The chime from his phone dragged Win out of his contemplation of the now lukewarm beer in front of him. Beer with his buddies sounded like a great idea on their second stop of day two in some no-name little town in the middle of Louisiana. He picked up his phone and swiped his thumb across the screen. Troy’s name popped up, the smiley face and media message had him opening it as quickly as possible.

Luckily, the signal was strong enough to download the picture. A weird snort-chuckle hybrid caught at the back of his throat. He was so glad that the music was loud enough to drown out that embarrassing sound. Troy was lying in a pit of colorful balls, Bella perched on his stomach as he held the phone out. Her hair was a tangled mess, and her cheeks were pink. He could tell she and Troy were laughing. His tensed muscles relaxed. It was the farthest he’d been away from his daughter since she’d moved in.

Even when she was at Brent’s house, it was easy to hop on his motorcycle if he missed her, but he couldn’t run to her two states away. The time away was harder than he thought it would be. After only a few months, his life was ruled by his daughter—the routine they’d started. Mornings began early, so he had time to get Bella ready and off to daycare and him to work on time. His evenings were either picking Bella up from daycare or Troy’s. Tucking her in at night was one of the highlights of his day.

Like Troy said it was only a week, but it seemed a lot more than that. He and his friends never planned where they’d go; they’d pick a direction and take off for a week. The five of them were the only ones who made it out of their neighborhood alive or with their freedom, yet all were stained with similar sins.

“What you looking at?”

He turned to find Samson staring at him with cold dead eyes. The army ranger seemed to have gotten worse, and his gaze turned harsher and angrier the more years that past.

“Troy sent a picture of him and Bella.”

“Troy? Is that the kid you can’t wait to bend over?”

He didn’t like his friend mentioning bending over Troy even in joking. Troy was sweet and the forever kind, he didn’t need Samson sullying Troy with inappropriate comments. His friends knew he was bisexual. Samson was gay, and any ass would do, his friend only fucked and never exchanged names. He had a feeling that Samson being in the military and the way they grew up, that the man had an unhealthy amount of internalized homophobia.

“Samson, it’s not like that, and I don’t want to hear your bullshit.”

“Easy, calm down, let me see this daughter.” Win hesitated before he turned the phone for Samson to see. “Cute kid, but that Troy he’d be…” Samson smirked. He knew that look, and he despised it being directed at Troy.

He jerked the phone away and slammed his fist on the bar. Rage burned beneath his skin like a fire sucking all the happiness—the oxygen he needed to breathe—from around him. Win realized when he was with Bella and Troy the anger he’d never controlled in the past wasn’t there.

“Why isn’t this kid more than your babysitter?”

“What?”

“Come on, Win, think about it.”

“He’s my friend and Bella’s honorary uncle.”

“No, in the past if it wasn’t a no-strings fuck you weren’t interested. You want more and don’t—” The chiming of his phone sounded again cutting Samson off.

Win couldn’t resist checking again, hit the message and a video started playing. “Say hi to Dad, Bella.”

“Hi, Dad, look!” She squealed and ran out of the frame.

The camera panned to the left and Bella stood beside a bike, it was the pinkest bike he’d ever seen. Bella hopped on, and she started pedaling. The only thing keeping her upright was the training wheels. Oh man, he should’ve been there for that, but Win had a feeling Troy knew, and that was the reason Troy sent the video.

The camera turned, and a smiling Troy rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I know, I spoil her rotten, but this was Grandpa’s doing. I just bought her tons of ice cream.” The camera went back to Bella. “Tell Dad bye, and you love him.” Bella waved, and the video stopped. There was the tightening in his chest and stomach again, an odd rolling feeling. He missed Bella, but he also missed Troy.

Clay came up on his left. “Nice of him to send you stuff so you don’t miss her. She looks just like you, well, except for the build.” Clay had a daughter of his own on the way in a few months.

“Yeah, nice of him, man,” Samson’s said.

“He’s a nice guy, sweet and Bella loves him.”

“He loves her too. You never talked about him much.” That was Clay, way too preceptive. Win was in the process of resisting playing the video again so he could just see his two favorite people.

