Page 85 of Badges
Her shoulders rise and fall. “Elena’s always called me that. Mom used to call me Cindy, and I hated it.” Her nose wrinkles as she looks to her sister. “What did you call your dad?”
Elena stiffens. “He always made me call him ‘sir’ or he’d beat me.”
I catch her digging her nails into her skirt.
Damn that fucker.
I’m glad he’s dead. He deserved every blow I gave him.
“Mr. Wade, um, dad? You won’t do that if I mess up and forget, will you?” Cynthia leans closer, as if she’s waiting on my answer.
“Absolutely not,” I grunt.
Then Elena’s cool fingers rest on my forearm. “You’ll like Wade. He’s going to be an amazingdaddy.” Her wide grin broadcasts that she knows exactly what she’s doing to me.
And it makes my dick twitch.
“Hmm. I don’t like ‘daddy’. You make it sound weird,” Cynthia mumbles, then slumps against her seat. “Is it a long drive?”
“Couple of hours. But thought we’d stop for snacks and a bathroom break pretty soon.” I haven’t been around kids her age since Mason’s were small, so I have no idea what her traveling capability is.
“‘Thia? Do you still have your sketchbook? Any new drawings?” Elena shifts her sister’s focus when the frown starts to form.
That seems to be all of the distraction she needs.
Before I know it, I’m dodging loose pieces of paper that keep flitting between the front and back as they chatter over little sketches of various objects.
Every one I catch a peek at is impressive. Clear lines, shading, and done perfectly to scale.
She didn’t get that from me.
“You’re very talented. Did your mom do art?” I ask quietly, almost hating myself for broaching the subject.
Elena nods. “She used to make our coloring books on old copy pages. She could draw any character from a show we asked for.”
I had no idea.
There was a whole side of Maria I never saw. It makes my chest ache at the things like this that I missed.
Except now I get to see them in a new way.
Maybe I’ll find Cynthia an easel? A fancy sketchbook?
Shit, it’d be so easy to want to buy her everything.
I’ve barely known her for an hour and already want to spoil her. She deserves it.
Weirdly, I feel a tiny bit guilty for having missed so much already.
“No, Wade.” Elena’s hushed tone distracts me along with her tender touch.
A quick glance tells that Cynthia is sleeping against her backpack.
“No, what? I didn’t say anything.” I reach over to cover her fingers, grateful for the morsel of contact.
My thoughts stop spinning with her gentle caress.
“She doesn’t need anything special. She just needs a parent who loves her and stability. I can see your expression every time she talked about a new sketchpad. I promise she will be grateful for the stability that you provide, like I am.” She clicks off her seatbelt and props herself on her knees to get close enough to brush my cheek with her soft mouth. “The best thing you cando is just be there. Be warned we both come with some serious abandonment baggage.”
