Page 138 of Love Me Like You Do

A new energy rolled through him, and he looked at his dad. “I’m going to get them back.”

ChapterTwenty-Four

Evvie shrieked,her cheeks an angry red, and Paisley dashed out of the bathroom naked and dripping wet, giggling as she skimmed away from the towel Hailey was trying to wrap her in.

So, really, it was the worst possible time to see that name appear on the screen of her phone.

She considered blowing him off the way he’d done to her, but then she remembered the promise they’d made to each other to remain a family. “Hello?”

“Hey.” Oh, that voice. Deep, sexy, and thick with remorse.

She missed him so badly. It wasn’t being a single parent that bothered her. No, she loved every minute with the girls. Even the difficult times like these, because she got the reward of after, when they calmed down and snuggled with her.

It was the nights she didn’t have him in her bed, his warm, strong body wrapped around her so tightly she didn’t know where she began and he ended.

It was after the girls fell asleep, when she didn’t have him there to talk about their days or even just to read beside each other on the couch. It was when she walked in the door, and he wasn’t there to look at her like she was the sun, the moon, the stars…the entire galaxy.

She would never have that again, and it left her with a giant, brutal hole.

“What’s going on?” he asked over the crying.

“Evvie’s got shampoo in her eyes.”

“But it’s for babies. It doesn’t sting.”

“Yeah, I know. I think she’s overtired. She had a playdate with about five other kids today. It was like a preschool up in here. Anyway, it’s not a good time for you to talk to them. How about I get them settled, and then we’ll call you back?”

“No. I’ll wait. I want to listen.”

“That sounds like a good deal. Conducting family life over the phone. It’s a lot easier, and you never have to get your hands dirty.” She closed her eyes, regretting the words the moment they left her mouth. “Let me calm Evvie down.” She set the phone on the counter and gently dabbed the little girl’s eyes with a towel. “All right now, sweetie?”

“Dat hurt.” Her tone held accusation, as if Hailey had done it deliberately.

“I’m sorry, baby girl. Come on. Let’s get you out of the tub.” She wrapped her up in a fluffy towel, still warm from the dryer. “Now, go on and get your jammies on. I’ll be right in to read to you.” She stared at the phone a moment. The wound was too fresh, and she wasn’t ready to talk to him. But the girls were more important than her hurt feelings, so she picked it up. “You there?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I’m sorry for saying that. It was incredibly immature.”

“Don’t apologize for telling the truth. You have every right to be angry with me. But I didn’t call to talk to the girls. I called for you. I know this isn’t the best time, but I couldn’t wait another second to tell you the news.”

A cry came from the girls’ bedroom, and Hailey took off down the hallway to find Evvie on the floor, one leg in her twisted onesie.

“Hey, punkin. Hang on. I got it.” She sorted it out, guiding her foot and arms into the other holes. After buttoning it, she put the phone back to her ear. “We should probably talk another time.”

“Can you give me a second? Please? This can’t wait.”

The nerve of this guy.“Sure. Let me ask my cranky kids to snap out of it so you can tell me your good news.” She went into the girls’ bathroom and shut the door. “Look, Cole. I know I said I wanted us to remain a family for the sake of the kids, but I’ve changed my mind. The girls love you, and they talk about you all the time, so you’re welcome to be in their lives in whatever way makes you comfortable, but I don’t think co-parenting is a good idea.”

“The hell it isn’t. I love you, and I love my girls.”

Whoa. His tone had flipped from quiet and remorseful to confident and commanding.

And it was hot.

“I fucked up big time, but I’ve got my shit together now. That’s why I’m calling. Look, you know about my childhood, but what you don’t know is that my nanny once told me I was going to kill myself one day. She just hoped I didn’t take anybody with me.”

God, that woman was horrible. All kids got into trouble. They tested the limits. That was how they learned about the world and their place in it. Her girls were only just starting to feel comfortable enough to act out around her.