We watched them walk away, and my adrenaline left as soon as their car pulled out of the parking lot, leaving me shaking. Tiffany brightened up, with the resilience only a toddler could have. “Mommy, slide?”
“Sure, sweetie. Go slide.”
Maddox’s hand was still on my shoulder. It slipped off when I bent down to set Tiffany on the sand and watched her run toward the steps. “Everything will be okay,” he said. “You’ve got a great reputation, and everyone in Black Claw knows how devoted you are to your daughter.”
I didn’t take my eyes off of my daughter after she almost fell, but his words warmed me and helped me calm down.
“I am a good mother,” I whispered defensively. “I’m not good at many things, but I’m a damn good mom.”
He put his hands on my shoulders again and squeezed. I didn’t mind the touch or the comfort, so I didn’t step away. This was a new leaf in our relationship and how we treated one another.
I wasn’t mad at it.
“Everything will be okay,” he whispered.
I didn’t know why his words settled my gut and nerves, but they did. I believed him. Turning so that I could swing my head back and forth and look at Maddox and Tiffany, I smiled at him. Then I quickly found my daughter in the jungle gym again. “Thank you.”
“Call me if they follow through on their threats,” he said. “I’m going to college to be a lawyer and know all the lawyers in the county through my work at the police station. I’d be happy to help you find someone.”
I watched him walk away after thanking him again. He called goodbye to Tiffany, then got back on the trail and broke into a jog. I found Tiffany again and watched her with an eagle eye. In the back of my mind, I began questioning my sanity and whether I’d pushed away a good man.
8
Maddox
“So then, Carrie told Cassie that Connie and Callie were doing cheer routines behind her back, can you believe it?”
I stared at my sister, Hailey, in amazement. “All these people are real, with virtually the same name?”
She dissolved into giggles and threw herself against the couch. “Madd, you’re so crazy. Of course they’re real, they’re my best friends in the whole world!”
As she chattered on, I watched her animated face and marveled at the fact that she was already thirteen. She was gorgeous with nearly black hair and big eyes. She looked more and more like our mom every day. And thankfully nothing like her biological father. She loved sports and was a tomboy, but one day I had a bad feeling I’d have to turn into the protective older brother when she started dating and went through puberty and all that.
Ugh. I hated the thought of my sweet little sister being old enough to date. But my dad was so protective of his stepdaughter, I probably wouldn’t have gotten a chance to be her protector. He’d likely take care of it.
I caught a boy’s name in her chatter. “Wait, go back,” I interrupted. She cocked her head and looked at me with all the attitude she could muster. “Who is the boy?”
Hailey rolled her eyes. “He’s just a boy,” she said. “I don’t have time for boyfriends, so don’t go there again.”
Maybe I’d lectured her once or twice about the untrustworthiness of teenage boys. Or three times. It was my job as her brother, after all. “Fine,” I said.
“Come eat!” Mom yelled from the kitchen. We walked in to find Dad already at the table and my favorite dinner spread out. Taco salad.
I groaned and plopped down. “This looks great.”
“Why don’t you come to eat with us more often?” Mom asked. “I know all you’re eating in that little apartment is frozen dinners.”
Pausing in the act of filling my bowl, I shot her a fake-haughty look. “No. I also get takeout.”
Hailey burst out laughing and Mom pushed at her head. “Don’t encourage him.”
“Oh, Madd, I meant to ask.” Hailey grabbed a bowl and took the spoon from me. “What happened at the park the other day?”
I furrowed my brow and stared at my little sister. “Thirteen-year-olds gossip too much. How’d you even hear about that?”
“Cassie’s older sister was babysitting and took her along to help. She said you were a hero.”
I rolled my eyes at her and swallowed a big bite of salad. “I was in the right place at the right time.”
Hailey shook her head. “Cassie wouldn’t lie.”
“What is she talking about?” Mom asked.
“I was running on the trail behind the park and came out of the woods in time to see Tiffany Leeds about to fall off the monkey bars. Everyone had their eyes on her, so I put a little extra speed in my run while they weren’t looking and caught her before she hit the ground.”
Mom raised her eyebrows. “Bethany’s daughter?”
I nodded. “You know her?”
“Yeah. She’s friends with Harley and Abby. We’ve met at the salon. She’s a sweet girl.” She handed napkins out to everyone, and as usual hadn’t even sat down yet to eat her own food.
Dad hated it when she did that, so he jumped up and got her a drink and nudged her toward the table.
“Well, it was a lucky coincidence I was there. Not a big deal. Good thing, though. She’s so little. I bet she would’ve broken something if she’d fallen.”
I was equally glad I’d been there to stand next to Bethany when Tiffany’s grandparents showed up. She probably would have handled it on her own, but me being there seemed to have made it a little easier for her. As much as I didn’t care
