Page 95 of Cross Check Daddies
“I shouldn’t have lost it like that. I let him bait me. I scared our kid.”
She blinks.
“I have a lawyer,” I continue. “One who specializes in custody and joint parenting. Nothing’s going to happen to Jackson. Aaron doesn’t get to walk in here once a year and throw his weight around. You’re not alone in this.”
She lets out a long breath, like she’s been holding it for years. “Thank you.”
“I’ll do better,” I add. “I won’t lose control again. Not around him. Not around Jackson. Not around our baby.”
Buddy scratches at the door like he’s been listening. Jackson shuffles down the hall a minute later in his tiny sneakers, holding the leash.
“Can we take Buddy to the park?” he asks.
Brooke nods, brushing his curls back. “We can.”
We spend the next two hours on swings and monkey bars, with Buddy lapping at the water fountain and Jackson laughing. Brooke sits in the grass beside me, watching him race Tanner.
Her hand finds mine.
And even with the ache still in my knuckles and that bastard’s words echoing somewhere in my head, I know Jackson’s okay.
We are okay.
And I’ll make damn sure it stays that way.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Brooke
Jackson seemedfine at the swings, but by the time we get home, he is quiet in the backseat, clutching Buddy’s leash. There are no more distractions now, and I have to address what happened with Aaron.
The guys had to leave, but I kind of wish they were here for moral support.
I unlock the door, step inside, and exhale for what feels like the first time in hours.
Jackson walks in slowly, dragging his feet. Buddy waddles behind him, oblivious. I kneel, unzip his jacket, and pull him into a hug.
“Mom?” he asks, his voice muffled against my shoulder. “Why did Daddy say all that stuff?”
Way to beat me to the punch, kid.
I pull back just enough to look at him, uncertain how much he actually heard. His face is confused but calm. Just watching me the way he does when he’s trying to figure something out.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “Sometimes people say things that hurt because they don’t know how to say what they really mean. But it has nothing to do with you, baby. None of it.”
He nods but doesn’t speak. His fingers toy with the edge of my sleeve. “Your dad loves you,” I say. “Just because we had a little disagreement, that changes nothing. Okay?”
“Does Cam love me too?”
My chest tightens. “Of course he does. So does Tanner. So does Ace. Ivy too. We all love you so much.”
The corners of his mouth lift, and I feel relief flood my system. There is no time like the present to come clean, so I decide to tell him another truth.
“I want to tell you something, okay? Something important.”
Jackson lifts his chin.
Here it goes.
