Page 60 of Soaring Free
Fuck.
Her words reach in and grab my beating heart right out of my chest. If I wasn’t already in love with Savannah, hearing how she makes my daughter feel would knock my ass into the endzone. I have to clear my throat before I can speak, a myriad of emotions swirling at once.
“That’s great, Gigi.” She looks up, slightly surprised as though I was going to be upset about her wondering about a mother’s hugs when it’s just been the two of us, or somehow her words would disappoint me like I let her down as her father. “I love you, Princess, and you are worthy of all the love, all the good things, and all the great hugs in the world, okay?”
“I know you do. I love you too, Daddy. And if it’s okay with you, well I was just wondering, if it’s possible…” She chews on her lip as she trails off.
“What, baby? You know whatever it is, if I can make it happen, I will.”
She nods once before lifting her gaze back to me. “I’d like it if we could keep them,” she proclaims.
“Them?”
“Savannah, Olivia, Emily, and Lucy. Can we keep them?” Her innocent question squeezes my heart that’s already been ripped right out of my chest during this conversation.
Unaware she is wrecking my heart in the best way, I feel the grin spread across my face. “Well, Gigi, if it’s okay with you, I’m planning on it.”
“Oh, good! That’s a great idea, Daddy.” She picks up the blue crayon and hands it to me. “Now, can we play tic-tac-toe? I’m x’s this time.”
“You got it, Princess.”
Somehow, I was fortunate to be the luckiest bastard around. I don’t know what I did to end up so lucky to have such a great daughter, and now that we’ve both decided to keep Savannah and her girls too, I sure as hell will do whatever I can to hang on to them for as long as possible.
Chapter thirty-six
“Ya’ll go grab a table, and I’ll be right over to get your orders!” Tanner O’Dell calls over his shoulder to us from behind the bar when we enter the best little bar in town. There may only be two bars in Forrest Falls, but people have their favorites, and I’ve always preferred O’Dell’s. The Callahans are proud of our Irish ancestry, but in addition to that, the old pub has the nicest staff, strongest drinks, and a charm that you can’t find at the typical sports bar in town.
I wave back at him as my sister and I wander over to a round table along the back wall. “I feel like this is the start of a bad joke. A pregnant woman walks into a bar…” Vivian points and laughs at herself.
“I personally can’t think of a better place, and I appreciate the fact that you have to be twenty-one to enter the establishment,” Lauren chimes in. She teaches third grade at Forrest Hills Academy, and I can understand why she wouldn’t want to run into a student while we are discussing this month’s read for our book club. I can especially understand why she wouldn’t want a student overhearing our discussion about chapter fifteen in the fated werewolf shifters romance because—wow—I’m going to need a cold beverage to discuss that hot scene.
“I didn’t know how I would feel about this one, but I’m glad you ladies are expanding my literary horizon,” Willa says as she wiggles her eyebrows and takes a seat. “But seriously, I only have two hours, so we have to be focused and try to stay on track, at least a little.” As a single mama ninety percent of the time, Willa is usually always with her daughter, so I understandhow precious adult time and conversation is when it’s so rare. Her daughter Charlotte is playing at a friend’s house while her mama gets to have her own fun with our book club.
My gut gets an uneasy feeling as my skin prickles and the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I look around the bar and over my shoulder, but the only movement is the backdoor to O’Dell’s swinging shut, and nothing to explain the sudden uncomfortable sensation of being watched. Vivian squeezes my hand and raises an eyebrow in a silent question of what’s wrong, but I barely shake my head and try to give her a convincing smile. It was probably nothing, and let’s be honest, in a small town, someone is always watching.
Stacy arrives a few moments later—that girl is always a few minutes late—and I stand to go ask Tanner what the holdup is when I see the hottest man in Forrest Falls strutting his handsome Adonis body right over to our table from the bar. Will there ever be a day when this man doesn’t take my breath away? I don’t know, but I know today is not that day.
“Hey, Sav. Funny seeing you here.” Theo grins as he pulls me in for a quick hug and kiss. He keeps his arm around me as I take a deep inhale, soaking up the delicious scent that is all Theo Smith-Harrington.
“Uh-huh. I’m sure the phone conversation we had an hour ago when I told you where I would be is just a coincidence, hmmm?” I tilt my head. I’m not bothered at all that he’s here, but he is also not invited to join book club. We like to talk about men, not have them participate in the conversation.
“I just popped in quick to start a tab for y’all.” His hand squeezes my hip and momentarily distracts me.
“Wait. What? You didn’t have to do that.” I hope he isn’t doing this because he thinks I still need to watch my spending; that was all resolved and Jack also ensured I still have access to more than enough cash for whatever I could need.
“I’m not crashing your book club meeting, I swear.” He holds up hisfree hand in a placating manner.
“Sir.” Stacy snaps at him, literally snaps with her fingers at the man. “Then what is the nature of your visit? This is not your evening for custody of Savannah’s attention.” Stacy crosses her arms and tries to glare at him, but I know she’s just teasing.
“Anastasia Black, I am a man of my word, and I would never violate our agreement.” When Theo and Stacy met for the first time, she introduced herself with her full name and didn’t tell him to call her Stacy until she decided whether or not she liked him. It only took fifteen minutes, but it was an entertaining fifteen minutes. “However, I was not going to allow any man in here tonight to think they had a shot in hell at even buying this gorgeous woman a drink. I’m simply taking care of what is mine.”
Why is that so incredibly hot? … And do I have to stay for book club or can I just climb him like a tree? I bite my lip as my vagina and brain battle it out for a minute, debating how best to spend my evening.
“And tonight, that includes her friends too! Okay, fine, I still like you, Theodore.” Stacy nods in approval.
“Okay, can you like teach classes or something? There are a lot of men out there that could learn a thing or two from you!” Willa proclaims. I don’t know what men she is referring to, as far as I know, she hasn’t dated much since her divorce. Her daughter was still in diapers when that happened, so she’s been a single mama for over a decade.
“Ooooo, my fiancé could help with that!” Vivian grins. She’s right—Walker is a great man and he treats Vivian like a queen.
