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“You seem sad.”
“I’m not. Want to get your dad so he can tell you goodnight too?”
She nodded. Skylar knew the happiness on her daughter’s face made up for the pain she was experiencing having him so close. She waited while Ava went to find Luka. They returned holding hands. Just having that image of the two of them returning to Ava’s room, his big hand holding her little hand made everything right. This was for Ava. She had to keep reminding herself of that.
Skylar rose from the bed as Luka scooped up their daughter and laid her gently on the bed. Ava snuggled under the covers and Luka leaned over to kiss her. Then he stepped back so that Skylar could kiss her too. She turned and left the room. Luka watched her leave without a word.
Chapter 7
Luka went downstairs to grab a bite to eat. He was always hungry at this time of night. It took a lot of fuel for his massive frame. He was going to have find a place to work out in town. Just because he wasn’t fighting didn’t mean he didn’t need to stay physically fit.
He fixed a ham and cheese sandwich then sat down at the island in the kitchen. In just his shorts he glanced around the kitchen. Little had changed about this room. It was still painted the same color probably touched up since the time he had been here.
The walls in the other rooms were adorned with pictures something Nancy wouldn?
?t have allowed. Some colors had changed and furniture was different. So many memories.
The last time he was here. He had sat in the living room with Skylar on a different sofa watching television until well after midnight. Luka laid his sandwich on the plate and closed his eyes remembering. She was leaning back against his chest. His arm was wrapped around her waist. She was sleepy. She kept yawning but she didn’t want him to leave.
He hadn’t wanted to go either. He had known that he was leaving that night as soon as he got home. His stuff was in the back of his truck. He just wanted to go home and see his mother before he left town.
Skylar walked him to the door. He leaned down and kissed her sweet lips. In his head, he was promising her he would come back for her but he said nothing. She had even asked him if everything was okay.
He held her tightly to him for a brief second. He lied to her then. “I’ll see you tomorrow babe at four o’clock.”
He remembered the first conversation with Brett after he had been gone for a while. He had to know if she was all right. She wasn’t. Sky was devastated. The first week she wouldn’t even get out of bed. Brett had gone over every day and sat with her just to talk to her. She was inconsolable his brother had told him. The second week she was just going through the motions, hardly eating or talking to anyone. He almost went back home but he hadn’t so he didn’t learn about the baby that she carried.
He rose from the barstool and dropped the quarter piece of his sandwich that was left in the trash. He downed the rest of his water and put the glass in the sink.
Walking through the semi-darkened house he headed up the stairs. He couldn’t help himself, Luka stopped outside Skylar’s door. He laid his forehead against the hard, unforgiving wood, remembering, thinking how different things could have been.
When he called home Luka gave his mom his phone number. He had a phone now where Luna could reach him. After that conversation with Brett, Skylar was on his mind all the time. He was worried about her.
A month later, his mother had called him telling him her parents were dead. He spent a couple days worrying about her. Wondering. He had almost called Skylar himself. He knew if he did, he would have gone home to her. What he was trying to find would never be found.
He was shaking his head back and forth. Regret filled him. He had fucked up. If he had picked up that phone and called her, would she have told him Ava? His daughter was only a month old then.
Then he heard her through the solid, oak door. Skylar was crying. Luka started to walk away. Her tears were breaking his heart. He stopped a few feet heading towards his own room and glanced over his shoulder. Then he returned to the spot where he had been standing in front of her room, unsure of what to do.
Luka turned the knob and went into her room. Skylar hadn’t heard him yet. Her back was to him. Quietly he shut the door behind him. He could hear her crying even louder now without the door to separate them.
He noticed that she was wearing those damn, skimpy shorts and tank top pajamas she was so fond of. He stepped across the room and hovered by the side of the bed. Sky still didn’t realize he was in her room.
He ran his fingers through his hair unsure of what he was doing in here. Luka knew she wouldn’t want him. Not yet. Then he sat on the bed startling her. She turned over onto her side facing him. The room was dark but he could see the wetness on her face in the minimal light the moon provided. She didn’t know what to say about him being in her bed. He could see that she was startled. Skylar stared at Luka.
He just wanted to comfort her. Luka pulled her into his arms and held her close. She was stiff at first but he held her anyway. He wasn’t going to give up on her or them.
Slowly, he felt her body relax into his. He embraced her harder. Luka could feel her tears wetting his bare chest. Damn if he knew what else to do but hold her. “Why did you leave me Luka?”
He kissed her forehead. He decided to do it while he had the chance. He laid on his back and snuggled her into his side. She actually put her head on his chest and ran her fingers over his ribs. He couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking.
“I had to Sky.” His voice was hoarse. He was fighting his own wall of emotion threatening to consume him. Coming home and finding Ava, his little mini-me had about crushed him. The last few days were threatening to crash in on him.
He was filled with so much damn regret. Then anger. Hurt again. A barrage of emotions kept overwhelming him. He couldn’t blame Sky though. He had left her in the night without a word. He had broken her. He knew that now. “My biggest fear was ending up like the old man stuck in this town with a chip on my shoulder always worrying about the ranch and whether it would turn a profit this year.”
“Your mom has done well with what he left her.”
He chuckled. “I know. That’s Mom. She could turn dirt into gold.” She actually had done better with the farm than his old man had.
