He pushed a cup of coffee toward me, and I picked up the mug, keeping my voice low as I thanked him.
“She’s not leaving The Crossroads.”
I nearly choked on the hot liquid. “Have you told her that?”
He snorted. “No one tells my daughter shit. She’s just like her old man. Same stubbornness and temper. Same drive to live life on her terms. She’s protective of her daughter and doesn’t take shit from anyone other than her useless ex. Thank fuck he’s gone.”
“Reaping?” I asked to clarify.
“Yeah.”
I wasn’t surprised. “What now?”
“You stay with her. Keep her and Rylee safe. Something feels off. Not sure what it is. Until then, I prefer to keep her here. If she won’t stay, you go with her. Don’t let either of them out of your sight.”
“You’re worried this isn’t over.”
“I hope it is, but in case it’s not, we’re taking precautions.”
Fine with me. I was surprised he wasn’t giving me shit since he didn’t seem to like Rachel and me together. Of course, there wasn’t much to say yet. We were in the beginning stages of a relationship. I couldn’t move fast with a little girl involved. We had to take this at Rachel’s pace. “Works for me.”
He narrowed his eyes. “Hands off. Rachel is a single mom. Rylee needs her after the shit that’s gone down. Don’t fuck that up.”
I was almost insulted. “You think I only care about pussy?” I shook my head, keeping my voice low. “That’s not what this is. I care about Rachel and Rylee. I want to be sure they’re safe, and nothing happens to them. Sure, I’m attracted to Rachel, but we’ve talked about this. We’re not rushing anything.”
He grunted.
“But if we do decide something, that’s none of your goddamn business, Hannibal.”
His jaw clenched as he stared at me.
“Rachel is a grown woman. She’s intelligent, beautiful, and fucking fierce. I know she’d kick me to the curb if I fucked up, so you don’t need to get involved. I’m gonna be damn lucky if she gives me a chance. I won’t fuck it up.”
“We’ll see.” Hannibal went back to his coffee, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. In his place, I’d have said the same thing. He was a lot calmer than I would be in his shoes.
Still, Rachel could handle herself.
The girls woke up about an hour later. After they were ready, we went downstairs for breakfast. I sat at one of the tables in the dining area beside Rachel, eating from two plates.
Rylee looked up at me. “Mr. Crypt, why do you have two plates?”
“Well, I don’t like my pancakes and syrup to touch everything else, so I keep them separate.”
“I like syrup on everything.”
I laughed. “Well, when I was your age, I think I did too. Sometimes that changes when you grow up.”
“Mama says being a grown-up is hard work because of bills.”
“She’s right,” I agreed. “It’s expensive.”
Rylee thought that over. “Am I expensive?”
“No,” I replied with a smile. “I think you’re perfect.”
Rylee smiled as she shoved a big bite of pancake into her mouth. She really was a sweetheart, just like her mom. I hadn’t given much thought to kids. Never cared one way or another about having them. But meeting Rachel and her daughter had changed my perception. Having both of them in my life would only make it a better place.
Rachel turned to her daughter. “Would you like to go home today? Sleep in your own bed?”
