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Aubrey pushed herself back to look up into his face, her own uncertain. “Would you come visit me? For things like bring-your-dad-to-school day? And the daddy-daughter dance?”
What went through Colt’s expression this time had Tiger looking away. He knew Colt loved her, but that love got mucked up with so much other shit. Seeing Colt realize it was heartrending, and clawed at Tiger’s gut. “We’ll see,” Colt said.
“Can Uncle Tiger visit, too?”
Colt looked up at him and tilted his head. Not exactly a nod, but close enough. “Yeah. Okay.”
Tiger moved close enough to stroke a gentle hand over her hair. “Anytime.”
“Will the two of you come together sometime?” She looked between them. “Mommy would like that. She told me.”
“She did, hunh?” Colt touched her shoulder. “You still haven’t answered the question.”
Her eyes welled up with tears. “Yes. I would like to live with Grandma Rose and Grandpa Bill. I’m so sorry, Daddy. I do love you.”
“No. It’s okay. It’s okay.” Colt held her close as she let out a little sob then put her fist against her mouth, as if to hold it back and bring herself under control. Something no kid her age should know how to do, but Tiger knew exactly where she’d learned to pull it back in that way.
So did Colt. He swallowed, his eyes wet as he looked toward the trees. Then he had himself under control, and eased back from her, touching her face once more. “All right then,” he said gruffly. “Uncle Tiger’s going to take you to them. Road trip. Lots of good snacks, I’ll bet. Pork rinds, right?”
Aubrey made a face. “You like those. I think they’re gross.”
“If I poured chocolate over them, you’d be fine with them. I’ll send you some chocolate-covered pork rinds.”
She giggled a little, a weak sound, but genuine enough to give Tiger a relieved feeling. Kids were always heartbreakingly tougher than adults realized.
He and Colt were proof of that. So was Skye.
Colt had dropped his attention to Aubrey’s bracelet. He ran his thumb over it, squeezing his daughter’s arm. Then he lifted his head and met Skye’s gaze square. Skye answered his short nod with one of her own, as well as a follow up gesture, a rounded sweep of her hand from beneath her chin to her mid-section. Colt sent Tiger a questioning look.
“She said you’re welcome.”
Colt nodded thoughtfully, then touched Aubrey’s face. “I want you to go back to Skye while your uncle and I talk.”
“Okay, Daddy. If you promise you won’t fight.”
Colt stroked her hair again. “No, baby. We won’t fight. Uncle Tiger knows I’d whip his butt.”
Tiger scoffed, but smiled when Aubrey looked toward him, confirming all was good. She let out a little sigh, part relief, part weariness, with just a touch of worry for the future. It was such an adult response it was startling.
Especially when she sounded just like her mother.
Pain gripped Colt’s features. As Aubrey headed her way, Skye reached out a hand, clasping the child’s to guide her to the truck, tucking them both safely inside again.
Tiger looked at Colt. “I know you’re going to seek retribution for this. But try not to get killed doing it.”
“Yeah.” Colt’s fingers pressed into the top of the picnic table, his expression as wooden as the slats. “When Rose and Bill draw up the papers on the custody thing… make sure they put you as the person who gets her if they kick off before she grows up.”
Tiger’s brow creased. “What are you talking about, man?”
"It’s nice to think about, me coming to visit her…but no. We’re not doing that.” Colt’s half-laugh was bitter. “Shit, youknow how likely I am to live to see her be eighteen, Tiger. She doesn’t need to go through that twice.”
Tiger closed the distance between them then, gripping the edge of his brother’s cut. He gave him a sharp shake. "You prove that wrong. Be her father when it counts. Be there to scare the shit out of her prom date. Wipe away her tears when she gets her first broken heart.”
"Too late on that one. She has nightmares about losing her mom." Colt’s expression became even more brittle. "Did she…was it fast?"
It was the first time he’d asked anything about Nicole. Just like his feelings about his daughter, they were buried so deep people didn’t think he had them. Tiger had always known better. Maybe because of the minefield between them, he’d let himself forget that.
"Yeah. It was fast. I think—I think she was already gone when we went down together. And swear to God, her last words to me were about you. Loving you. She just didn’t know how to live with you.”
