Page 84 of Hearts of Fairlake

"That it is," I said as I watched him reach up to brush a strand of hair off her shoulder and laugh at something she said.

"You know, you have a very hard face to read sometimes."

"Good to know...but why do you bring that up?"

"Because I can't tell if you're okay with what's happening or if you're wondering if you can get away with using the Taser."

I snorted. “I'm not going to taze them. And I don't want to either."

"So...you're okay with that?"

"Nope," I said with a snort. "But she's an adult and...I trust my daughter. Kyle and I did everything possible to prepare her for when we're not around, and she's always had good sense. I guess she didn't really have a choice in that. She's always needed to have good sense."

As much as I’d tried, it had been impossible to give Ayla the life any child deserved. In many ways, that was my mistake. I should have seen Isabelle for what she truly waslong before I accidentally got her pregnant. That would have been the prime moment for me to back out of the relationship before we accidentally dragged a child into this world to deal with having parents like us. And then I should have realized what Isabelle truly was after she'd dragged me back into a relationship under the threat of losing access to my only child, something she'd known full well would work. Maybe then I could have figured out a way to get out of that situation and with my daughter before the damage was done.

I hadn't done any of those things at the proper time. It had taken Isabelle to decide she no longer wanted to even play at the idea of being a mother and disappearing before I could try to put a life together for my daughter. Then we came here, transferring from my original precinct in Denver to be closer to my mother to keep an eye on her, and maybe live in a better, healthier place for Ayla and me.

And the past several years had been spent trying to make up for those mistakes, and with a partner at my side that helped me every step of the way. He was adamant in reminding me that Ayla was a product of not just my screw-ups or Isabelle's monstrous behavior but also the hard work I’d put in to do what was right by her. We'd both tried to give her the space she needed to be her own person while instilling lessons that would help her in her adult years. Kyle had pointed out earlier this year that with adulthood approaching for Ayla, we should dial back on parenting and see how she did while still here to help her.

So, no, I was not thrilled that a pack of college-age guys were flirting with my daughter. Yet I also knew she could easily handle herself in a social situation, and anyone thinking she might be easy 'prey' or a good target was in for a rude awakening. Now, all that would change if things got physical while I was around, but for now, she seemed to be doing just fine, and the guys were behaving themselves.

Bennett grunted. “Yeah, I guess that's a good point. She's always been good about taking care of herself. That's something to be proud of."

"Yeah, well, she didn't have much choice," I repeated with a sigh. "You do realize you're going to have to deal with this sort of thing one day, right?"

"Honestly, I don't know which of the three I'm going to worry the most about when it comes to dating," Bennett groaned. "Adam doesn't even talk about it. I think he's pretending it's not a problem."

"Well, there's not really a good reason to worry about things when they're not a problem or a problem that's even close to showing up yet," I said with a shrug.

"Ugh, you sound like Adam."

"And you sound like Kyle. I suppose every relationship has to have someone who worries about everything and someone who's more laid back. Though I'll be honest if I had to guess which of the two you were, I wouldn't have guessed the worrier."

Bennett sighed at that. “Yeah, well, having kids to care for will do that to you. I used to think I was pretty chill, and then suddenly, I have these three little creatures to take care of. Now the whole world scares the shit out of me. I try not to show it, but?—"

I could only smile in understanding. “I remember that feeling all too well. You think you've got a pretty good handle on life and the world, and then suddenly you've got a kid. Now, you have to look at the world in a whole new way. What things do you take for granted that a kid isn't going to know about? I remember trying to keep Ayla safe when she was your kids' age. They're like suicidal drunk people at the age, and I donotmiss it."

Bennett laughed. “Bri said that one time, and when I pointed out she would have chewed me out if I saidsomething like that about her kids, I'm pretty sure she was ready to string me up by my ankles. I love her to pieces, but she can be scary sometimes. I asked Adam if she was always like that, and when he said yes, I told him that probably used to turn him on."

"I think it says something about you that I'm not surprised in the slightest...and he probably wasn't either."

"Yeah, he just sighed and shook his head. But I want to point out that he didn't deny it either."

"Yes, because trying to fight you on something when you've got it stuck in your head is a great way to solve the problem," I said with a roll of my eyes. I was still keeping an eye on my daughter, but she seemed to be doing just fine. I couldn't tell if she was noticing that the guy kept getting into her space, but for someone who was really particular about her personal space, I doubted she didn't notice. So either she was enjoying the attention, which was understandable but uncomfortable as a parent, or she was letting the guy have his fun without letting it go too far. He wouldn't know, but the latter was far more dangerous for his ego than the former would ever be. Ayla had inherited my brains, but she had her grandmother's tongue and could shred all but the toughest of egos with relative ease.

"Eh, he knew what he was getting into," Bennett said with a shrug. "It's the same sort of thing I would have teased him about before he decided he liked my naked body."

"That...is one way to put it," I said with a shake of my head. "Not really a good way, but it's certainly one way."

"Thanks!"

"It wasn't a compliment."

"I'm choosing to take it as one."

"Of course."

"Alright, I should probably go patrol around. If there's this much energy before the sun has even started to set, there'sprobably plenty of booze flowing, and we know how people get in crowds with too much alcohol. I hope I don't have to arrest another naked person."

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