Page 17 of Playing With Forever

I had mentioned that a time or five hundred. Though, her spending that time in close proximity to Josie and the women who ran Womens Inc was not exactly what I had in mind. And the thought of her doing so had my gut churning. My intention had been to get her to spend more time with her friends.

“Anyway,” Lindy went on. “I’ve wanted to volunteer at the center for ages. So this is perfect.”

Fuck.

Lindy’s gaze cut to me, and I saw it—fuck, but I couldn’t miss it—everything I’d always known but yet actively worked against her having it—stark need for female interaction on a deep level.

The very thing I didn’t want her to have.

The very thing that scared the fuck out of me because it was the very thing that had torn her heart out, and I’d been powerless to save her from.

“I should get going,” Josie said.

“You should stay for dinner,” Lindy contradicted. “Dad’s grilling chicken and making his famous potatoes au gratin.”

“Lindy—”

“We always have a ton of leftovers when Dad cooks,” my daughter went on, ignoring my warning.

To Josie’s credit, she didn’t look startled by Lindy’s overzealous attempt to get her to stay. Which meant, in the hours she’d spent with Lindy, she hadn’t missed my daughter’s need for attention.

And fuck me.

“I’ll stay on two conditions,” Josie started. “If your dad doesn’t mind an extra mouth to feed and I get to help.”

Josie in my kitchen, helping me and my kid cook—good Christ, I was living in the seventh circle of hell. And not because I didn’t want Josie there, but because I did—and later I wanted her in my bed.

“You two are on dessert,” I said.

“Do we have anything to make for dessert?”

“No clue.”

I watched my daughter smile, then caught Josie’s lips tip up, but it wasn’t until my girl giggled and Josie followed that my heart shriveled.

For years I’d known I’d fucked up, it was just that I couldn’t find my way past the fear of my kid getting hurt again. I couldn’t unhear her cries or unsee the tears or unfeel the pain.

My eyes met Josie’s, and the attraction that hummed whenever she was close sparked. But it was the understanding in those blue eyes that freaked me the fuck out.

It was then Echo’s accusation hit me.

I hadn’t been protecting Lindy.

I’d been hiding her.

Not just from the women in my life, but from everyone.

Anyone who could cause her the slightest upset if they left.

Clearly, Lindy wasn’t the only one with abandonment issues. And quite possibly mine were worse than hers.

CHAPTER FIVE

“We have everything but chocolate chips,” Lindy said as she rummaged through the pantry. “Um, and this cake mix expired like…” She paused, likely to do the math in her head. “Six months ago.”

“The mix will be fine. We can make regular vanilla cake,” I told her.

“No way, we’re totally having your chocolate chip sour cream cake. Dad’s a sucker for chocolate chips. If we have them in the house, he’ll pour some in a bowl and add a few dollops of peanut butter. Sometimes he squirts chocolate sauce all over the peanut butter.”