Protector Daddy by Taryn Quinn
FIVE
I clicked off my phone.“Gina’s resting. Seems like the contractions were a false alarm.”
“Oh, that’s good. I’m glad. I mean, she’s a little early, right?”
“Just a little. But yeah, she’s relieved. That happened with Tabitha too, right?”
“Yeah. After her false alarm, Presley cooked a little longer and came out just fine. Still early, but not quite so bad.”
“She’s adorable. Brady can’t stop showing off pictures.”
“Wonder if Mav and Van’s baby will look like Presley. Since Van is Tab’s twin and all.” Halfheartedly, Honey patted my dog where she’d curled up on the sofa to watch the rain outside. She’d tucked a blanket around her legs and the fire was blazing as rain pelted the windows but she didn’t seem to feel the warmth.
Yet again, Boomer had draped himself over her feet to rest his head on her legs so he could watch her adoringly—and give her moral support.
Even a couple of hours later, Honey still looked as if someone had kicked her in the face.
With steel-toed boots.
“They didn’t even leave messages,” she said dully. “Why couldn’t they have at least left me a message? If Gina hadn’t thought she was in labor, I wouldn’t have even found out until tomorrow.”
“I imagine eloping took all their attention.”
“All my life, he’s been my best friend. Even when he was an idiot. My bestie Mickey would complain about her brothers, and yeah, I’d bitch about Brady being as communicative as a dollar store plastic rock, but not Mav. Mav remembers birthdays. He picks out good Christmas gifts. He returns phone calls and texts without being reminded and he never sends the dopey male one or two word kind.” She shot me an apologetic glance. “Are you a one word text guy? You probably are.” She shrugged. “Sorry. It’s annoying.”
“I’ll try to do better.” My sarcasm was completely lost on her. “Didn’t you say Mickey is your bestie? Is that a girl?”
“Yeah, Michaela. She’s my bestie but Mav is family. I mean, Mickey basically is too, but Mav’s my big brother. That’ll always be special.” She toyed with Boomer’s dog bone-shaped name tag on his collar.
“Brady’s your older brother too.”
“He’s a blockhead though.”
“Oh, okay. That makes sense.” Not even a little bit.
“You don’t know what it’s like to be the youngest and a girl.”
“No, I most certainly do not.”
She sniffled and cold dread settled in my gut as I leaned forward in my chair, either to sprint toward her to comfort her or maybe out of the room—perhaps even the house—entirely.
“I didn’t get to see him get married. I can’t believe it. How could he do it without me there? I get he’s in love and happy and gonna be a daddy and everything but just to forget me… I’d never forget him like that.” She dashed at her cheeks. “No matter who I was marrying. Not even if it was Jason Momoa and he’s prime.”
“Jason Momoa, really? That’s my competition?”
“Jason Stratham is pretty good too. Or Vin Diesel—”
“So the whole cast of the Fast movies is my competition. Good to know.”
“Competition? We’re talking fantasy stuff here. By the way, I saw that cut-out tucked in your blotter.”
“What cut-out?”
“Looked like a baseball card but had some beautiful brunette on it. Stacked, because they always are.”
“She’s a local author. The card was shoved in my bag at Every Line A Story. Kept it to ask my mom if she read her books so I could get her some for Christmas. They’re like murder and knitting. Murder with knitting needles and pottery. Hell if I know.”
“Sure. Likely story. She probably wrestles in mud.”
“If she does, that’s one heck of a sales tactic.” I braced my elbows on my knees. “Honey, look at me.”
She didn’t lift her head so I crossed the room and crouched at her side, scratching Boomer’s ears when he stretched his head toward me. “I guarantee Mav didn’t intend to hurt you. He just got…caught up.” Honey lifted her head and the big silver hoops at her ears shifted, catching the light. “Gotta admit, I was kinda caught up tonight too.”
“Yeah, I was too.” Her smile glimmered faintly before the tears returned. “Brady getting married and becoming a dad was one thing. But Mav too… It’s just a lot, you know? I’m going to be an aunt twice over now. It’s just so weird.”
“It is at first. I’m an uncle many times over now. It gets less weird as you go.”
“Moose and Vee make babies like muffins.”
“True statement.”
“I don’t think my brothers will be like that, but I don’t know. My mom used to remind us about planet overcrowding, but then she discovered grandbaby lust and now I don’t think she’d mind if the three of us singlehandedly crowded the planet ourselves.” She wrinkled her nose. “At least her precious boys. I don’t think she even realizes I’m not a virgin yet. For that matter, Brady might not either. Did I mention he’s like a plastic rock?”
“Oh, I remember. Doesn’t even get genuine rock material. Harsh.”
She smiled and swiped her cheeks dry. “My dad told me what my period would be like when I was twelve. I didn’t get it until fourteen.”
“Wait, your dad did?”
