Kickstart My Heart (Burgers and Brew Crue #1) - Lacey Black Page 0,91

off her princess blanket and reaches for me. I scoop her up and carry her across the hall, Mallory hot on my heels. “Wait! My pitcher!”

“Picture?” I ask as Mallory gasps, running out of the room.

Before I can ask what in the world is going on, she returns with a sheet of white paper. Lizzie takes it and holds it up so I can see it. At first, I’m not really sure what I’m looking at. There’s a lot of scribbles and what looks like a whale with a shovel.

Then it hits me what I’m looking at.

The words written across the top help.

It says Me and Daddy Walk in blue crayon, too nice to be Lizzie’s handwriting.

All the oxygen in the room is sucked out, and I find it hard to breathe. My vision blurs with tears. Tears of joy and pride and shock.

And love.

So much fucking love.

“Dat’s you and me,” she boasts proudly.

“This is the best picture anyone’s ever given me, Lou.” My voice doesn’t even sound like my own.

With the drawing in one hand, she hugs me with the other, placing a kiss on my scruffy cheek. It tickles her lips and makes her giggle.

“Ready for bed?” Mallory asks, swiping tears from her own eyes.

Her daughter nods, handing over the drawing. When I set her down on the bed, she bounces to the middle and slips under the covers. I grab a pair of the shorts I keep in Mallory’s new-to-her dresser and head for the bathroom to change.

Two minutes later, I’m back and dropping onto the bed. I’m exhausted, my body finally able to relax after the day. It’s almost eleven o’clock, and I’m so fucking thankful to be here, in this bed with the two I love most in the world, than anywhere else. Mallory’s wearing a T-shirt and shorts and facing me, a soft smile on her lips.

“Night, night, Walk,” Lizzie whispers, curling into my chest and closing her eyes.

“Night, night, Lou. I love you.”

“Wove you,” she murmurs, as I bend down and kiss her forehead.

My eyes meet Mallory’s over Lizzie’s head, and we both smile. “I love you,” I whisper, reaching my hand over and grazing my palm against her cheek.

“And I love you, Walker.”

Mallory closes her eyes and falls into a deep slumber, and even though I’m tired, I just lie there, watching my girls sleep. Two months ago, I never pictured myself like this. A man who pushed away any sort of intimacy is now cradling it with both hands, as if it were the most important thing in the world.

In a short amount of time, I fell in love. Hard. It was confusing and scary, but I couldn’t walk away from it—from her—if I tried. She’s under my skin and embedded in my heart, right where she’s supposed to be.

Finally allowing myself to close my eyes, I fall asleep, happier and freer than ever.

Epilogue

Mallory

“Twick or Tweat!” Lizzie hollers as she runs through the bar, making her way to Walker.

He’s already moving, a huge grin on his face as he swoops her up in his arms. “There’s my favorite princess witch.”

“I weady for candy!” she bellows, making the later afternoon patrons laugh.

“How about you head up to Isaac’s office and see what he has for you?” Walker says, setting her down on the ground and laughing as she takes off running. “Good afternoon,” he whispers, before pulling me into his arms and kissing me soundly on the lips.

“Hi,” I reply once I’m breathless from his kiss.

“Are my girls ready for trick-or-treating?” he asks, seeming to be just as excited to take Lizzie around the neighborhood as she is. He’s talked of nothing all week, making sure to schedule extra Saturday help in the bar so he can accompany us. Even though Halloween is falling on the busiest night of the week at Burgers and Brew, Walker still put us first.

“Oh, we’re very ready. I took her last year, but only to a few houses of people we knew, since she was only two.”

“Well, come on. Let’s go see how much sugar Isaac gave her,” he states, taking my hand and guiding me to the stairs.

It’s been a week since the incident with Devon. I’ve given my statement in cooperation of the investigation against my ex, as well as spoken to him. Walker wasn’t thrilled with my request, but it needed to be done. The detectives working the case arranged to have Devon brought to an interrogation room, but insisted an officer be