AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She grabs at my lips, and I pretend to eat her hand.
“Daddoo’s got the cutest baby in town. Doesn’t he, beautiful? He kind of wants the prettiest little mama too, Viv. Even though he knows he shouldn’t and only seems to annoy her. You think it might happen one day?”
Viv blows spit bubbles at me.
“Helpful.” I jiggle her gently, not wanting to wear the meal she just ate. “Pretty sure I’m being stupid. Mama’s all hot and cold, and there’s clearly a line she’s not interested in crossing. She’s way too young for the likes of me, and I don’t need to make her life any more complicated than it already is. I don’t want to make life harder for either of you.”
I kiss her forehead and sigh. “The guy next door definitely needs to stand on his own two feet, so your mama can trust him to be there for her, though. He’s going to need to learn about you and me for that to happen, little one. But don’t you worry. You’re perfect, and he’ll have no choice but to adore you. If I’m going to make things work with Mama without causing added strain, it’s me who’ll need to win him over. And that’s not going to be easy, because I could be as old as he is, and your mama’s still fresh out of school.”
I look around the place. “She’s pretty grown up, though. Isn’t she, bubba? She’s a clever one; that’s for sure. Savvy. Wise and sexy, like no girl her age should be. Wish that didn’t float my boat so damn much. It’d make it easier to keep my distance.”
Viv babbles right back at me, like we’re having a conversation, and I snort softly. “You’re going to be a little smarty-pants like her, aren’t you, blossom? But Daddoo’s not letting you anywhere near any big, old, nasty men like him. He’sgoing to give you lots of love, so you don’t have to go looking for it elsewhere. You think that might work for Mama, too?”
I think about what Jem really needs right now, and I want to kick myself, because it ain’t me.
I take a deep breath and tuck Viv into my side. “Ready to go meet your pops, Viviana Bea? We’re going to go rip the Band-Aid off and deal with the fallout, so Mama can start healing. It’s going to fucking sting, but it’ll be worth it, in the long run. She needs to feel some love from her people, or she’ll teach you it’s better to be alone. But it’s not, Viv. People need people. I spent the last year figuring that out, and if I want to be one of Mama’s people, I’ll need to be initiated into the tribe. She’s not going to like it, though. It’ll be a trial by fire, so hold on to your li’l cotton socks.”
13
JEM
Isnap my head up, as Gunnar enters Dad’s living room with Viv strapped to him in the baby sling.
“What are you doing here?” I ask through my teeth. “I told you to—”
Ignoring me, he walks straight up to my dad and thrusts his hand out — a non-verbal but very clear directive for it to be shaken. “Pleased to me you, Mr. Wade. I’m Gunnar Scott, Viviana’s father.”
I groan and jump to my feet, nearly spilling the last of Dad’s lasagna into his lap, because he has zero appetite, and after coaxing him to take each mouthful, we were only halfway through.
Dad stares at Gunnar’s hand, then at Viv, and finally at me. His eyes remain somewhat vacant, while I imagine the cogs in his once sharp mind slowly turn, to form a conclusion.
“Shelby’s little girl?” he asks.
I glance at Gunnar, and my cheeks heat, as I nod. “Yeah, Dad.”
“Congratulations,” he says to Gunnar, slowly reaching to shake his outstretched hand.
But Gunnar pulls his hand away. He’s staring at me, and he’s not happy. “Shelby?”
“Nice girl,” Dad says in a monotone, as he summons the mind to have a fucking conversation, despite my talking to his blank expression for the last ten minutes.
“Gunnar, can you please go back next door? My dad can’t handle visitors currently.”
Dad looks at me, and then at Gunnar. He sits up more in his chair. “I’m fine.”
“Oh, really?” I take his plate to the kitchen and leave it there. “Then why am I practically spoon-feeding you like a baby? You’ve said two words to me since I came in, but now you want to talk, because a handsome man entered the room?” I growl and toss a damp facecloth in his lap. “You have sauce on your chin.”
Gunnar says my name so softly, I want to cry, but I grit my teeth, force it down, and turn my anger on him. “I told you not to follow me.”
“And I chose to disobey,” he replies with awhat are you going to do about it?look on his face. “This isn’t okay, Jem. How long have you been doing this alone?”
“Since I had to. It’d be nice to share the joy, but being an only child is really fucking hard sometimes. Larger families probably do a lot of things way better, but I don’t exactly have a big family lying around here. So I do what I can. Alone. At least I can do things my way.”
“And this is the way you’re choosing?” Gunnar asks, looking around. “It’s too hard.”
Viv gives a squawk of agreement.
“How is Shelby’s little peach?” Dad coos, coming to life a little, like he sometimes has lately, when I have Viv with me.