“Yeah, Mom was in training at Quantico. I also had Google so I could fill in the blanks on my own.” She leaned forward and surprised me by laying one hell of a kiss on me—with tongue and a hair pull and even a little nipple rubbing. I was a lucky man—at least right now. “Thanks for listening,” she said as she moved back to drop a kiss on my dog. “You too, Boomer.”
He lapped her chin with a look of love. I couldn’t blame him one bit.
“No problem. Your family dynamic is interesting.”
“We’re dysfunctional as hell but at least my dad is high most of the time so he’s happily dysfunctional. He has a medical card,” she added as if she figured I needed such details.
“Good for him. Not that they’re necessary any longer.”
She frowned. “Right. Forgot about that. Not really my thing. Anyway, the higher he gets, the more inappropriate details I get about their sex life. I learned what 69 was at fifteen when he suggested I could avoid teen pregnancy by ‘getting pleasure’ from my boyfriend that way.”
“Evidently, you listened since no teen pregnancies for you. Right?” I couldn’t keep the sharpness out of my tone.
“Uh, no. Since I was technically a virgin until almost 17 and then we broke up after doing the deed. Great first experience. My next boyfriend wasn’t until college.” She narrowed her eyes. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Same question.”
“Obviously I didn’t have a teen pregnancy, Honey.”
“Semantics. Or were you as monk-like in high school too?”
She’d tossed me a lifeline and I wasn’t ashamed to use it. Fine, I was a little ashamed I couldn’t come clean with her, but this wasn’t first date conversation. Or first hookup. “I only had one girlfriend in high school. Remember that baggage?”
“Yeah. It doesn’t sound like garage level right now.” She held up a hand. “But it’s not the day for that sort of conversation and also you’ve been up all night. You probably have an early shift.”
“Early afternoon. I’m okay. You barely slept either.”
“Is that because you’re an insomniac and used to getting by on little sleep?”
“Not quite an insomniac, but a few hours is my usual limit.”
“I usually sleep like a baby.” She twisted the end of her braid between her fingers. “I’m not proud of that fact.”
“Why shouldn’t you be? Torment isn’t something you should aspire to.” Great, I’d officially said more than I should have.
“Are you tormented because of that baggage? I can’t see how even years of deprivation could rise to the level of torment. Though when I’m ovulating it can get intense.” She bit her lower lip. “Sorry. That’s probably a man no fly zone word, huh?”
“There’s no words you could say I wouldn’t want to hear.”
“Hmm.”
Despite myself, I almost smiled. “I have a feeling you have more in common with your mom than you realize. You’re very suspicious.”
“That could also be due to my love of true crime. What are you going to tell the Chief about me?”
“Oh, do you want me to give him details?”
She scowled at me. “I mean about the job interview. Do you have a story? You need a story.”
“And the truth isn’t adequate?”
“Oh, yeah, tell him how you had your hand around my throat before we kissed then moved your attention to my tits. I’m sure he’ll approve.”
I dragged my hand over my face and wondered not for the first time how we ended up here. “Bonnie is making noises about delaying retirement again.”
“Again?”
“She’s been driving herself to distraction worrying about Gina. She thinks maybe it’s better if she helps with the Dispatcher ‘transition’ before she calls it quits for real. You know, being more hands on with training.”
“But you haven’t hired anyone yet?”
“No, but the Chief assumes we’re hiring you.”
“No. I can’t. I made a tactical error in even applying.”
“Why?”
“Um, besides the fact that I’ve seen every part of you naked?”
“Yes, besides that.”
“Between my brothers and now you being my supervisor…it just doesn’t contribute to a professional work atmosphere. I want to go work for the vet’s office. I like animals better than men.”
“Now you tell me.” I inclined my chin toward my obviously smitten dog, who appeared to be smiling in his sleep as he snoozed on her thigh.
“Who can blame me for running away with Boomer? He’s a loyal companion.”
I sighed. “Look, I know I fucked things up for you for moving on you like I did. I have no defense for my actions except you’re so insanely sexy I lost all control.”
She cocked her head. “Well…okay.”
“I should be sorry. I should regret my actions.”
Her lips twitched. “And?”
“The only thing I regret is that I didn’t just grab the peas after having you one more time.”
She rubbed the back of her hand over her mouth. “I’m supposed to go to an early lunch with my mother.”
“So no back to bed for you just yet.”
“Do you want to come?”
I lifted my brows. “Did you remember all the questions you want to avoid?”
Gently, she nudged Boomer off her legs and he sighed morosely before flopping down on the rug. “Yeah. But now that you put the idea of more sex in my head…”
“It wasn’t in your head before?”
“It was, underneath being hurt by my stupid brother.”
“We can just have more sex and avoid the questions if I don’t come to lunch.”
“Yeah.” She wet her lips. “So what are you doing for dinner after your shift?”
I rose to grab her hand to tug her to her feet. “You.”
