Bad Daddy by Jayda Marx

Chapter Nine

Colt

 

I dropped the hood of the Chevy Cruze I was working on; I'd just fixed an antifreeze leak. Luckily, the problem was just a leaky hose that needed to be replaced and not the whole water pump.

My phone vibrated in my back pocket and I smiled when I saw Westin's name on the screen when I pulled it out. I smiled every damn time when he called.

We'd been together about a month and every day just got better. Not only did we spend nearly every night with each other having scorching hot sex, we shared tender moments as well. Our relationship deepened and our love grew.

I still took charge and made decisions; those things were part of who I was and what we both needed, but I was comfortable with things in our relationship that I never thought I would be.

For example, I was disappointed with myself that I couldn't take Westin out as much as I wanted. My heart wanted to spoil him rotten, but my wallet wouldn't always allow it.

But my sweet boy told me that I spoiled him in the most important ways, like with my time, attention, and love. And every now and then, he took me out. He said it didn't matter to him who paid; what mattered was enjoying the experience together.

He made me trust again; fully and uninhibited. We were partners, lovers, and best friends. He made me see the important things in life. Westin was the most important thing in my life, and I was positive that I wanted to spend my life with him. 

I swiped across the green phone icon to answer and said, "Hey there, pup. I was just thinking about-" I stopped talking when I heard him sobbing on the other end of the line. "Westin, what's wrong?"

"I'm sorry to bother you at work," he sniffled.

"You could never bother me. What's going on? Are you sick?"

"No, Daddy. I'm just-" he paused when he cried too hard to speak. After a few deep breaths, he continued, "I'm just having a hard day."

I remembered what Westin told me when we met about needing comfort and reassurance sometimes. It was a side of him I hadn't seen yet, but I would give him anything he needed. "It's okay, sweetheart. Everything will be okay. Do you need me to come over?"

"Y-yes. I need you, Daddy."

I grabbed my keys off of the top of my toolbox. "I'm on my way. Try to relax and breathe, I'll be right there, okay?"

"Okay," he hiccuped. "Be safe, I love you."

"I love you too, pup." I closed the call and jogged out to the front desk, where Buck was sitting on his ass and scrolling through his phone. "I just finished Bill Johnson's Cruze. He'll need charged for a hose and an hour of labor when he comes in to pick it up. It was my last job of the day and I need to leave a little early; I have a family emergency." Westin was my family as far as I was concerned.

"But you're supposed to be here another twenty minutes," he argued, looking at the clock on his phone.

"That's what leaving early means, dumbass." I was only sweet when it came to my boy. "I just said I have an emergency."

"Fine, but I'll be telling my dad about this."

I just rolled my eyes and hurried out the door; Buck was almost as old as I was and still acted like a fucking teenager. But John had already left for the day too, and I doubted that Buck would remember long enough to tell him when he saw him again. Even if he did, I didn't give a shit. My boy needed me.

I jumped in my truck and drove as fast as the speed limit allowed; I didn't want to get pulled over because any legal action would count against my parole. Instead, I drummed on my steering wheel and cussed out every other driver on the road.

When I finally made it to Westin's apartment, I slammed my truck into park and ran to his door, using the key he gave me to get inside. I found my boy sitting on his couch in one of my sweatshirts, sobbing into the sleeves.

I sat next to him and pulled him onto my lap. "I'm here," I whispered as I rubbed his back. "Daddy's here."

Westin clung to me as he snorted and snotted into my neck. I didn't know what else to do except hold him tightly and pat his ass, so that's what I did.

He eventually lifted his head and looked at me through red, puffy eyes. "I had a technical support call today from St. Lucian's Hospital."

I nodded for him to continue and when he didn't, I asked, "Did something happen? Was someone mean to you?" Hopefully he remembered their name and I'd hunt the fucker down.

But Westin shook his head no. "St. Lucian's is where both of my parents died; where they took my dad after his car accident and my mom when she got so sick. Then I realized that my dad died four years ago this week."

"I'm so sorry," I offered, rubbing his back again. "I know it's hard."

"That's not why I'm upset," he corrected as more tears flowed. "I didn't realize what week it was because I wasn't thinking about what happened to him or mom. I should have been sad; I should have been mourning. But I've been so happy lately and I'm a terrible person!"

He collapsed on me again and finally I understood. "Westin, you're not a terrible person. You're the sweetest, kindest man I know."

He shook his head against me and I hugged him tighter. "It's okay to miss them, but your parents wouldn't want you to mourn them forever. Do you remember how hard it was to see your mom so sad and broken?"

I realized too late how dumb that sounded; of course he remembered. I admittedly wasn't the best at offering consoling words, but I was trying my best for him and luckily Westin didn't seem offended. He wiped his nose on his sleeve and nodded.

"She wouldn't want you to feel that way; neither would your dad. They would be so very proud of you and how far you've come. They'd want you to be happy, and they'd be happy to know that you've found someone to spend your life with."

Westin sniffed hard and dabbed at his eyes. "Thank you, Daddy. I think you're right; I felt bad because I wasn't heartbroken, but that doesn't mean that I don't miss them or think about them."

"That's right, pup. It means you're healing, and that's a good thing." I swiped his hair away from his face and kissed his forehead. "I never want you to be sad, but I'll always be here for you when you are."

"I couldn't make it without you," he said with trembling lips. He could; he was smart and stronger than he knew, but I wouldn't put him in a position where he'd have to. "I really do want to spend my life with you."

His words melted my heart and released butterflies in my stomach. To the rest of the world, I was a hard ass (and enjoyed it), but I was putty in Westin's hands.

"I do too," I answered honestly. Little did Westin know, I already purchased a thick, locking permanent collar to claim him as my own. It was hidden at my place and I was waiting for the perfect moment to ask him to wear it.

"I need you to make me feel better, hold me, love me, and a million other things," Westin told me before tucking his bottom lip between his teeth. He chewed it for a moment before asking quietly, "Would you want to move in together? It's okay if you're not ready, and of course you're in charge of the decision, but-"

"Yes," I answered firmly, leaving no room for doubt.

His eyes welled up again. "Really?"

"Absolutely. I want to spend every moment possible with you. I don't care where we live, I just need to be with you."

"Oh, Daddy." Westin clung to me and wept some more, but I knew they were happy tears. I held him until his eyes dried up and his breathing evened out.

When he was calmed down, I said, "I'm going to order us some Chinese food for dinner, and then I'm gonna snuggle the shit out of you while we watch the bloodiest, craziest movie we can find."

Finally, he gave me a pretty smile and nodded. "You always know just what I need. I love you."

"I love you too." I kissed his forehead again and pulled out my phone to order dinner. We had a long night of cuddling and planning for the future ahead of us.