Page 6 of Starting Over with You (Beer League Belles #2)

CHAPTER

FOUR

Dean

After we open the library doors and windows for ventilation, everyone is working together, not only to gather the six cats and two juvenile raccoons, but to take photos and start cleaning up.

While the fire department may not do that in the big cities, here in Thistlebrook, there is no damn way Miss Alice is going to do this on her own.

I make sure she understands the importance of checking the book drop for raccoons, because honestly, this isn’t the first time.

Those raccoons and cats have some kind of beef with one another.

While I am in chief mode, I still can’t kick the anger I have toward Nyle. He’s just…more of a pain than a help. I don’t even know why he “wants” to help. He just wants to impress Missy and be the doting husband, but he isn’t.

Plus, what the hell are my baby mama and my sister up to? That can’t be good. They’re a lot tamer now that Missy’s sister doesn’t live here, but back when we were younger, those three tore the town up.

I think I still have trauma from the late-night calls to come get them from various spots they decided to wreak havoc on.

I shiver at the thought and decide I need to call Missy to ease my mind.

We finish up as quickly as someone can with cats and fornicating raccoons.

Garrett is holding each raccoon by its scruff as he grins up at me.

He has a boyish charm to him even though he’s my age.

His eyes are dark, while his hair is sunflower yellow.

Like me, he grew up here too. “Skyye need a pet?”

I snort. “No way. Missy would have my ass.”

“Speaking of Missy, how’s your sister doing?”

See? I think everyone has the same trauma I have. I mean, those three stole three pigs, dressed them up like the three little pigs and snuck them into the boys’ locker room on championship weekend. I played my final game smelling like pig shit.

They were terrors.

And yet, I’m super protective of their crazy asses. “My sister is married with three kids,” I remind him, fighting back my own grin. I feel as if I should defend my brother-in-law. If he can stay with her, he’s basically a saint.

Garrett doesn’t even flinch, just keeps grinning. “I’m holding out hope.”

I roll my eyes at that. I don’t even know how Sadie got Matt to marry her and make babies with her, yet she has guys ready to take his place.

My sister is wild and reckless, but she’s not dumb.

She knows what she’s got, and Matt is the real deal.

He loves my sister, loves their kids, and loves Skyye.

I’m surprised Skyye didn’t call him, honestly.

Though, if Missy and Sadie are together, then Matt probably has the kids.

“Matt’s good people,” I remind Garrett, even if Matt is a cop and thinks the police have a harder job than firefighters. He sits in his car all day eating snacks from Noelle’s Nibbles, while I’m out saving Miss Alice from a turf war and the smoldering romance section .

Ha. I need to tell Skyye that one.

“But is he good enough for her?”

No one is, but I just give him a dark look. “She’s made three kids with him. I’d say he’s okay.”

Garrett just laughs as he walks away, the raccoons wriggling in his grip with no cares.

Being Sadie’s little brother is not an easy task.

It never has been. I sigh deeply as I do one last once-over and then go to the truck for my iPad.

I got the department to switch to iPads two years ago because I hate writing.

I’d rather type. And thankfully, they went for it.

As I take pictures and document the call, Wagner helps and does his own documentation.

I watch the time to make sure I am out of here before I need to get Skyye, but luckily, it doesn’t take long to get everything taken care of.

“Hey, Cap.”

I glance up from my iPad, and then I hold out my hand for Jackson Shepard, one of the town’s deputies, to shake.

My black button-down shirt strains on my shoulders since I refuse to go up a size in my shirts after a year of working out like crazy with my buddy Jett Cook.

He had to increase his upper body strength back to full force when his old figure skating partner came back to town and asked him to skate with her again.

I don’t know how he pulled it off. I’m sore as fuck after a game at my ripe old age of thirty-eight, but my boy not only put on a show, he got the girl of his dreams to marry him.

Their story is cute, and I’m not the least bit jealous.

Okay, maybe I am a bit.

Because I’m lonely.

Don’t get me wrong. I love my daughter. I am a proud dad and I love spending time with her, but I want that connection.

I want to wake up to a woman in my arms who isn’t there just for sex.

I want to have those chaste kisses. Those late nights when we watch “our” shows.

I want morning coffee and supper together.

I want my person.

Remembering I’m in the middle of a handshake, I focus on Jackson instead of my lonely love life. “Hey, Jackson,” I greet. “I shared my report with you.”

