Page 41 of Starting Over with You (Beer League Belles #2)

CHAPTER

THIRTY-EIGHT

Dean

I hadn’t planned on stopping by Sheriff Willie Colburn’s home, but when my daughter requests my presence, I show up. My radio sits at my hip, just in case, and everyone at the station knows that I’ll join them if anything arises. Not that it should.

But then, those girls are out on the town.

God help us all.

As I stand with Matt and the sheriff around the smoker that Willie is showing off, Skyye wraps her arms around my waist, and I hug her close to me.

I kiss her temple, and she beams up at me, reminding me how damn lucky I am.

Not only do I get to be loved by this girl, but I have Kenni.

I’m not saying she’s in love with me, but damn if I don’t feel like it some days.

Or maybe that’s just me being hopeful. Fuck, I miss her.

I check my phone again, wondering why she didn’t text back when I asked if she wanted me to catch her eggs.

I hadn’t really thought about having more kids until that moment.

While it seems a little bizarre to me at my age, I wouldn’t be opposed, but that’s just me doing whatever the hell Kenni wants.

Before I get all hot and bothered at the thought of filling my woman to the brim, I kiss Skyye’s forehead. “You good, baby girl?”

She nods happily. “Yeah, just missed you.”

I hug her close. “Missed you too.”

Willie says something, and then he and Matt are making their way toward the garage. I feel Skyye staring at me, and when I look down, I find I’m right. Something moves in her eyes, an unsure expression flitting across her beautiful face. I frown down at her. “What’s wrong?”

She nibbles on her bottom lip but holds my gaze. I don’t know what she’s thinking or what’s bothering her, but what she says next doesn’t catch me by surprise. “Are you and Kenni together?”

I sigh deeply. “Yeah.”

Her eyes widen, but then she’s beaming. “I knew it.”

I return her wide grin. “Is that okay?”

“Oh yeah,” she gushes, her eyes so bright. “You two are good together.”

“Real good,” I agree, my heart pounding in my chest. “I care a lot about her.”

She waggles her brows. “Everyone can tell.”

I feel my cheeks warm with color, and I chuckle lightly. I cuddle her closer, and then I’m lost in her eyes. “You know you’re my girl, and that Kenni coming into my life doesn’t change how much I love you.”

She raises her brows. “Dad, I’m almost sixteen. You don’t have to reassure me that I’m your world.”

And she is, but Kenni is my sun. The light I need to survive.

“Still,” I say, emotion heavy in my voice. “I don’t want you to ever think I’m replacing you.”

Her lips curve up sweetly. “Never, Dad.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

She leans into me. “She’s good for you. ”

“I know,” I say with conviction. Because I’ve known that for as long as I can remember.

“Too bad you didn’t get her before Stratford did.”

My only regret in my life. I can’t tell her that, though. I don’t want her to feel like I wish she weren’t here. “Things happen for a reason,” I say instead, my heart still in my throat.

“True,” she agrees. “You need to call the boys. They want to know your intentions.”

I can’t help but laugh at that. Of course they do. “I will.”

She eyes me. “What are your intentions?”

I know my heart is in my eyes as I admit, “To love her until the day I die.”

Skyye’s eyes widen as the sweetest little grin moves over her lips.

She leans up to kiss my cheek, and I hug her tightly to me.

She clings to me, and my eyes drift shut as the future plays out behind my lids.

All the holidays as a family of five. Going to the boys’ games.

Vacations, coffee dates, and rolling around in the sheets with the girl of my dreams. Being there right beside Kenni when the boys get into the NHL, and her being by me when Skyye graduates.

Kenni helping me move Skyye in to her dorm.

Wiping my tears away when she finds the man she’ll marry.

Everything and more, and I know Kenni will be right there with me.

I won’t accept anything else.

When Tilly comes to pull Skyye away, my sweet girl waves. “Love you, miss you, mean it.”

My heart tightens in my chest when I realize I wish I had told Kenni that before she left for the bar.

The thought catches me off guard since I’ve always thought that sentiment was only for Skyye.

I call it back out to her, saying goodbye to everyone, and head for the station’s SUV.

It isn’t until I’m almost to the SUV that I realize Willie has fallen into step with me.

I stop dead in my tracks and eye him, wondering what the hell he’s doing. “Sheriff?”

Willie nods and then tucks his hands into the pockets of his loose-fitting jeans.

He swallows, and I don’t understand what is happening right now.

His blue eyes move to mine, and he sighs deeply.

“I heard what you told Skyye.” My heart falls promptly out of my ass.

Kenni is gonna be pissed. I press my lips together as he shakes his head. “You know I don’t hate you, right?”

I scoff at that. “Funny way of showing it.”

He chuckles, holding his gut as he shrugs. “I’m serious,” he promises, and I’m unsure how to react to that. “But I have been pissed at you for years.”

“Do I want to know why?”

His lips tip up. “Because you didn’t get to her before that fucker did.”

My jaw falls open, and I’m surprised it doesn’t hit the damn ground. “Sorry?”

“You think I didn’t know you loved my daughter, Dean?” he asks, his eyes crinkling at the sides. “No man keeps coming for more after getting arrested with that girl, but you did.”

I roll my lips, unsure what to say, but he doesn’t give me a chance to comment.

“I love my granddaughter, I do—and my grandsons—but fuck if I didn’t wish you two would have had them all together instead of with other people.

” I swallow thickly as I hold his gaze. “You’ve both spent your best years with the wrong partners. ”

I shake my head. “No. Our best years will be together with our kids.”

His eyes dance with happiness, but his voice is steely when he says, “Promise me.”

Easiest promise ever. I hesitated before, but no more.

“Sir, if she’s in the back of a cop car, I want to be beside her.

If she needs a hat to throw up in, it’ll be mine.

If she needs somewhere to fall, I’ll catch her.

And if she needs someone to love her—hell, even if she doesn’t want someone to love her—I will. ”

Willie flashes me a beaming smile that reminds me of Kenni.

All dimples and that damn divot in his chin.

As I hold his gaze, I realize that I’ve admitted to two people that I’m in love with Kenni.

I should probably tell her. Before I can ponder how to go about that, the sheriff extends his hand to me.

I take it, his hand enveloping mine as his eyes hold mine.

He shakes my hand. “You have the time. Don’t waste it. ” He pauses and then adds, “Chief.”

Then he drops my hand and walks away like he didn’t just give me the biggest blessing of my life while also showing me he respects me.

I swallow past the emotion and look up at the sky, the night dark with the stars like glitter in the clouds.

The light blues remind me of Kenni’s eyes, and damn if I don’t miss her something insane.

She must miss me too, because my phone rings. I smile when I see it’s her. Though, when I answer, her voice is off. “Where are you?”

I get into my truck, my brows basically touching. “Heading to the station. Do I need to come to you?” I ask with teasing in my voice.

“Yeah, come pick me up,” she says stiffly, and I frown at her tone.

“You okay?”

“No.”

“What’s wrong?” I ask, pulling out of the drive. “I’m coming.”

“Missy told me.” Her words are like a kick to the chest. “Is it true?”

I shouldn’t play dumb, but here we are. “What?”

“Dean August.”

Just my name, a warning. I roll my lips. “I’m coming.”

“I’ll be outside.”

She hangs up, and my heart jumps into my throat. She’s never hung up on me, nor has she ever used that tone with me. She sounds pissed, and I don’t know what to do with that.

But I’m not worried, because now that she knows the truth, I have nothing to hide.

That has me grinning from ear to ear.