“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything, Maxie. I should’ve been better. I should’ve taken better care of you. I want to make it right. I want to come to family dinners.”
“I’m sorry for all of us being so inconsiderate. We should’ve been inviting you, Tate, and West, the whole time. Reagan made sure we saw how much we messed up on that front.” Maxie pulled back and scrunched her nose up. “You stink. You need to go home and take a shower.”
“Is she okay?” I looked towards the house and searched desperately for a sign of her. “We’re supposed to pick up Lucky later today. I’ll go home and shower before then.”
“She’s about as good as you. I have to believe that if y’all play your cards right, you can win her back. I want it to work out, Mills. Figure out your issues and win her back.”
I scrubbed my hands down my face and nodded.
“Yeah… Yeah, I’ll do that.”
She looked in the truck at the empty beer cans and sighed.
“I’ll have one of the guys drive you home. No more parking out here, getting drunk. I don’t want people to think we have a pervert in the family.”
CHAPTER 47
Reagan
I hadn’t been able to hand off Lucky myself. I’d hidden in my bathroom while Maxie passed Lucky and all of his things off to his dads. I’d strained to hear their voices, even though I knew it would hurt. I’d rushed to the window after I heard the door close downstairs to watch them leave. And then I’d crumbled into a thousand pathetic little pieces.
The first night I hadn’t been able to sleep. I’d clutched my phone in my hand and waited for a call to let me know something was wrong with Lucky. The second night, I’d cried until Maxie forced me to take melatonin and go to sleep. The third and final night, I couldn’t stop pacing. I’d never been away from Lucky for so long and I was desperate to see him again. Desperate enough that when I saw Mills’ truck coming up Maxie’s driveway, I didn’t wait to let Maxie handle the hand over.
I took off at a run out of the house and met Tate at the back door as he opened it to bring Lucky out. I didn’t wait for him to reach in to get him. I climbed into the truck and unbuckled Lucky, anxiously bringing him to my chest and holding him as tight as I could without crushing him. I didn’t even realize I was crying until Tate reached up and wiped my eyes.
“You’re killing me, kitten.” His low voice was subdued and when I looked over at him, he looked like he hadn’t slept or shaved in weeks.
“Was he okay? Did he take his bottles okay?” I looked down at Lucky to keep my eyes away from Tate.
West opened the other back door and leaned in to look at me.
“You look like hell, woman. Did you sleep at all?”
I blushed and shook my head.
“I mean, yes. Two nights ago, I think. I don’t know. I missed him so much.”
“You could come with him, Rea.” Tate lightly gripped the back of my neck. “Put us all out of our misery and come home.”
I looked around and frowned when I noticed Mills’ overwhelming presence was missing.
“Where is he?”
“Miss him?” West gave me a weak smile. “He’s not handling missing you very well.”
My chest tightened.
“Is he okay?”
Tate sighed.
“Define ‘okay’. I think this has brought up a lot of shit for him and he’s trying to work through it all. We all are. We all want to be the men you deserve.”
“Lucky missed you. This split custody shit is not for the weak.” West took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Now get back inside and out of this heat. We’ve got to get back to the ranch and Mills.”
I was numb as I gathered Lucky and his things.
“I saw him here. Sleeping in his truck.”