“Daddy!”
I sprung up in bed and groaned. I had the worst fucking headache ever. “Oh Mother of God,” I said as I dropped back onto the pillow.
Chloe crawled on the bed and started jumping. “Daddy! Get up! I’m going to be late for school!”
“Chloe, baby, please stop jumping on the bed. Daddy has …”
“A hangover?”
Snapping my head to the door, I shot Amelia a dirty look.
“Have fun last night?” she asked with a smirk.
Chloe kept jumping.
“Chloe, please stop.”
“Cord said you drank until you damn near passed out,” Amelia said. “Mitchell had to bring you home. I was already fast asleep by then.”
I swung my legs off the bed and attempted to stand. “It was a rough night.”
Amelia let out a gruff laugh. “You don’t say. I take it things didn’t go well with Paxton.”
“Who’s Paxton?” Chloe asked.
Before I had a chance to answer, Amelia did. “Paxton is Ms. Monroe, Daddy’s old girlfriend.”
Chloe gasped. I turned to Amelia. “What in the hell, Meli?”
With a shrug, she shot me the finger behind Chloe’s back.
“What? Do you have a problem with me drinking, Meli?”
Chloe pulled on my T-shirt. I was wearing the same damn thing I went out in, minus my boots. “Daddy, did you and my teacher really go out on dates?”
Fuck. I don’t want to have this conversation with Chloe. Especially right now.
“You couldn’t keep your mouth shut, could you?” I spit at Amelia.
“Chloe, princess, will you run to your room and give me and your daddy a few minutes of grown up talk?”
“Sure!”
The second she was out my bedroom, Amelia shut the door and turned to face me.
“I’m not in the mood for your shit today, Amelia.”
Her brows rose as she gave me a defiant look. “Well tough shit. You’re an asshole, do you know that?”
I headed into the bathroom and turned on the water. I needed to splash my face and wake the hell up. “Yep. Figured that out years ago when I walked away from the only woman I loved.”
“So what in the hell are you doing getting drunk out of your damn mind and then calling Paxton?”
My hands froze under the cold water as I peered up at Amelia’s reflection in the mirror. “What?”
She nodded. “Yeah, you kept calling her. She didn’t have Mitchell or Cord’s number but I gave her mine at back to school night. She was worried sick because you were so drunk. I had to assure her that Cord and Mitchell were with you and would get you home okay.”
Looking back at the water, I shrugged. “Why does she care?”
“So that’s how this is going to be?”
“Yep. I tried to tell her I was sorry. Tried to explain and all I seem to do is make things worse, so fuck it.”
“Fuck it?”
I turned off the water and grabbed a towel. Wiping my face, I dropped my hands in front of me. “Yeah, Amelia. Fuck. It.”
She nodded. “Okay. Fuck it. So I guess you won’t care that Joe Miller walked her home last night after finding her crying and alone.”
My heart jumped to my throat. “How do you know that?”
“He was there at her house when she called.”
My eyes widened in horror. “He was at her house? What time was it?”
Amelia shrugged. “I don’t know. Ten thirty maybe.”
“She had to work this morning!” I shouted.
My sister laughed. “Oh, so because she works she’s not supposed to have a life?”
I swallowed hard. “Is she dating him still?”
Amelia pursed her lips. “I have no clue, and I didn’t feel it was my place to ask her why he was there.”
Scrubbing my hands down my face, I moaned. “Fuuuck.” I dropped my arms to my sides. “What do I do, Meli?”
Her expression turned soft, and she shook her head. “Do you have any idea how much I long to have a man look at me the way you do Paxton? A love like that is worth fighting for and, unfortunately, I’ve never experienced it. So I don’t know what to tell you, Steed. The only thing I can say is don’t give up because I’m positive she doesn’t want you to.”
The sadness in my sister’s eyes made my heart ache. I walked over to her and kissed the top of her head.
“You know there will never be a guy out there good enough for you, Amelia.”
She chuckled and hugged me. “Fight for her, Steed. Show her you made a mistake and that you’ll do whatever it takes to make it up to her.”
“Feel any better?” Tripp asked as he walked on the other side of Chloe. Each of us held her hand, swinging her every now and then. He’d been at the house this morning and I’d snagged him to help me drop Chloe off at school, afraid to face Paxton alone.
“No,” I grumbled.
“Mitchell said you did a number on yourself last night.”
I laughed. “Yeah well, nothing like drowning your sorrows in alcohol, right?”
“Did it help?”
Glancing at him, I half smiled. “For a little while.”
“And there lies the problem. It’s a temporary numb.”
I nodded. “Sometimes it feels good to feel nothing.”
“That doesn’t make any sense, Daddy,” Chloe said as she tugged our hands.
“One. Two. Three,” I said. Tripp and I swung her again. We rounded the corner of the school and my breath caught when I saw her.
“Uncle Tripp, this is my school! That’s my teacher!”
Chloe dropped my hand and pulled Tripp toward Paxton. About half the parents were already dropping their kids off in the morning drop off line rather than walking them up. Fuck that. I knew if I walked Chloe up I’d get to see Paxton. Plus, I wanted to spend as much time with Chloe as I could.
“Long time no see, Paxton!” Tripp said while Paxton flashed him a smile.
“You saw Uncle Tripp last night, Ms. Monroe?”
I breathed a sigh of relief. Thank God Chloe didn’t call her Paxton.
With a sweet laugh that settled nicely in my chest, Paxton answered, “Yes. I saw your daddy and other uncles too.”
Chloe grinned from ear to ear. “Are you and daddy going to date again?”
Everyone turned to look at me. Including one of the moms.
Oh shit.
“Chloe, why don’t you go line up with the other students.”
“But—”
Paxton regarded Chloe and raised an eyebrow. The argument was over and Chloe walked to the other kids. Turning her focus on me, Paxton’s hands went to her hips.
Lifting my palms in defense, I said, “Amelia said something in front of Chloe. I didn’t say a thing.”
Tripp frowned. “Why would she say something?”
“I don’t know. She’s stupid?”
“Steed!” Paxton said. “We don’t use those words! Honestly, I’m going to have to ban the parents from walking up!”
The first bell rang and Paxton turned quickly, making her way to her students. Chloe turned and stared at me. Her eyes started to build with tears.
“Oh no. She’s going to cry again,” I whispered.
“What?” Tripp said with horror in his voice.
Paxton walked up to the students and called out, “Shave and a haircut.”
They all stopped talking and replied, “Two bits.” With their complete attention, she gave them instructions on walking into the building.
I couldn’t help but smile. I glanced over to Tripp, who wore a happy expression too.
“Remember Mom used to sing that to get all of our attention?” I said with a laugh.
“Yeah. Looks like Paxton uses it for the same thing.”
Nodding, I glanced at the door, hoping Paxton would turn back. She didn’t and that wounded me more than I wanted to admit. At the same time, my heart soared as I watched her walk into the building holding Chloe’s hand.
Tripp hit my arm. “Let’s go. Dad needs me to pick up some paperwork for him.”
We headed back to my truck. “So how much do you know what happens in this town of ours?”
Tripp laughed. “I know a lot.”
“Do you know if Joe Miller is dating Paxton?”
Tripp stopped walking and looked at me. “I can find out, if you really want to know.”
I felt like a creeper, but I needed to know and if I asked Paxton, she might lie and tell me yes just to piss me off.
“Do it,” I said as I opened the truck door and climbed in.