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Jett cut him off with a sharp sigh as he rounded on him. Most of the ducks were gone by now, waddling away into their watery home. He wasn't sure if the few left would try to attack Abbie, but he still kept his body in front of hers.
"I told you to stay here," he ground out. "Right here." He pointed at the ground. "For this reason. I told you why."
"I know, man. I'm sorry." To Wes' credit, he actually looked upset. But Jett was too annoyed to care about that.
A soft giggle caught his attention, and he glanced over his shoulder. Panic bolted through him when Abbie wasn't standing where he'd left her. "Abbie?—-"
She laughed again, and his head snapped down. Her arm was outstretched, a piece of bread pinched between her fingers. A duck waddled its way to her, its little body wiggling with each step.
Extending its long neck, it plucked the bread from her fingers, and she let out another squeal of excitement.
"This is so fun!" she cried, and he let out a harsh breath, sliding his gaze to Wes. He gave him a guilty look as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I'm sorry," he muttered again, but Jett shook his head. It was fine. It was just another fuck up on top of the day of fuck ups. But Abbie was happy, and that was all that mattered to him.
“Everything okay with your mom?" He jerked his chin at the phone still clutched in Wes' hand. A harsh breath pushed from his nose, and his expression shifted into annoyance.
"You know how she is. Same shit, different day. Looking for money." Jett nodded, knowing that had to be the truth. "But Annabelle’s been sick..." His gaze dropped to Abbie, and Jett followed it, finding her staring up at him.
"Is she okay?" she asked softly. Annabelle, Wes' sister, had sickle cell anemia and was often in and out of the hospital. Jettthought the worry was what caused Wes to drink and party so much. His need for alcohol went beyond him being a dumb kid.
"Yeah, Abbie-girl, she's alright." A soft smile curved his lips, and Jett had to take a deep breath to remember Wes was not trying to steal his girl.
"You did this for us?" She looked around at the wrecked picnic. Jett felt his pulse in his neck, thick and annoyed. He exchanged a look with Wes, but before either of them could say a word, she continued. "It's been aquackinggood time."
She laughed so hard she nearly threw herself backward. He couldn't help but grin. Even in the middle of a shitshow like this, she still managed to make everything better.
"This was all your man's idea," Wes said, throwing his arm at Jett. Itwashis idea, and Abbie knew it was his idea, but the attention solely on him made him bristle. He shrugged sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck as she stared up at him with the widest smile.
"Thank you, Daddy." Her face softened, and with the way the setting sun filtered in through the leaves overhead and speckled her face with light, it was like she was glowing. In that moment, he fell even more in love with her. It made his chest ache and fill with warmth he'd never felt before he met her.
"You're welcome, pretty girl."
Wes cleared his throat, and Jett blinked. He'd forgotten the other man was here. "You can head out," Jett said. "Thanks for..." He trailed off, looking down at the destroyed picnic. "Everything."
"Yeah, no problem. You still happy, Abbie-girl?" he asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Jett held his breath as he waited for her answer. She stared up at Jett, that same dreamy smile still on her pretty face.
"The happiest."
nine
. . .
Abbie tried not to let disappointment fill her as Jett turned down the street to their house. After the whole picnic debacle, she’d suggested the diner. It had been where they went for their first meal together, only minutes after meeting for the first time.
That little diner held so many happy memories for her. For both of them.
Tonight might’ve ruined them all, though.
Everything that could've gone wrong, did. First, they ruined her drink order three times. Then Jett’s burger had been burned. And finally, the moldy cherry on top of it all had been that they were totally out of dessert.
Who the heck was out of dessert on Valentine’s Day?
Jett pulled into the driveway and parked, but didn’t move. He just stared at the house, the truck still on, and his hands wrapped tightly around the wheel. He hadn’t said a word since the diner. His annoyance rippled off him in palpable waves. Even though he was trying to hide it, she could see it.
“Jett?” she whispered. He slowly blinked, looking like he was waking up, and turned toward her, smiling weakly.
“Hey, pretty girl.” He sounded so…defeated. So unlike her Jett. Unlike Daddy. A harsh sigh left him, and he dropped his head forward. “I’m sorry about today.”