Jackson sends me a grateful grin. “Thanks, Cap. How ya doing?”

I shrug. “You know, killing it at life.” His grin grows wider, but it’s all a mask. He’s nervous. He’s kicking at the brown carpet of the library, and his eyes are wild. I arch a brow. “How are you, Jackson?”

He sighs deeply, meeting my gaze. “I was wondering if you’d help me.”

Fuck my life.

I brace myself for what’s coming as he goes on, “I wanted to see if you could help me get Liam to come to my house for a barbecue.”

Yup, knew it.

Even this twenty-four-year-old kid has a person.

A great person, really.

Chelsea Cutler is a sweet girl and a real catch, but her daddy?

Man, I love my buddy. Liam Cutler is one of my favorite guys, an awesome hockey player and girl dad goals for sure, but he is also extremely overprotective of his adult daughter.

I mean, I know I’m protective of Skyye, but she’s only almost sixteen.

I have to make sure to teach her to know what she deserves, but Liam has already done that.

Chelsea is an all-around great girl, and from what I can tell, she’s pretty smitten with Jackson.

Hell, if he’s asking me to help, he’s truly love-sick for her.

I exhale as I hold his gaze. “Did he say no?”

Jackson grimaces. “He left me on read. Then I asked him again at the rink, and he acted like he didn’t hear me.” Now I’m the one grimacing. “I think, if he’d give me a chance, he’d like me. He’d see that I want nothing but to love Chelsea the way she needs.”

“Yeah, no doubt,” I say almost immediately.

I like the kid; he’s loyal and a damn good cop.

Back when my grandma was in the home, he was much younger, and he used to come and read stories to her.

He’s got a good head on his shoulders, but I get Liam’s reservations about his daughter dating Jackson .

That means Liam’s got to let her go.

Not something he is ready for.

I cup Jackson’s shoulder and smile. “Let me feel him out. Maybe I’ll throw the party, and you come with Chelsea.”

His eyes light up at that. “Really?”

“Yeah,” I say on a sigh. “Don’t tell Liam, though.” We share a laugh before I ask, “What’s Chelsea saying?”

He shrugs, looking sheepish. “She says it doesn’t bother her, but I know it does. Her dad is her best friend. I know it’d mean a lot to her for us to be on good terms.”

See? Good kid.

With a wide grin, I squeeze his shoulder once more. “Let me talk to him, okay?”

Jackson lets out a long sigh, his shoulders sagging, but his eyes are not so dull anymore. “Thanks, Cap.”

I nod at him just as Wagner comes to my side. “Ready?”

I agree, and we say goodbye to Jackson before heading to the truck. Once inside, I reach for my phone and reread Skyye’s text.

Then I notice she sent another.

Skyye

I can text Pop to come get me.

For fuck’s sake, that’s the last thing I need her to do. I live at the top of Sheriff Colburn’s shit list. Not only did I get his eldest daughter pregnant and refuse to marry her, but I was arrested with his baby girl.

Not once, but twice.

Nope, Skyye can’t call him.

I shake my head in frustration, but I tell Skyye I’ll be there to get her. Then I call Missy.

She answers on the third ring. “Heyyyy,” she sings, and I hear my sister giggling in the background.

“Are you drunk?” I ask, and Missy just snorts.

“Not at all,” Sadie quips, and I can just imagine her shaking her head, her dark black curls bouncing along her shoulders. “Just being friendly. What’s up?”

“Friendly, my ass. I bet y’all are on shot three. ”

“Shut up, bub. We have to drive later,” Sadie says to me, and I roll my eyes.

“Doesn’t mean shit. You’ll just call me to drive you around,” I say, and they both snicker like little schoolgirls. “Where are my nieces and nephew?”

“With their father,” Sadie throws back.

“Does he know you’re with your tyrant of a friend?”

Missy snorts as Sadie asks, “Whatever. What do you want?”

My brows pinch as the annoyance only a sibling can cause rides me hard. “I called Missy, not you.”

Missy laughs. “I’m here. What’s up, Dean?”

She sounds so happy and I hate to put a damper on that, but her husband is a dud. “Why can’t Nyle get Skyye? I’m good to get her, but I’m on call and I don’t want her waiting on me if I get called out.”

