.”
“You?” I paused in the doling out of candy. “You have nothing to do with this.”
He rose to his feet and gave me a mock clip of the chin. “Oh, Payton, you are so cute.”
“Bite me, Brock.”
“Payton!” my mother snapped. “Language.”
Where the hell she’d come from, I have no idea.
“Yeah, Payton, watch your fuckin‘ language,” Brock whispered, and gave me a smug smile.
“Don’t fall asleep, big brother. Ever,” I threatened.
He laughed and left me to my work as my mother walked into the dining room.
“Morning, honey,” she said, and kissed my cheek.
“Hi, Mom. Kids settled?”
“Yep. Best investment in our whole life is that big screen television. However, it’s Frozen again.” She grinned and sat where Brock had been earlier. “I just couldn’t stick around, so Elizabeth is keeping an eye on things.”
I nodded. Elizabeth was the oldest niece, Kristen’s daughter, and she was great wit
the littler kids.
“So,” my mom said, and laid her hand on my arm.
“So.”
“Tell me about this man.”
I had a feeling this was coming, and my mom and I were super close, but she still managed to relegate me to a teenager on occasion. “Not sure what to say. He’s nice.”
“Single dad.”
I sighed. “Yeah. He’s a single dad.”
“And what’s his ex–wife like?”
“He was never married. She took off when Lily
“Wow. So, he’s responsible.”
不
y was little, so he hasn’t seen her in years. Doesn’t even know where she is.”
I smiled. “Yeah, Mom, he’s responsible.”
“Did your brother do his thing?”
“Yes, Mom. Alex is a ‘good guy‘ according to Brock.”
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Mom chuckled “Well, your dad got a good sabe off him”
“Vibe, Mom, really?”
“What? It’s the perfect word in this situation”
1 like him? 1 said, and then gasped.
“What?”
“I forgot to tell him we dress up”
“Oh, honey, don’t worry about it. We don’t care what he’s wearing”
“I know, but I don’t want him to feel weird” I bit my lip. “But then again, he probably doesn’t care. He’s kind of his own man.”
“The perfect kind.” My mom rose to her feet. “I’m going to check on the food.”
“I’ll be in when I’m done”
“Sounds good”
My mom left and I grabbed my phone, debating if I should call Alex or not. They wouldn’t be arriving for a couple of hours, but if I told him to dress up. I felt like I was trying to change him somehow. I slipped my phone back into my pocket. I liked him just the way he was, so I’d take him however he came.
Done with the mugs, I headed to the kitchen to help with the rest of the prep.
Hawk
I was helping Lily with her tights when my phone buzzed in my pocket. “Just a second, baby girl.” I grabbed my phone and frowned. I didn’t recognize the number, but answered it anyway “Yo.”
“Hawk?”
“Yeah.”
“Hey, baby. It’s Jenny.”
My blood ran cold. I laid my hand over the speaker and called, “Kayla?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you come help Lily?”
My sister appeared in the doorway. At first, she looked pissed, but then she raised an eyebrow.
“Jenny,” I whispered.
“What the hell does she want?”
I shrugged and walked out of the room, leaving Kayla to take care of Lily, while I closed myself into my
bedroom.
“What the fuck do you want?” I bit out.
“Come on, baby. Don’t be like that. We have a baby together.”
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“We don’t have shit together, Jenny. I have a little girl who know nothing about you and never will because you walked out on her.”
“I just want to see her. See how she is?
I forced myself not to break something “Never gonna happen”
“I’m doin‘ real good, baby, Been clean for nine months.”
“You’re on drugs now!”
“No. That’s what I’m sayin‘ I’m clean. I was in a bad way for a couple a years. But I’m good now,”
“Jenny, you weren’t usin‘ when you left, so what the fuck changed?”
“I was young, Hawk. Stupid.”
“You were thirty!”
“Look, I didn’t call to fight. I want to see Lily, I’m back in the area and I have the right to see my daughter.”
“No fuckin‘ way,”
“Don’t make me get a lawyer.
“Jenny, do whatever the fuck you need to do. I gotta go.” I hung up and sat on the edge of the bed, dropping my face into my hands. A knock at my door brought me out of my head and I sighed. “Come in.”
Kayla sat beside me and frowned. “What did she want?”
“She wants to see Lily.”
“Why?”
I filled my sister in on the conversation which was probably a mistake. Kayla hated Jenny even more than I did, so the news wound her up tight.
“Fuckin‘ bitch,” Kayla snapped. “No, she’s a cunt.”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to think about Jenny,” I said. “Right now, I need to see Payton. It’s been almost a week and I fuckin‘ miss her.”
This brought a smile to Kayla’s face. “You really like her.”
“Ya think?”
“You’ve never acted like this before and you know it.”
“Yeah. I guess you’re right.” I groaned.
“What?”
“I love her, Kay.”
My sister gasped “Seriously?”
I nodded. “She’s everything I never knew I wanted-”
“Or thought you deserved,” she interrupted.
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“I don’t fuckin‘ deserve her and the thought of losin‘ her…” I couldn’t finish the thought.
“Hey. You’re not going to lose her. I’ll help however I can.”
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I smiled. “I know, babe. Couldn’t do life without you. Don’t know if I’ve told you how much I appreciate you, but I’m telling
you now.”
Kayla grinned. “Back atya.”
I sighed. “This shit with Jenny is the worst fuckin‘ timin”
“Well, in general, yeah, but why, specifically?”
“Payton doesn’t do drama.”
“She’s a woman, how the hell does she avoid drama?” Kayla asked.
I laughed. “Yeah, but bitch drama? Not sure she’ll put up with it.”
Kayla patted my knee. “If it’s meant to be, it’ll be.”
“You dump your asshole of an old man and now you’re a sage.”
She wagged a finger at me. “Don’t you forget it.”
“Daddy.” Lily ran into the room. “I put my soos on.”
I glanced at her feet. “You did a great job, baby girl, but they’re on the wrong feet.”
She lowered her head, then smiled and crossed one foot over the other. “Not anymore.”
I laughed and scooped her up, holding her above my head. “Do you know how much I love you?”
“All the way to the moon,” she squealed.
I lowered her enough so she could wrap her arms around my neck and her legs around my waist. “I love you, Daddy.”
“Love you too, baby girl. Let’s fix those shoes and then we’ll go hang out with Payton.”
“Yay,” she sang.
Setting her on the ground, I fixed her shoes, and then we headed to Vancouver.
AD
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