I’m up first in the morning, and thank God it’s a Saturday because both Hartley and Harper need sleep.
I probably do, too, but I was restless and didn’t want to wake Harper, so I got up.
You know when you’re trying to be quiet and instead you bump into everything like a fucking bear? Yeah, that’s me this morning.
I start up a pot of coffee and grab a coffee cup down from the cabinet, and it somehow slips right out of my hands, crashing onto the tile floor and shattering everywhere.
A shard of glass slices right across my bare foot.
“Fuck,” I mutter.
I stand in place for a beat, not really sure what to do. My foot is bleeding a little, but if I move, I’m potentially stepping on even more glass.
I bend down to pick up the large pieces surrounding me, and the blood is starting to trickle down my foot. “God dammit,” I murmur, and when I straighten with the shards in my palm, I find a sleepy looking Victoria Hartley with her arms folded over her chest glaring at me a little.
“Can you keep it down?” she requests. “Some of us are trying to sleep.”
“Good fucking morning to you, too.”
She glances down at my foot. “Oh, you’re bleeding.”
“I know I’m bleeding,” I say through a clenched jaw. “But there’s glass everywhere and if I move to get something to clean it up, I’m going to step on more.”
“Where’s the broom?” she asks.
“Laundry room.”
“On it!” She disappears for a beat and then returns, and she’s smart enough to be wearing socks. Yet that begs the question…
“Did you sleep in your socks?”
She glances up at me as she sweeps. “Well, yeah. Of course.”
I make a face of disgust. “Do you always sleep in your socks?”
She nods. “Except after s-e-x.”
“You do realize that Harper probably knows what that spells, right?”
“God, I hate you.”
I laugh. “I used to believe you when you said that to me. After last night, though?” I press my lips together and shake my head. “Nope.”
She giggles, and she sweeps around me before sweeping it all up into a dustpan and setting it in the garbage. Then she heads to the sink and grabs a wet paper towel, and she goes to work on cleaning my foot. “Sit on the counter,” she commands, and I do it. She inspects the cut. “It doesn’t look that deep. Where’s your first aid kit?”
My brows dip together. “First aid kit?”
“Yeah, you know. The kit that has stuff for wounds in it?” She circles a finger like I need to catch up to her.
“I’m a man. Don’t need one of those.”
She rolls her eyes. “Bandages? Antiseptic?”
“Cabinet next to the sink,” I say.
“Hold this on the wound,” she says, pressing the paper towel against it.
I hold it there while she saunters over to the cabinet to find the bandages and that spray that burns like hell, and she returns with a box of My Little Pony bandages. She sets it on the counter beside me, and I snatch it in my hand.
“There are regular bandages in the cabinet, too,” I say wearily.
“Yeah, I saw.”
I definitely catch the teasing sound in her tone, but I guess I’m at her mercy.
She sprays the hell fire spray, and I hiss through gritted teeth. She blows softly on it, and just like that, it feels all better.
Eventually she dries it enough to slip a bandage on—a hot pink pony, by the way—and then the coffee is done, so I can finally get what I need to get through the morning.
Just when I think I’m about to sit down to another chat and maybe some kissing with Hartley, Harper comes down the stairs.
“You stayed,” she says happily but sleepily to Victoria.
There goes that plan.
“How are you feeling?” I ask, setting my coffee on the counter and sauntering over in her direction to inspect. She looks much better. The swelling is mostly gone.
“Okay,” she says. She walks over to the couch and lays down.
“Why are you up so early?” I glance at the clock, and it’s a little after eight. She was up until well after midnight two nights in a row and had a pretty scary event last night.
“I heard voices so I came to check it out.”
“Go back to bed,” I say, and she shakes her head.
Victoria moves across the room and sits next to her on the couch, and Harper moves to rest her head on Victoria’s thigh. “I’m glad you’re doing better. You gave us a good scare last night.”
“Sorry,” she mutters.
“It’s not your fault,” Victoria says soothingly. She gently runs her fingers along Harper’s hairline.
“I know. It’s Maddy’s fault. And Travis’s for hiring her.” She sits up to turn and glare at me before laying back down.
“It’s not your dad’s fault,” Victoria says as she quietly defends me.
I offer her an appreciative glance then walk over to stand in front of Harper. I hold up both hands. “It’s absolutely my fault and don’t worry, I am never leaving you again.”
Harper rolls her eyes. “That’s not really going to work for me.”
“Why not?”
“Bella said something about weekly sleepovers. I’m not missing out on that,” she says.
I chuckle. “Fine.” I sit on her other side, and as she sets her feet on my lap, I try to ignore the warm feeling of family—something I’m not sure I’ve ever really experienced before aside from the men who have become like brothers to me on the field. “I guess I’ll sleep over at Bella’s with you.”
She giggles. “That’s a no.” She cranes her neck to look up at Victoria. “Ms. Hartley, will you keep him in line for me?”
Victoria twists her lips and shrugs. “Sounds like an impossible task, but I’ll do my best.”
I glare at the two of them for teaming up against me, but I secretly love everything about it.
I sneak upstairs for a shower, and while I’m up there, I make a quick purchase on my phone. Then we make bacon and pancakes, and we jam to Imagine Dragons.
I’m not sure how long Victoria is planning to stay, but I for one don’t ever want her to leave.
Table of Contents
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