Page 40 of Kane's Awakening
Chapter Twelve
Ryker
February. Valentine’s Day was right around the corner—the next day to be exact—and it depressed me every year. It always had. Sure, it might’ve been silly to let it get to me, but I wanted love, and seeing all the happy couples was like a knife to the chest.
This year, I knew it would only remind me of Kane.
I hadn’t talked to him in weeks, and instead of getting easier as time went on, it only became harder not to pick up the phone and call him. Why he had such an effect on me, I had no idea. But then, I’d recall his almost boyish smile—one that didn’t fit the arrogant attitude he carried—and the sound of his husky laugh, and I’d remember.
He was unlike any man I’d ever been with—so outgoing, goofy, cocky, and extremely good-looking. But it was the way he’d made me feel that I missed the most.
“Daddy, do you have a Valentine?” Izzy asked as she sat at the table and wrote out her Valentine cards.
It was Tuesday. I normally didn’t keep the twins throughout the school week, but I’d asked Anna if I could keep them a few extra days after my weekend with them, and I’d take them to school. A big case was coming up at work, and I wasn’t sure how much I’d be able to see them in the following week or two.
“No, honey, I don’t,” I answered, taking the seat beside her and watching as she wrote notes in each one, put a little glue around the edges, and sprinkled glitter on them.
I bought her a pack of cards each year that she’d fill out and give to the kids in her class.Allthe kids. She’d once asked me why she couldn’t just give them to the people she liked, and I told her,“How would you feel if you were the only kid in class who didn’t get a card?”And she’d nodded and said,“I’d feel really sad. Nobody needs to feel sad on Valentine’s Day.”
Her blue eyes flashed to mine and she scrunched up her face. “Why not? Momma said you had a boyfriend.”
I’d taken a sip of coffee and almost missed my mouth. “She saidwhat?” Oh, I was going to kill Anna.
Izzy went back to writing in her cards. “Well, she didn’texactlytell me. I heard her talking to Brian.” She stopped what she was doing and looked at me, resting her cheek on her hand. “Who is he, Daddy?”
“Who is who?” Theo asked as he came into the kitchen. “Dad, I’m hungry.”
“We just ate dinner,” I told him.
He shrugged. “So? I’m hungry again. And dinner was like a whole hour ago.”
“Okay, let me find you something.” I got up and went over to the pantry.
Eating anything after dinner had always been a huge no when I was growing up, and I’d hated it. I’d come from a strict household, so I kind of let small things slide with my own kids. Plus, Theo was a growing boy and weighed practically nothing, so a snack wouldn’t hurt him.
Spotting the box of crackers, I grabbed them and then got a slice of cheese from the refrigerator. After getting a plate, I put some crackers on it and grabbed the cheese, folding it over and over again to make four cracker-sized squares.
There wasn’t much to the snack, but it was one of my favorites and really hit the spot when I wanted to munch.
“Here, evil spawn,” I told him and handed him the plate. “Go devour.”
He stuck his tongue out at me before taking the plate into the other room, yellingthank youwhen he was out of sight.
I shook my head and smiled. That kid was something else.
“He’s gonna get fat,” Izzy said, looking after him before turning back to me and placing her arms on the table. “Where were we? Oh, yeah. Who’s your boyfriend?”
I gave her a curious look. “You are too much like your mother some days.”
Isabella raised her eyebrows and waved her hand. “Not my fault then. It’s the genie.”
“Genie?” I questioned before it occurred to me what she must’ve meant. “Ah, you mean genes.”
“What do clothes have to do with it?”
Not in the mood to give my daughter a science lesson, I changed the subject like a pro. “You almost done filling those out? If so, you need to start cleaning up. There’s glitter everywhere.”
“Yes, sir,” she said and started folding all the cards. “I just need to put a sticker on them and put them in my box.”