“Not much to say. He’s my boss’ son, he’s a kindergarten teacher, and he’s been great since Bella came to live with me. He helped me get through the panic at the beginning. I wouldn’t have known what to do without him.”

“Doesn’t hurt he’s hot,” Clay said with a chuckle. His beefy shoulder nudged Win’s.

The thing was, it didn’t bother him when the awkward redhead said Troy was hot, yet when Samson said the same, he wanted to take the man’s head off.

It didn’t matter, Troy had a date the other night, and the younger man didn’t seem to want to tell him for whatever reason. Him seeing people shouldn’t matter, Troy wasn’t his, but tell his possessive instincts that. The strange thing was, Win never saw himself as the jealous type because he never stuck around longer than a night or two.

His phone went off again.

Troy: Hope you’re having fun. Bella wants to say goodnight. Can you talk?

Win: Sure. Give me 5. Need to walk outside.

Troy: K

“I’ll be right back, Bella wants to say good night.”

“Your beer is already hot. I’ll order you another one while you’re outside saying goodnight to the husband and kid.”

Samson was determined to lose teeth before this week was out. He slipped from the stool and walked towards the exit.

The door barely closed behind him, and he connected the call. It rang only twice, and Troy’s voice sounded in his ear. “Hey, Win,” Troy sounded sleepy and too sexy. Was Troy already in bed, fuck, he wished he was there.

What would you do? You don’t even have the balls to ask him out.

“Thanks for the texts.”

“You’re welcome. I hope it was okay.”

“More than okay, I missed her.”

“I’m sure. I hate when you pick her up. I love tucking her in at night.”

“Is she ready for bed?”

“Yes, and waiting to talk to you. Here.”

He heard sheets rustling and he pictured—Win stopped the direction of his thoughts.

“Hi, Dad, when you coming home?”

“Soon, baby, I promise. But you have Troy and Grandpa, also Miller.”

“Yeah, Troy said you’re at a friend’s place. Can I come?”

He wanted to hop on his bike and head straight home at the hopeful sound of her soft, sweet voice. When looking back, he easily picked out how selfish his life had become. He’d cared about no one but himself, he loved his friends and family, but he didn’t care what anyone had thought of him. Bella had changed all that, and he needed to be better for her—be an example.

“I’m not close, I’m far away, but you can talk to me whenever you want. Just have Troy call me.”

“I miss you.” Her sad little voice broke his heart. Maybe he should go home.

“I miss you too. I saw your bike.”

“Isn’t it pretty. Grandpa got it for me.”

He’d learned that it was easy to distract a four-year-old. Yet he also knew it didn’t last long. At some point, she’d realized he’d tricked her.

“Did you say thank you?” Her heavy sigh and Troy’s chuckle made him realize his daughter was rolling her eyes. “She’s doing it isn’t she?”

“Oh yeah, and that’s totally my fault.”

“Yes, it is.”

“I’m sorry.”

Troy’s apology didn’t hold an ounce of regret.

“No, you’re not.”

“She’s too cute. I can’t help it.”

“When she’s sixteen and not so cute when she does it, it’ll still be your fault.”

“I’ll take the blame then. It’s time for her bedtime story.”

“Okay, you’re all set at daycare?”

“Win, I pick her up as much as you do. You signed the papers when we enrolled her.”

“Yeah.” Win didn’t know what to say, but he knew he didn’t want to say good night. “Good night, Bella, I love you.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

“Bella, go say goodnight to Grandpa and then come back to bed.” She giggled and took off running. He could hear her little feet pounding on the hardwood floor. “You’re entitled to time to yourself, Win.”

“How did you know?”

“How many times do I have to tell you, you’re very easy to read?”

“It’s nice being out on the road with the guys, but I want to be home with her. I should’ve been there for her first bike ride and to see her—” Troy’s tsk’ing cut him off.

“You’re her dad, Win. You’re going to be here for years to come and all the big things. One week to spend time with your friends isn’t being a bad father. When she’s sixteen and wants to date the older tattooed bad-boy, then you can be a bad Dad and forbid her.”

“Oh, she’s never dating, never,” He muttered, and Troy’s laughter irritated him.

