Chapter Twenty-Six
Veronica
Sticking the pan of lasagna in the preheated oven, I look up and see the big grin on Cline’s face. She was acting weird this morning, whining and saying she didn’t feel good. She begged Van to let her stay home from school. He refused, and her whining turned into a full-on crying fit. It didn’t take him long to realize that what happened with her grandmother was bothering her, so he decided she could miss one day.
Since then, she quit crying but has been watchful. If I moved, she did, too. I doubt she has been more than a few feet from me since she crawled out of bed. I’m guessing she is still thinking about the shit Kendra pulled. Even at six, she is making sure she is around to protect me if needed. That thought makes me want to bawl my eyes out.
I shut the oven door and turn on the timer before pulling the stepstool over to the sink and motioning at her to come over. “Okay, Cline, it’s time to wash the sauce off your hands. Then, we’ll go watch some TV until supper is ready.”
She does as she’s told, looking over to where we have two fresh apple pies cooling on the counter. “Can we have a piece of pie while we watch TV?”
Right after breakfast, one of the old ladies stopped by with two big bags of apples. To say I was shocked to discover an old lady grew her own apples would be an understatement, but I was happy to have the company, and Cline was more than happy to have her favorite fruit. As soon as the woman left, I started peeling and worked on the pies.
“Those are for after dinner,” I say, bending down to whisper my next words. “But, you may be able to talk me into giving you an extra piece before you go to bed.”
She smiles up at me, slinging water all over the place. I look down into her beautiful blue eyes, smiling back. In that instant, I realize just how attached I have gotten to her. I don’t think of her as just my man’s daughter. No, she is completely separate from Van. My love for her is hers alone, not having one damn thing to do with the way I feel about her father.
Shaking off the thoughts, I help her get her hands washed and dried. I am just pushing the stool back against the wall when I hear the sound of a motorcycle outside. My smile grows; I missed him, even though he has only been gone a few hours.
“Daddy’s home!” Cline shouts, clapping her hands with excitement.
I nod and grab her hand. We walk into the living room and wait for him to come inside. Denver comes barreling down the hall, stopping in his tracks beside the door. Brass is already standing there, a pensive look on his face. It worries me, but I ignore it. Worrying isn’t going to get me anywhere because he sure in the hell isn’t going to tell me what is going on.
“You’re staying for supper, aren’t you?” I ask, trying to focus on something else.
“I have heard the two of you in that kitchen for over an hour. I know what you’re making, and there’s no way I’d miss it,” he says, with a half-smile.
Brass hardly ever comes over for breakfast, but he eats dinner with us at least five nights a week. The few nights he does miss, he comes over in the morning to raid the fridge for leftovers. It didn’t take me long to figure out I need to make him a plate, even when he isn’t here.
Hearing the door open, Cline takes off running to meet her daddy. Van reacts just as she barrels into him, catching her and lifting her up in his arms. She peppers his face with kisses as he gives her ribs a quick tickle.
“Did you and Ronni have a good day today?” he asks, walking my way.
She nods her head frantically as she answers, “We made lasagna for dinner, and Uncle Brass is going to stay and eat with us.”
“Of course, he is,” Van says, putting her down. “When does Uncle Brass not stay when you and Ronni cook?”
“He can’t help it that he likes good food,” I say as he leans down and brushes his lips over mine.
I look into his bright blue eyes and bite my lip. I want to ask about my dad but don’t want to push him about it. He’ll tell me when he gets ready. At least, I hope he will.
“Your dad is doing good, but he is missing his girls,” he tells me, obviously reading my mind. “He gave me some good news for you.”
Before I can ask any questions, Cline pipes in. “Who’s your dad, Ronni?”
I don’t get the chance to answer her question because Van does it for me. “Gramps is Ronni’s dad, baby girl.”
“Gramps?” she breathes out, sounding amazed.
I’m a bit amazed myself. I knew Dad was close to Cline, but I had no idea he was her Gramps. I’m not sure why it surprises me, considering how much he talks about her. It warms my heart, knowing this wonderful little girl considers my father family.
“You need to get Erin on the phone and see when she can come,” Van states, bringing me out of my thoughts.
“What?” I whisper, excitement filling me from head to toe.
“Tito is cool with her coming down.” He wraps his arms around my waist and gives me a squeeze. “So, you need to be giving her a call.”
My mind starts running a million miles a minute, thinking of all the things I want her to bring me. When I left Chicago, I was only allowed two suitcases, and one of those had to be left in New York. I have worn the few clothes I have so many damn times; I’m tired of even looking at them.
“Do you want to go call Erin with me?” I ask, looking down at Cline. “You can invite her to come see us?”
She doesn’t hesitate before nodding and grabbing my hand. We walk into the living room, where the only computer in the house is sitting on a desk in the corner. Cline sits in the chair as I get Skype loaded and click on Erin’s name. It takes a minute to do its thing, and then my friend’s smiling face is on the screen.
When we appear on her end, she says, “Hey, sweetie. What are you doing today?”
After I finally convinced Van it was safe, I started making daily Skype calls to my girls. We still text and talk on the phone, but I love being able to see their faces. Cline has been here during more than a few of these calls, and she has quickly become enamored with both of my best friends.
“My Gramps said that you could come see us,” she says in a near shout. “Please, please, please, come see me.”
I can hear Brass and Van chuckle as Erin gives her quick agreement. “Of course, I’ll come visit you, sweet pea.”
Cline turns in her seat to look at her dad, a proud smile on her face. “Erin calls me sweet pea because I’m as sweet as peas.”
The guys chuckle again, but I focus my attention on my friend. “Do you think Kat can come, too?”
“This is finals week. No way she can get away.” Erin starts to shake her head, letting me know it’s not going to happen.
Shit, I should have known that. Being May, Kat’s whole life revolves around finals. If she isn’t preparing for them or giving them, she is grading. I wish she could come, too, but I understand.
“You’ve gotta hurry and get here. We made apple pies,” Cline says, not fully understanding that Erin doesn’t just live down the street.
“Erin will have to drive here, and it’ll take a few hours, so it probably won’t be today, honey,” I explain to her, hoping she will understand.
“That’s right, sweet pea,” Erin says as Cline’s lip starts to poke out in a pout. “It’s getting kinda late here, so I probably won’t leave until tomorrow morning.”
Van takes that as his cue to butt into the conversation. “You’re either flying, or I’m going to send someone to pick you up. I can’t take the chance of someone following you.”
Erin’s eyes go huge as she gets her first look at Van. “Fuck, please tell me you’re not Van. If you are, my girl is going to kick my ass for the things I’m fanaticizing about doing to you right at this moment.”
His lips tip up, but he doesn’t respond to her words. “Do you want a plane ticket, or would you rather a brother pick you up?”
Erin looks at him a second more before she catches a glimpse of Brass standing behind him and her eyes light up. “No flight. Send him. I’m sure he’ll make the trip interesting.”
I look back at Brass, seeing the cocky smile on his face. I let out a laugh, knowing having my friend here is going to be even more fun than I thought.