Loch had a headache, and for some reason, even his tooth ached. He didn’t have time for a cavity, but it seemed like his life wasn’t going to slow down anytime soon. He stood in the parking lot, waiting to go in and pick up Misty from school. His work schedule was all messed up, and he was barely at the gym these days, doing his best to be there in-person for Misty and Ainsley for as many hours a day as possible.
Since Misty was only four, she didn’t have full days at school, and there wasn’t the normal drop-off line like there was for all the grades above her. It was going to suck next year when he had to wait in line like cattle to pick up his kid, but he’d work it out.
But staying in the parking lot meant he needed to deal with other parents, something he hated. He didn’t actually hate all people, but he wasn’t a huge people person, and dealing with other moms and dads was never his idea of a good time. Especially since, for some reason, this year, he was the only single dad of the bunch. Ainsley had told him it wasn’t always this way, but he’d gotten the unlucky draw this year. It wasn’t usually an issue, but there was one mom who was also single and never let him be.
He didn’t want to be an asshole, but she damn well sure made him feel like one when he had to constantly put off her advances without letting their kids see what the hell was going on. There was a time and a place for crap like that, and in the school parking lot waiting for their little kids was not one of them. Plus, the woman wouldn’t take no for an answer since he wasn’t seeing anyone.
Or he hadn’t been seeing anyone.
Well, then. Today might just be different, after all.
Tammy walked across the parking lot—or more like she prowled. Jesus, he did not have the time or patience for this today. He was sure she was a nice woman outside of his interactions with her, but she never listened to him and only looked at his muscles. Never his face. Yeah, he got it, he worked out, he owned a damn gym, but he didn’t want to date her.
He was dating his best friend.
That thought made him smile despite the crap going on around him. Of course, it was the smile that Tammy saw when she stepped up next to him and, from the look in her eyes, he figured she thought it was for her. This wasn’t going to be fun, not in the slightest.
“Loch. It’s good to see you again.”
“Tammy.”
He checked his watch, not as discreetly as he might have in the past. Misty would be out any minute, and since he’d parked right at the front, she wouldn’t have to walk past any cars to get to him. He kept an eye out, aware that Riker could be anywhere, considering what had happened to Ainsley the day before.
His blood boiled at the memory, and he had to calm his racing heart if he wanted to look like he wasn’t a damn serial killer. Ainsley had slept over the night before, bringing her bag and everything else she might need with her. She’d slept in the guest room like she had in the past despite his protests since she’d said she wanted to talk to Misty first, and the night after a family dinner and the attack wasn’t the time for it.
That meant it had been over a day since he’d held her in his arms and taken her to bed and he was done waiting. He didn’t realize he would crave her as much as he did, and now that he’d had a taste, he knew he wouldn’t ever stop wanting her.
“Loch? Did you hear me? They opened up that new restaurant on the other end of Main Street from your brother’s place. Oh, it won’t be as wonderful as Dare’s since your family is so amazing, but do you want to try it out with me sometime? Just two friends…enjoying each other’s company?”
Loch blinked, meeting Tammy’s gaze for the first time. He hadn’t heard what she’d said before, and he could have hit himself for that. He’d kept his attention on his thoughts and the door Misty would be coming out of, not on the woman in front of him asking him out…again.
Before, he’d been nice—apparently, too nice—but now he had an excuse that beat them all.
“Sorry, Tammy. If I try that place, I’ll be going with Ainsley.”
Tammy rolled her eyes. “Well, the two of you are cute as friends, but a man has needs, Loch.”
There had to be a hole around big enough to bury him. Just put him out of his misery.
“I’m just fine, Tammy. I’m seeing someone.”
Her eyes widened. “Oh. Her?” She blinked a few times. “Well, I guess I should say it’s about time.” She looked over her shoulder. “Have a good day.”
Then she practically ran away, and Loch knew he hadn’t handled that well. He wasn’t the greatest in social situations, that was what Ainsley was good at in his opinion.
“Are you talking about Ainsley? Are you dating her, Daddy?”
Loch whirled as Misty threw herself into his arms, her smile wide, and her eyes even brighter than usual. He picked her up, holding her close, and looked around to see if anyone was near. He couldn’t sense anything out of the ordinary, and no one seemed to be watching them, but he still held Misty close, annoyed with himself for once again getting distracted. Lives were on the line, and he was being an idiot. He wouldn’t blame anyone for kicking him in the shin like Fox had talked about the night before.
“Hey, baby girl.” He kissed the top of her head and carried her to his truck. “What were you saying?”
She rolled her eyes, and he narrowed his. When she gave him a sheepish look, he knew she was at least trying not to do it often but failing. Ainsley had said sarcastically that Misty would be fun as a teenager and Loch had a feeling they hadn’t seen anything yet.
