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I glance at my brother, and he smirks and again I feel completely lost. Obviously, I’m missing something.
“Do you want a drink?”
“Sure,” Zoey replies as she places her palm against my stomach, just above the waistband of my jeans.
“Zoey.” Emma moves in closer and the two girls stare at one another. “Can we talk?”
“Why?”
“Because it was an accident and you got to know I didn’t mean to tell your father.” Emma looks torn as she glances up at me. “Please,” she adds and its then I look at my girl.
“I need to talk to Jay,” Zoey tells her friend. “Before you get a few drinks in you and tell him too, prior to me having the chance to do it myself.”
“Tell me what?” Now my mind is racing.
Emma looks like she wants to say so much more but instead she backs away and goes back to Mattie. I feel for her, because she looks genuinely bothered by whatever it is that is going on between the two of them.
I slouched down enough so I can see her face fully and notice her worrying her lip. “What’s going on?”
“Carson called the other night.” The sound of his name has the beer souring in my stomach. “From jail.”
“Why would he call you?”
“Because he has no one else.” I stare at her. “He doesn’t have me either,” she finishes.
Who win the hell does this guy think he is? After everything he put her through, the years of shit and then tossing away Riley and Regan like they were a bag of trash. Then he has the nerve to reach out.
“The conversation was very short,” she adds, and I nod. I’m pissed, but not at her. “He got himself into some trouble afterstoring some stuff for someone.” She continues. “I didn’t ask details because frankly I didn’t care. I told him he could rot there and not to call me again.”
I know she’d never go back to him, that thought doesn’t even cross my mind.
“You shouldn’t be mad at her,” I tell Zoey. There are a hundred different things I want to say, but instead I hold back those thoughts and take the easy road. “That woman is so protective of you and of the girls. When she says it slipped out to your dad, I have to believe her because she is always on your side.”
“And?” Zoey says watching me with caution.
“And what?”
“I know your mind is rolling over and over and you have so much more you want to say.”
She shrugs her shoulders. “So say it.”
“I don’t like him calling you.” It flies out of my mouth without pause. “I don’t want him near you or our girls. I’m half tempted to jump in my car right now and drive to the jail or if he’s out make a visit to his place just so I can express how much I dislike it.”
Zoey stares at me and slowly I see a smile tug at her lips.
“What?”
“You called them our girls.” She smirks and I rethink my words and realize she’s right.
“They are.” The attachment I feel to Riley and Regan is uncontrollable. “He gave up his rights, he walked away and his ass needs to stay away.”
Slowly she glides her hand over my chest, until she reaches my neck and pulls me down to meet her. Pressing her lips to mine, I grip her hip and hold her close. “You can breathe, papa bear.” She smiles against my lips. “They’re safe.”
With my forehead resting to hers, I feel like it’s only her and I. Wrapping her tight in my hold, I sway her from side to side and notice Emma watching us. I offer her a wink, and she smiles, and I know without a doubt the two of them will get over this.
thirty-two
. . .
