Be his partner in parenting? Only when he played hockey in Hell. But she could at least stop fighting him every step of the way.
For her daughter’s sake.
She stepped into Bree’s room and was hit with a blast of arctic air. No wonder her electric bill was through the roof. Crossing the room, Maddie rubbed her hands over the goose bumps on her arms. Shut off the AC unit in the window. Seemed they needed to have another talk about lowering their energy consumption, the high cost of utilities and being financially smart.
The joys of being a parent. Lectures and bills and constant worry.
God, sometimes being the adult sucked.
Bree slept soundly, a heavy, purple comforter pulled up to her nose. Sitting on the edge of the bed, Maddie brushed back Bree’s bangs.
“Honey?” Bree stirred, stretching her legs—and giving Maddie’s hip a solid kick. She shifted out of range. “Honey, wake up. Your dad’s here. He wants to see you.”
Bree blinked. Yawned. “He’s here?” Though heavy with sleep, there was no disguising the surprise in her voice. “Now?”
“He’s waiting in the kitchen.”
Moving faster than Maddie had ever seen her—especially before 7:00 a.m.—Bree kicked off the comforter and got to her feet. In silky pink pajama pants and matching T-shirt, her hair sticking up on the side, her round cheeks flush from sleeping, she looked so young. Vulnerable. And completely filled with hope and joy that her dad was there for her.
Maddie’s heart squeezed. No, she wouldn’t fight Neil on this. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t continue to watch out for her daughter. She’d do whatever she had to in order to protect Bree.
And if that failed, she’d be there to pick up the pieces when Neil left.
* * *
WHEN MADDIE AND BREE entered the kitchen hand in hand, Neil felt something, some unnamed tugging in his stomach. They were so similar—same golden skin, same dark hair. The shape of their brows, the way their mouths turned down at the corners as they studied him. They were connected. A unit. A family. He had no idea where he fit with them. If he wanted to fit at all.
They, more so than his debt to Carl and Gerry or his loyalty to his sister, kept him tied to Shady Grove. To his past. And no matter how hard he tried not to, he resented them for it. For always reminding him of what he’d come from. Of the mistakes he’d made.
He didn’t know if he could get past it. But he was going to try.
“Good morning,” he said to Bree.
She sidled closer to Maddie. “Hi.”
“How are you feeling?”
Now she and Maddie had matching frowns. But then Bree’s expression cleared as if remembering she’d been so ill last night, she’d had to be rushed home. “Better,” she told the floor.
Better. Right. “That’s good.” He didn’t see any point in calling her on lying to him. The way Gerry had treated her, he couldn’t even fully blame Bree. “I’m heading out for my morning run. Do you want to come with me?”
Bree looked at Maddie. “It’s up to you,” Maddie told her.
Bree seemed to turn the invitation over in her head.
He scratched the scar under his eye. Shifted his weight from his right leg to his left. This was nuts. He was as nervous as a rookie starting his first professional game all because his daughter hadn’t jumped at the chance to spend time with him.
Neil’s heart slammed against his chest. What if she refused?
“Uh...I guess I could go with you,” she said, looking unsure, sounding about as unenthusiastic as someone could get and still be breathing.
Still, he’d take it. “Do you have sneakers?”
“Yeah.”
“Why don’t you get dressed,” Maddie said, giving Bree a reassuring smile, as if she was one hundred percent on board with Bree hanging out with Neil. “I’ll get your breakfast ready.”
“I appreciate this,” he told Maddie when Bree left.
“What’s that? Our little truce?” He nodded. “It’s the right thing to do,” she said simply, brushing past him. “And it’s important for Bree to make up her own mind about you.”
Maddie set a bowl and spoon on the breakfast bar. Got out milk and a box of cereal.
“She can’t eat that,” he said, eyeing the happy pirate on the box. “She needs a balanced breakfast, one with lean protein, healthy fats and complex carbs.”
“This is what she always has.”
“It’s empty calories.”
Maddie sat at the bar and opened the box, helping herself to a handful. “Tasty empty calories. What are you doing?”