Worth It

I’d seen the child’s car seat in the back when I’d first climbed in. I hadn’t planned on mentioning anything because I hadn’t felt all that chatty. But now, anything to divert my thoughts was welcome.



“Two, actually,” Pick answered.



As I nodded, not sure what to say next, he continued. “You remember Tristy I used to hang out with?”



“Yeah.” I’d never been fond of her. She’d been too bitter, too susceptible, too hardened. And she’d always managed to suck Pick into some form of trouble that he had to save her from. Learning he’d had a kid with her depressed me. I’d kind of hoped he’d broken free of her.



But, wait. Hadn’t he said he’d fallen for a rich man’s daughter? Tristy had been in the same boat as him—floating from one foster care family to the next.



“She’s dead,” Pick stated mildly enough to make me startle.



“Tristy?”



He nodded, sucking his bottom lip into his mouth so he could clank his teeth against his two lip rings. “When she died, I adopted her son. And Tink has a girl of her own, which makes two little rug rats toddling around our place.”



“Tink?” I asked



Pick’s entire face lit up. “My woman,” he explained. “I call her Tinker Bell, but her real name’s Eva. You’ll meet her soon enough.”



I didn’t realize just how soon until he parked in front of an apartment complex and then led me up to a third-floor entrance.



“Hey, Tink,” he called as soon as he opened the door and stepped inside, leaving me to follow. “I’m home.”



I had no idea he was going to bring me to his place, so I stopped uncertainly in the doorway.



“What? Already?” a female voice answered before a stunning blonde appeared in the hallway with a toddler on one hip and another trailing along behind her. “What about Zoey and the—”



Her words died on her tongue the moment she saw me. “Oh! Hi...” she said hesitantly, transferring a confused glance to Pick and then back to me.



“Baby, this is an old school friend of mine...Knox Parker.”



“O...kay.” She furrowed her brow before sending me a hesitant smile. “Hey, Knox. It’s nice to—” But her eyes flashed wide before she jerked her attention to Pick. “Wait. Is he the one who—”



“Yes,” Pick cut in, answering immediately and loudly. When the kid on the floor hobbled to him and lifted his arms, Pick bent to retrieve the child and set him on his hip. “That’s exactly who Knox is. And I will explain everything to you....” His eyebrows lifted meaningfully. “Later.”



His Tinker Bell only blinked. “Okay, but what about—”



When Pick widened his eyes tellingly, she quieted and glanced at me. I tried to squeeze inside my huge frame as much as possible so I didn’t look as large and murderous as I couldn’t help but appear. Then I took a step out of the apartment and back into the hallway.



But what the hell?



Pick had brought me to his home...to his wife and children, without even clearing it with her first? Was he insane?



His woman was going to toss me out on my ass, and then where would I be?



“I was hoping he could stay here a few days,” Pick started. “Just until he found a place of his own.”



Yeah, I was screwed. Eva looked startled to find a large, intimidating ex-con in her living room. “I can go,” I offered, hooking my thumb over my shoulder to motion toward the exit of the building.



But Eva lifted her hand to stop me. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you can stay. We’re happy to have you.” Then she waved me forward. “Come in and shut the door already.”



“Thank you, baby.” Pick kissed her on the mouth, and then kissed the girl in her arms on top of the head. “I swear, we’ll get him back on his feet in no time. But right now, I really need to make a phone call.”



“Are you going to call—” Eva started, but Pick answered, “Yeah,” before she could finish the question. Then he kissed her again and strode from the room with a baby still on his hip.



Left alone with Pick’s wife...girlfriend...whatever she was...didn’t sit well with me. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other and tried not to look her straight in the eye.



“So.” She put an overwhelming oomph of cheer in her voice. “Welcome to Casa de Ryan. I’m Eva, by the way. This little sleepyhead is Skylar. Pick just took off with Julian, and this is our humble abode. We’ll bunk the kids together so you can have Julian’s bedroom since his bed is bigger than—”