“Easy, big guy, you still have a few years.”

“You’re finding this too funny.”

“Maybe, but you know I’m cute, and you can’t stay mad at me. Besides, I’ll sugar her up before you come home and then leave you with our hyperactive”—there was a pause—“little Bella.”

“Troy—” He stopped. His mind blank for anything to say, well, there was plenty to say, but the implication of admitting the truth terrified him.

“You okay?” Troy’s concerned voice blew away the haze of insecurity.

“Yeah, I don’t know how to thank you for everything.”

“You gave me Bella, and that’s thanks enough.”

The emotion in those words was clear; he heard the love Troy had for Bella. It was as if Troy considered Bella a gift from Win. Then something hit him in the solar plexus like a sledgehammer. Troy and Bella were his family, joy and terror overtook him. “You really mean that?”

“Absolutely. Now, I’m going to read our girl her bedtime story. You go have fun with your friends, and we’ll talk to you tomorrow night.”

He didn’t want to say goodbye or spend the evening with his friends; he wanted to be home with Troy and Bella. “Goodnight, Troy,”

“Goodnight, baby.” There was a gasp and the call disconnected.

Did Troy just call me baby and hang up on me? Win stared at his phone until he felt someone watching him.

“Is there a reason you look shell-shocked?” Clay’s asked his tone amused.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Anything, you saved my ass countless times growing up.”

“How did you get past it?” They both knew what he asked, they rarely spoke of the past.

“You never do, you just learn to deal with it. Accept it for what it is. We’re human, and we made mistakes. I was a kid trying to make sure me and my best friend survived. Didn’t help I was the clumsy, white kid in the neighborhood.”

“Nothing you did—”

“I caused the death of one of my best friends. He took that bullet for me.”

“I killed a man.”

“You were eighteen years old, Win, you were drunk, blasted out of your mind, and he wasn’t any better. I know it doesn’t make it better.”

“I don’t deserve them,” Win admitted.

“Who? Troy and Bella? Don’t be an idiot, Sanchez. One drunken, drugged out sin doesn’t make you a monster.”

“I consider them my family, them, not just Bella. Troy isn’t just my friend. It just hit me that I want more than I deserve with him.”

“What brought this on? Inside you were talking about him being your friend and Bella’s honorary uncle, what changed?”

“It’s stupid,” Win said with a smile.

“I’m sure it’s not stupid, tell me.”

“He called me baby.”

“Does he usually use endearments?”

Win shook his head in answer.

“Take a chance, Win. If you get lucky maybe this clumsy, ginger Irish kid has a chance.”

“You can be an ass sometimes; you know that, right?”

“Definitely. You and Samson practically raised me.” Clay’s huge hand shoved his shoulder. “Come inside, have a beer. Don’t worry too much…I think your boyfriend has it bad for you.”

“I doubt that. I can hope though.”

“Wow, Winston Sanchez showing a bit of faith, never thought it would happen.”

“Asshole,” Win growled.

“I’m short on charm, my friend. I’m a 34-year-old gay man who’s best friend is carrying his baby because this ugly mug can’t find or keep a man. I’ll be too old to enjoy being a father if I wait around to have a partner to share kids with.”

Win almost called bullshit on that statement. Clay wasn’t a handsome man, sort of baby-faced cute. The kid he’d known had grown into a man, yet had never shed the clumsy, shyness of youth. “You should move to Clifton.”

“I have been thinking of moving. Me and Elsa were thinking a change of scenery would be good for us.”

“If you do, let me know. Brent’s always looking for good men, and there isn’t much you can’t do.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. Let’s go back inside before Samson gets in trouble. He was eyeing the bartender, and this doesn’t look like the gay-friendly capital of the South.”

“You got that right.”

Win and Clay headed inside, and he groaned at the lust in Samson’s eyes. He wasn’t in the mood for a bar fight, then being escorted out of town. “We can’t take him anywhere.”

“No, we can’t. You got this, right?”

“Let’s do this,” Win muttered. This was going to hurt. He and Clay went to get Samson out of the bar, and he nodded to the other two guys with them. They took the signal. Please don’t let Samson loosen any of my teeth.