Sadie’s laughter stops as Missy lets out a long sigh. Then she screams so loudly, I have to hold the phone away from my ear. “Nyle!”

My brows pinch in tighter as Wagner sends me a look. Confused, I ask Missy, “You’re home?”

“Yeah,” she seethes, and I hear a door open.

“What’s up, bab?—”

“Why can’t you pick up Skyye? You told me you’d get her.”

Nyle fumbles with his words, but then he says, “You have me doing all this crap around the house to get ready. I didn’t have the time.”

“Then you should have told me.”

“We would have gone to get her, Fartworth ,” Sadie adds, and I can’t help but snort at her teasing nickname for him. “My amazing brother is on call for his community-saving job.”

I grin. It’s fun to witness my sister being a bitch to people, just not me.

“How? You two have to be at the welcome sign before she gets here,” he interjects, and now I’m super confused .

“Who? What have you got him getting the house ready for? Why do you have to be at the sign?” I find myself asking, but no one answers me.

“Skyye getting home tops getting the house ready!”

“You said you wanted everything done. I’m trying to do what you asked.”

“Skyye is part of everything. You wanted this responsibility, didn’t you?”

“Yes, of course. I’m sorry, babe. I’ll go get her.”

“It’s fine. Her dad is,” Missy throws back, and even I can feel the bite in her voice. But the petty part of me preens at how damn sure she sounds.

“Yeah, her wonderful dad,” Sadie adds, and I roll my eyes. I can just picture Nyle’s face, all red and angry, but she isn’t wrong. I am a damn good dad.

“That’s enough, Sadie,” he grits out, and I bet he wishes he had never touched her butt. She is such a bitch to him, and she holds a grudge like no other.

“Hey, Fartworth, don’t forget, Missy doesn’t need you to be Skyye’s dad. She already has the best. You’re the one who wanted to be a stepdad,” Sadie snarks, and I swear, she’s ruthless. “So step up—or step out.”

There is silence before he bites out, “I am well aware, and again, I’m sorry. I wanted to get the house ready, and I figured she’d be fine to walk.”

“It’s not about if she can walk. We know she can, but we don’t want her to. She works hard all day, and then she skates. It’s about her knowing we want to be there for her and care about getting her home safely,” Missy explains, taking the words out of my brain.

“I hear you. I’m sorry,” he apologizes once more, but it just doesn’t seem genuine to me. “Does Dean have her?”

“Yes,” Missy snaps, just as Sadie mutters, “He always will.”

If my sister could, she’d wear a shirt that reads, “Dean’s Number One Fan. ”

“You know I’m her husband,” he adds, and I grimace. This dude just signed his death warrant. Especially when Sadie starts cackling like a damn psycho.

“And? I’ve been her soul mate longer than you’ve been her husband.”

Missy snorts and so do I. Anyone who knows Sadie and Missy knows they are thick as thieves.

If Missy were to kill Nyle, my sister would show up with a shovel, a plastic tarp, bleach, and an airtight alibi.

Since there is really nothing to say to Sadie’s statement, I hear a door slam, and then Missy says, “Sorry about that. He’s still adjusting. ”

After a year? I don’t tell her that I don’t want to talk about him. Instead, I ask my three questions again.

“Who? Why are y’all getting the house ready? Who do you have to meet?”

There is a pause, and then Missy says on an exhale, “She finally did it.” I hear the emotion in her voice—elation, excitement, and, also, all kinds of pride. “Kenni left him.”

My heart literally seizes in my chest. If I weren’t in such good shape, I’d be worried about cardiac arrest, but that’s not it.

I remember when I saw Kenni’s fucking bastard of a husband with a woman and kids that looked just like her sons.

It’s been a fuck-ton of years since that happened, and I never understood why she stayed.

Didn’t she realize that she deserved way more?

I wanted to tell her.

But I lost that chance the moment I became Missy’s baby daddy.

Missy doesn’t know about my internal turmoil as she says, “She’s coming home.”

Even though the truck is moving, I feel like everything is suspended in time.

Kenni left her husband.

Finally.

And she’s coming home.

I probably shouldn’t be grinning right now, but my lips curve so big, even Wagner gives me a sideways glance. “Please stop telling everyone about the damn smoldering romance section! You’re not funny.”

I don’t care what he thinks, because once upon a time, I could make Kenni laugh.

And it was the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.