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“We will move if she says anything else to or about Haisley,” I told him.
He nodded. “I don’t doubt it. We’ve not talked about this, but I’m proud of you for how you’re handling it. You’re not a boy anymore. Every choice you’ve made has been that of a man. Just give your mom some time to catch up.” He glanced back at Haisley again. “I think it’s time you introduce me to the mother of my grandchild.”
Moving over, I turned enough to slip my hand behind her and move her closer to me. “Dad, this is Haisley. Haisley, this is my dad, Kenneth.”
My dad held out a hand to her, and I watched as she slipped her much smaller one into his.
“It’s nice to meet you, Haisley. My son has excellent taste. It’s good to know my grandchild won’t be lacking in the looks department.” He grinned as he said it, making Haisley blush.
A small laugh escaped her, and the way her eyes shone under the lights around us hit me in the chest, like always.
“Thank you, Mr. Houston. It’s nice to meet you.”
He let go of her hand. “It’s Kenneth. Please, no need for formalities.”
She was glowing. My dad had accepted her, and it was clear she had needed it. Especially after the shit my mom pulled. I owed him big time.
“I need to get back in there and make sure your mother is behaving.” He winked. “You two go home and enjoy your evening.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
He nodded and stepped back before turning to walk back into the dining room.
I reached for the door again and opened it. “Let’s go,” I told her.
She stepped outside, then wrapped her arms around her and shivered. The temperature had dropped, and it was a good ten degrees cooler than it had been when we arrived.
I slipped my tuxedo jacket off and put it over her shoulders.
“Thank you,” she replied, pulling it around her and snuggling into it.
I realized I was fucking jealous of my own jacket.
We walked in silence until we were past the parked cars and the lights of my parents’ Christmas decorations.
“That was an interesting party,” she said, glancing up at me.
I smirked. “It was a fucking nightmare.”
Her laugh made me smile. “Yeah, it kinda was.”
I looked down at her. “I’m sorry.”
She frowned. “You have nothing to apologize for.”
We walked up the steps to the house, and I stopped before opening the door.
“Yeah, I do. I took you there, and you were attacked. It’s my job to protect you.”
She took a step closer to me and laid a hand on my chest. “You stood up to your mother and threatened to never speak to her again. I would say you went above any protection I ever expected from you.”
I looked at her hand on me, then back at her eyes. When we walked in this door, I was going to cross a line. One I had drawn to protect myself. But after tonight, I was done protecting myself. I had two lives that needed my protection. Haisley and our baby were my only concerns from here on out. Fuck my heart and my feelings. My dad had called me a man tonight, but I’d been acting like a damn boy.
The day might never come that Haisley wanted me or chose me for me alone and not because she was carrying my child. But I wasn’t holding back my feelings and need for her because of it. She was here with me. Our baby was growing inside her. And more than I wanted my next breath, I wanted her naked in my bed. I wanted my sheets to smell like her. I wanted to be able to touch her and kiss her whenever I wanted. I just wanted her.
II
“Unconditional love is hard to compete with.”
—Abbi Glines, Because of Low
Twenty-One
Haisley
I stepped into the house, and the smell of the pine tree and cinnamon sticks that we had hung on the tree filled the air. The scent alone made all the other bad from tonight fade away. This reminded me of our tree, Saxon, and our night decorating it. I felt safe and wanted here. Yes, I missed my siblings, but here, I felt taken care of. I’d always been the caretaker, and I had never truly felt safe. Part of me felt guilty for having this when my siblings didn’t. But then would I want to be here if it wasn’t for Saxon? Would I want to leave my family and live somewhere nicer without them if I didn’t have these feelings for Saxon?
No. I’d want to be with my family. Wherever they were.
I was happy here because he was here.
I slipped off his jacket and turned to hand it to him. The time in his bedroom tonight had been the best part about this evening. But after all that happened, I knew the guy he’d been in that moment probably wasn’t coming back. I wasn’t sure what I had to do to get that Saxon back. The one who bordered on dark and looked as if he wanted to strip me naked and take me against a wall.
