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“Daddy, are we leaving yet?”Brynlee runs to me late in the day Friday and jumps up into my arms. I’m standing next to the cage Hudson is coming out of, covered in sweat, with a stupid grin on his face.
“Soon, baby. We’re leaving soon.” I put her back on her feet. “Why don’t you go get your things out of my office, and we’ll get going.”
As she sprints toward my door, Hudson laughs. “She doesn’t hate me anymore.”
“Oh, yeah? How’d you get out of the doghouse?” We start picking up the discarded equipment and returning them to their places. “Last I checked, she still wasn’t talking to you.”
“Oh, come on now. I can’t give away all my moves, Saint.” His smile grows.
“Dick.” I shake my head.
“Fucknut,” he returns.
“Coach Fucknut.” I throw a medicine ball that he catches with an umph.
“What’s a fucknut?” This kid is going to have the worst mouth at preschool, and I’m so getting another call from the teacher.
Before I can say anything, Hudson scoops her up in his arms. “It’s a word you can’t say, Brynnie. But it’s your daddy’s nickname.”
“It is not, Bryn.” I grab her from him. “Ignore Hudson.”
“But he’s my best friend. It’s not nice to ignore your best friend, Daddy.” The serious look on her face has me hiding my smile.
“It’s not nice, baby. You’re right. But what did Hudson do to earn best friend status?” If he won’t tell me, she will.
Her big green eyes look from me to Hudson, and then I think she tries to wink, but it’s really a blink. Sort of. Whatever the hell it was, it required some serious concentration. “Nope. That’s only for best friends to know, Daddy. Just me and Hud.”
Hudson’s shoulders inflate just like his ego, and he preens like the peacock he is.
“I’m not your best friend, baby?” And that pain there was most definitely my heart cracking in half. I thought I had until she was a teenager before I got replaced by a boy.
I glare at my offending fighter. “You. Go run.”
Hudson laughs at me. “No can do. I gotta get cleaned up and head over to Amelia and Sam’s. Nonna is feeding us tonight.”
“Lucky bastard.” Sam’s Nonna loves to feed people, and her food is amazing.
Hudson looks between Brynlee and me. “You should come with. And bring your money. We might be playing poker later, after the kids go to bed.”
“Nah, man. I appreciate it. But I don’t want to invade family time.”
“Seriously, you should come. It won’t be just family. Declan Sinclair is bringing his family too. I think Sam wanted to plan a poker night, and Amelia wanted a girls’ night, so they just called everyone. Check your phone.”
“Yeah. Maybe.” I put Brynlee down and grab my stuff from my office. Hudson’s right. My phone’s flashing with a message from Sam, inviting us over for food and poker. According to the text, it’s just him, Becks, and Declan.Guess he didn’t get the memo.
When I come back out of my office, I laugh at Hud squatting down to Bryn’s level, whispering about something. “Daddy, I want to go to Nonna’s. Huddy says she makes real good food, and he said he thinks Amelia will have cupcakes.”
I glare at Hudson. “Don’t use my daughter against me, asshole.”
He moves behind Brynn. “I would do no such thing.”
“There was a text from Sam. Sounds like Dec’s kids are gonna be there too.”
“Can we go? Please, Daddy.”
I look from Brynn back to Hudson and huff. “Yeah, baby. We can go. But we’ve got to go home first, so I can change.”
My three-year-old shocks me when she cheers, then high-fives Hudson. “Told ya if I asked, he’d say yes.”
