Page 5

Sinclair

M aurice Kane was a total smoke show. When Dani told me her father was an artist, I imagined some lanky guy with paint-splattered clothes or charcoal-smudged fingertips.

I figured he’d be slightly shy and unassuming, not this larger-than-life man decked out in leather and denim, ink covering his arms and hands, even his throat.

I was wholly unprepared for a man who was so…

much. He was big and broad and gorgeous, with his shoulder-length dark hair and sky-blue eyes that were so damn intense I pressed my knees together under the desk to stop the humiliating pulsing between my thighs.

It was bad enough that he was a gorgeous single father raising a sweet little girl on his own, but add in that vulnerable look in his eyes asking me what he could do to help her and that threatened to unravel me completely.

I recognized the initial wary tone he took.

It wasn’t the tone of a father who didn’t care about his kid.

It was the voice of a man who was scared.

I let out a heavy sigh, my heart aching with the desire to help them both.

“Dani confided in me that she sometimes wonders if she’s crazy like everyone says her mother was.

” This wasn’t an easy conversation to have, made more difficult by the gruff man who was in denial.

His jaw clenched tight. His nostrils flared. All while his gaze remained fixed on my face, so intense I was sure he was about to erupt at me again. “She said that?”

I nodded silently. She’d shared so much with me, and I was reluctant to reveal it all to this man because I didn’t want to betray her confidence. I only wanted to help.

“What else did she say?”

I shook my head. “Is that something you worry about? That Dani might suffer from whatever mental illness affected her mother?”

He didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to, the flash of darkness in his blue eyes told me I hit a little too close to home.

“Pretending that Dani isn’t struggling won’t make it true, Dagger.” I used the name he clearly preferred in hopes of getting through to him. “She’s young for you to worry about whatever it is you’re worried about.”

He snorted. “That’s easy for you to say.”

Now my jaw clenched. “I’m not a child psychologist, but Dani does seem to be displaying signs of anxiety. She feels there are uncertainties in her life and it’s when we feel like we have no control, that we can start to get anxious.”

“Uncertainties?” he asked. “She’s well taken care of, and her life is stable.” His gruff voice was so sure.

“From your perspective, maybe. But she’s lost her mother at a young age, which is impossible to deal with at any age, more so when you don’t even remember her.

” I remembered my mother, I had nine great years with her and losing her was still a fresh wound.

“Combine that with the fact that she doesn’t feel secure in her relationship with you and that’s a recipe for anxiety. ”

“I’ve been there for her since the day she was born. I make sure she has everything she needs.” His voice was firm. His tone filled with anger. I understood completely, but he needed to face the truth.

“You make sure she has everything you’re willing to give her.

She has a nanny to take care of her. A housekeeper to feed her.

But she doesn’t think she has you. Can you understand how that might make her feel?

” He was a macho man, masculine down to his very core, and he couldn’t possibly get it.

“Life happens to all of us. How we deal with it will determine our path in life. Right now, Dani is having trouble processing her emotions, but we can help her with that.”

Something flashed in his gaze. “You mean like a shrink?” He said the word as if it was poison.

“Yes, like a therapist. She needs someone she can talk to who won’t judge her, who can give her tools to cope when things feel out of her control.”

“That’s just going to feed her belief that something is wrong with her.”

“No,” I insisted. “I’ve spoken to her and let her know that nothing at all is wrong with her. She understands that now, but she needs to believe it, and that takes time.”

He sat up, leaning on his forearms until just a few inches separated us. “Do you have a therapist in mind?”

“I’m new to Steel City, so I don’t, but Dani mentioned that you know a few people in the medical field, so I’m sure you can get recommendations on a few therapists who specialize in dealing with children experiencing grief and anxiety.”

“I don’t like this shit.”

I inhaled deeply and reached for all the patience I could find before I exhaled. “This is about getting Dani the help she needs. Reaching out, or admitting you need specialist input is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s when you ignore these things that problems can happen.”

He leaned forward and laid his palms flat on my desk, pushing to his feet. His strong forearms, covered in ink, were on full display and it was damn near erotic.

“Fine, Miss Bronson, I still think it’s something she’ll grow out of, but if you think she needs to speak to someone then I’ll do it. But if it doesn’t work, if my daughter ends up worse, I’m coming for you.”

I ignored the flare of desire that shot through me and flashed a sweet, professional smile. “She won’t. I promise.”

“She better not,” he muttered, and stormed off in a beautiful wake of anger.