“Ainsley. You said you were dating. I know dating. That’s when you go out and love each other. Ainsley, you go out with. You love her. But you need to take her out to a real place, Daddy. With real food. Not just at home. Ainsley’s pretty, Daddy. I love her, too. So, yay!”
Loch buckled his kid into her booster seat as she rambled a mile a minute about her day at school. The snow that hadn’t actually taken classes away, though some of the kids had wanted a snow day. Misty added in a few Ainsley topics along the way.
He cleared his throat as he tried to figure out what to say. He and Ainsley hadn’t gotten around to talking about what they were going to tell Misty because while they wanted to be honest, it wasn’t an easy conversation to have.
Misty, however, seemed to have ideas of her own.
“We’ll talk about it when we get home.” Misty was still too young to fully understand, and he didn’t want to confuse her. It didn’t help that he was already plenty confused himself.
“Okay, Daddy. Are we going to pick up Ainsley now? She’s your girlfriend, right? Like Denny is Mary’s boyfriend? He gave her a sticker, and she played with him at recess. You should give Ainsley a sticker.”
Loch blinked and figured he’d have to have a talk about what exactly that meant in detail later. His kid was four, not twenty-four. There shouldn’t be boyfriends or girlfriends at that age, and stickers shouldn’t have anything to do with it.
“Mary is Denny’s girlfriend?”
She nodded. “Yep.” She popped the p in the word, and he shook his head. This kid, man. This kid.
“You don’t have a boyfriend or a girlfriend, do you?” He wasn’t sure he wanted to hear the answer since he was afraid she might say yes to both and end up with a sticker haul of her own he’d have to deal with.
She shook her head. “I can get my own stickers.”
That made him laugh, and he leaned down to kiss her on top of her head. “That’s my girl. Now, let’s go pick up Ainsley, and we’ll check out those stickers of yours.” He paused. “Just know that if a boy or girl gives you stickers, you don’t have to play with them at recess if you don’t want to. Okay?”
“I know, Daddy. Just make sure you give Ainsley stickers or something she likes. Not so she’ll play with you, but because they make her smile. She needs good things. We’re her good things, too.”
Out of the mouth of babes.
He kissed her again, then closed the door, heading to the front seat. He started his truck and pulled out of the parking lot, carefully avoiding Tammy’s gaze on the way out. They made it to Ainsley’s school soon after, and she grinned at them as she got into the truck. Though they hadn’t had a snow day either, she hadn’t had to stay late because of the weather, and today was one of the few days both schools let out at the same time. That meant he’d have time with both of his girls. Time where he could talk about stickers and dinner and other things that didn’t bring up death and dark memories.
They’d had enough of that over the past few days and weeks, and somehow, the moment Ainsley jumped into the passenger seat, it felt like everything was normal, was exactly as it needed to be. There were still a few undercurrents in the air, the fact that he kept an extra-vigilant eye on his surroundings, worried about who could be watching, what could be waiting for him. The fact that his phone had a connection to the constant surveillance at his home and the gym. But he could pretend for a few moments that everything was fine.
Maybe starting a new relationship at the same time as everything going on wasn’t the smartest thing in the world, but he wasn’t going to change things now, not when this felt right.
He’d ask himself later why they hadn’t done this before. But, then again, he could give himself that answer. The fact that Ainsley had been hurt the day before was answer enough, wasn’t it?
“Hey there, you two,” Ainsley said as she closed the door behind her. “Did you have a good day?”
“Yup,” Misty said, popping that p again. “Ms. Tammy annoyed Daddy I think, but then he said he was dating and I thought it was you, and he should give you stickers because you like happy. Can we have hot cocoa when we get home?”
Loch met Ainsley’s wide eyes and snorted. “Hot cocoa we can do, but then we need to talk about this fascination you have with stickers.”
“I like pretty things,” Misty said, fluttering her eyelashes like one of the ponies in that show she liked to watch with all the colors and the stickers on their butts. Now, it made sense. Maybe.
“Should I ask?” Ainsley whispered.
He shook his head, then reached out and took her hand in his, tangling their fingers. “Later.”
She looked down at their entwined hands, then back at Misty, who was grinning in the rearview mirror. When Ainsley looked back at him as he drove toward home, he gave her a smile, and she relaxed into the seat.
It was one step. Not the last, but it was something. There was no going back now. Then again, Loch wasn’t sure there ever had been, not when he’d seen what he could have with Ainsley. He just hoped to hell he figured out what to do about Riker and the company before he lost it all.
Because he loved the woman next to him. Fucking loved her.
He just needed to figure out how to tell her that…while keeping her safe.