AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Without a word, I scoop her up into my arms and carry her across her yard, then up to my porch. It takes a little juggling to unlock the door without putting her down, but she’s clinging to me like a baby koala, so there’s no way I’m letting her go.
When we’re finally inside, I carry her directly to my bedroom and throw the blankets back before depositing her onto the bed. I kick my boots off, shed my jacket and stocking cap, and drop them onto the floor.
Summer doesn’t seem to register that I’m here, and I’m starting to worry she’s in shock. She’s shivering. I don’t second guess myself as I climb into bed and spoon her against my warmth. Her body temperature is low. That’s why I’m doing this.
“Baby, can you hear me?”
She tenses for a brief moment, then nods.
“You were outside in the snow crying. You scared me. What were you doing out there?”
The only response I get is a hiccup and a sniffle, so I don’t press it. Instead, I squeeze her tighter and wait. I want answers, and the Daddy side of me wants to scold her for going outside without a coat or shoes on, but now isn’t the time.
It takes a while before her soft sobs quiet. She’s struggling to breathe through her nose, so I reach back and grab some tissues from the nightstand, then hold them up to her face.
“Blow, sweet girl.”
“Ewww,” she whines as she tries to take the tissues from me.
I sigh but let her do it herself. When she’s done, we lie in silence for a few minutes. I’m afraid to start asking questions. The last thing I want her to do is clam up or push me away. She barely spoke to me the last time I saw her when she and her friends came over during poker night with the guys.
To my surprise, she starts talking first.
“My mom thinks I’m her sister. She doesn’t know I’m her daughter anymore.”
Fuck. I knew her mom had been diagnosed with dementia about a year ago, but I didn’t think it was that advanced. Then again, I don’t see her mom outside very often. From what my sister told me, Summer’s been ordering pre-made meals and groceries to be delivered to her and hired a landscaping company to maintain her property. The neighbor down the street was going over there every day to check on her, so I thought everything was fine.
“Before she went to bed tonight, she said she’d been trying to call me, but I must not want to talk to her. But if I try to tell her I’m her daughter instead of her sister, she gets upset and starts yelling, and it ruins her mood for the entire day. I don’t know what to do.”
With my thumb, I stroke her arm and listen. I don’t know how long Summer will talk to me before she remembers she hates me, so I’m not going to interrupt. She needs to vent.
“I thought I’d be able to take a few weeks off, come home to spend the holidays with her, then go back to Seattle and get back to work. Now…now I can’t leave until I figure out what to do about Mom. There’s no way she can live by herself. It’s not safe. What kind of daughter would I be if I put her in a home? Shouldn’t I be the one to take care of her? I’m just…I’m stressed, and I need some kind of release, and I can’t get that at my mom’s house.”
I open my mouth to ask what she means, then it hits me. She’s Little. She told me years ago. The few times we’ve seen each other since we’ve never spoken about it, but according to my sister Greer, the girls have had some video call playdates over the years. Is that what she means by release? Or does she mean a more intimate release? My cock twitches at the thought of either.
Don’t think about that. Think of something gross. Jaxon naked. Asher naked. Okay, that’s fucking disgusting, and now I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to forget that vision.
“Take some breaths, Summer. Not all of this needs to be figured out tonight.”
As if she realizes where she is, she tenses and rears back to look at me. Her eyes widen, and she starts to try to scramble away from me.
“Let me go!”
Reluctantly, I release her and she scurries to the other side of the bed. As soon as she reaches the edge, she leaps up and backs away as if I’m following her, though I haven’t moved an inch.
When she hits the wall, I smile. “Far enough, sugar? I can knock out that wall if you need some more space.”
She glares at me, but I’m too busy trying not to stare at her hard nipples to care. Keyword, trying. There are a lot of things I can force myself to do. Going to the doctor, for instance. Paying my ridiculously expensive cable bill. Eating vegetables. Looking away from Summer Pierce’s taut little nipples? Yeah, that’s not one of those things.
I must be doing a shitty job of hiding the fact that I’m staring because she looks down and lets out a strangled noise before throwing her arms over her chest to hide them.
“Dane! Why did you bring me here?”
Slowly, afraid to startle her, I ease the covers back and get out of bed on the opposite side. “Little girl, you were standing outside in your bare feet, no coat on, no hat, crying your eyes out. I didn’t know what was wrong, and I didn’t want to take you into your house. Obviously, you were outside so your mom wouldn’t see you. So I brought you here, where it’s warm and where you’re safe to fall apart as much as you need to.”
Her bottom lip trembles. I want to go to her and pull her back into my arms. Instead, I pin her with a stern look and crook my finger for her to come to me. I doubt she will. In fact, she might flip me the bird. The last time I tried to tell her what to do, I got a beer dumped in my lap. Not that it will stop me this time. I just don’t expect she’ll obey.
“I should go home,” she murmurs.
