Scott frowns. “Who? Keaton and Savannah?”
“Yes.”
“He didn’t lead me to believe they are.”
“I think there’s something there.”
He contemplates that for a moment. “You’re worried about that?”
“Yes. I hardly think Wilder and Scarlett would be okay with Savannah dating an older guy when she’s got no experience with dating yet.”
“I think it was my wife who told me we can’t control everything when it comes to our kids.”
I grin and turn in his arms. Putting my hands to his chest, I say, “You’re in a playful mood tonight. Also, yes, your wife did say that and you’re gonna have to take that advice again about your own daughter.”
His eyebrows pull together. “Why?”
I cock my head. “Threatening to send club members to kidnap her isn’t behaviour I would encourage.”
“Kidnapis over the top.”
“Well, that was her interpretation.”
“I want her here for dinner once a week. She does that, she won’t be kidnapped.”
“Baby, I get it, but you seriously can’t play that card in this situation.” I grip his shirt. “We have to let her go for a while. Let her have new experiences in the world. She’ll come back to us when she’s ready.”
“Fuck.” The curse falls roughly from his mouth, and I feel the difficulty he’s having with all of this.
I reach a hand up to rest it against his neck. The skin-to-skin contact is everything I need, and I know it’s what he needs too. We’ve made it through all these years together because we’ve always stuck together. In our darkest moments, we’ve clung to each other, often skin to skin, and loved each other as imperfectly as we could in order to get through.
“I think she’ll show up for dinner more than she says she will, but we can’t force her, Scott. And you really can’t send club members to collect her.”
His eyes search mine for the longest time. I don’t rush him. I allow him the space to take what he needs.
“Thank fuck she and I have you,” he finally says. “We’d fuck this up if we didn’t.”
I smile as I shake my head. “You wouldn’t fuck it up. You’re an amazing father. You’d figure it out.”
“Not to sound fuckin’ sappy, but the only reason I’m the father I am is because of you.” His fingers thread through my hair before he bends his mouth to mine and kisses me. He takes his time with my lips and when he finally pulls away, he says, “I fuckin’ love you, Harlow.”
I smile as every cell in my body lights up with the kind of need this man never fails to make me feel. Reaching for his beltbuckle, I say, “So, we agree? You’ll stop with the kidnapping threats? Or do I still need to work on this?”
Scott reads me as perfectly as he has for nearly two decades. He jerks his chin at our bed. “Get your ass on that bed. But let the record show that if I don’t see our daughter at least twice a month for dinner, this conversation will be revisited, and you won’t get your way as easily next time.”
The last thought I have before he joins me on the bed is how lucky I am to have Scott as my partner in life. He’s the very best husband, father, lover.
The man I never saw coming all those years ago.
The man I’m so glad I never let go of.
The man who is my forever.
25
KING & LILY - A DAY IN THE LIFE
19 YEARS LATER
