I knew the desire to be with me was there, but she wasn’t giving in, and once again, I wondered what was holding her back. It had to be something to do with where she’d ran off to four years ago.

Jealousy ran free at the thought of another guy.

Just as I was ready to question her and demand the truth, my phone rang. It was Keenan.

“Hey, man. We’re on our way with Kennedy. Sorry I’m late. She couldn’t fall asleep at her usual nap time and then fell asleep at the last minute.”

“Don’t bother. I’m outside. I came to check it out when you guys hadn’t shown up.”

“Sweet. How long have you been waiting?”

“Oh, about fifteen minutes or so.” An awkward silence filled the line so I decided to fuck with him. “Just bring the baby outside, Daddy.”

I held my stomach and fell out laughing when the line disconnected. Angel watched me from her seat as if I were crazy.

“Now why would you let him know we saw them?”

“Because I witnessed what no brother should ever have to see. Payback’s a bitch.” She smiled and shook her head but said nothing.

Not long after, her smile had faded away and she stared out the window, appearing lost and even frightful. Something was up with her and pissed me off that she wouldn’t confide in me, but I knew anger and making demands wouldn’t get her to respond in any other way than anger.

I reached over and undid her seatbelt and then lifted and brought her over the console and straight into my lap. Instead of fighting, she clung to me and buried her head in my chest. “What’s wrong, baby?”

“I’m drowning,” she whispered.

“Who’s hurting you?’

“Everyone. It’s everywhere. No matter how fast I swim or how far I go, the water is always there.”

“It sounds like you just need to head in the right direction. Your life is there waiting for you to take it and so is your salvation.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

“It too dangerous not to.”

She started to protest but I took her lips with mine. She fell into it immediately, seeking comfort in the distraction. I’m not sure how long we kissed, but it seemed to go on forever until we heard…

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

WILLOW

“UNCLE AND WILLOW sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” We both snatched away at the sound of Kennedy singing. Dash lifted me over the console and I settled into my seat. He stepped out to take Kennedy and help her in the car seat he already had situated in the back.

“Did you hear that?” Keenan yelled. “Kennedy just spelled her first word!”

“Are you sure she spelled it or garbled sounds that sounded like it—Keenan, where are you going?”

“We need the encyclopedia,” he called back. “Who knows what else she may know?’

“But she’s only three and she barely pronounced the words in the song.”

“Laugh now, but Kennedy will be a rocket scientist by the time she’s ten if I have a say in it.”

He disappeared inside the house and Sheldon looked at us exasperated. “Sometimes I wonder how I had a child with him,” she mumbled as she shook her head and followed him inside.

I turned in my seat and found Kennedy watching me. “Hi, Kennedy.”

“Hi,” she breathed in that angelic voice of hers. “Uncle and Willow kiss again?”

“Yes,” Dash answered as he got in and started the car. “But you won’t be around to sing about it.”

I couldn’t believe when the little thing actually protested. She and Dash had a natural dialogue going built from a bond that I regrettably had not been here to gain with her. They had all pulled together to help Sheldon overcome the strain of single motherhood and I had not been here. For that¸ I believed I had betrayed Sheldon.

When we got back, Kennedy tore through the apartment. She managed to turn it upside down in less than an hour. It all started with the mac and cheese incident.

She had decided to play a game of hide and seek with it and dumped her dinner under the couch cushions.

I considered it an isolated incident but had no idea what was coming.

* * *

By the end of the night, Dash undressed us both and carried me to his bed where he put his arms around me and made me forgot all about my sorrows. His cock had been hard and I had been more than willing, but soon after we lay down, we had drifted to sleep. Kennedy had worn us both out. When morning came, however, I found myself being woken up with soft kisses and caressing hands.