Still The One - Carrie Elks Page 0,98

been parted, singing in time to the lyrics.

When their gaze connected, electricity buzzing between them, he felt full of her.

He hadn’t been able to pull his eyes away. Hadn’t wanted to. He’d let the music speak for him. She took his breath away. Took everything he had to give. And he wanted to give it to her again. Forever.

“You’re gonna fight for her, right?” Becca asked. “Because I don’t think I could stand it if you give up. Not this time.”

“Yeah,” he said softly, “I’m going to fight for her.” Not with fists or weapons or anything else. This was going to be a quiet fight. Like their four-minute, emotion-filled stare last night, it might not involve words. But it was a fight nonetheless.

He wasn’t only fighting for her, he was fighting for himself. And against himself. Punching down the little kid in him who’d lost his mom and was afraid of losing anything else ever again.

That kid might be the toughest opponent he’d ever faced.

“I guess that’s it. I’m packed.” Kim closed the small suitcase and zipped it up. “Not that I need a lot. Just comfortable clothes, toiletries, and pajamas, that’s what it says. No makeup, no food or drink.” She gave a wry smile at the last one.

Zoe was with her friends for the day. One of their moms had offered to take them all to the waterpark. Van had jumped at the offer – so much better to keep her sister occupied than have her worrying about their mom.

“What time are you getting picked up?” Van asked Kim. She was biting down the urge to offer to drive her mom. Another thing she needed to get used to. This wasn’t her problem. Even if it felt completely wrong to be standing here watching life carry on around her.

“In an hour. I’ve left the directions on the refrigerator. In case you and Zoe want to come see me next weekend.”

“We’ll come.” Van nodded. “Zoe would kill me if we didn’t.” There was a family session planned, including a discussion about Kim’s next steps. “Let me know if you need me to bring anything.”

“I will.”

An hour later and the house was empty save for Van and her thoughts. Of course they were full of Tanner. Of the way he’d stared at her last night as he played music from his speakers. This was the first bit of quiet she had to process what had happened. She needed to decide how the hell to clear up the mess she’d made.

There was a bang on the door. Her heart immediately leapt. Was it him? Shaking her head at her stupid damn excitement, she walked down the hallway and opened the door to the last man she’d expected to see standing on the porch.

“Johnny?”

There was no way she was calling him Dad. Not least because it sounded kind of creepy.

He shuffled his feet, looking over his shoulder like he was worried he was being watched. “Can I come in?” he asked.

“What for?”

“Because I think we need to talk. And your neighbors are all staring out of their windows right now.”

Maybe fear of gossip was genetic. “Okay. Come in.” She pushed the door wider and he stepped inside.

“Is Kim home?”

“Nope. Just me.”

He nodded, threading his fingers together. “That’s good.”

She led him to the small living room and pointed at the recliner by the window. “Please sit. Can I get you a drink?” She tried to be civil, even though it was hard to hide the hostility she felt toward him.

“Um, no thank you.” He did as he was told, glancing out of the window again. “This shouldn’t take long.”

She bit down a desire to laugh. This was so absurd and nothing like she thought it would be. Not that she’d spent a lot of time dreaming about ever meeting her father. But in the movies there was always a lot more hugs and tears.

Maybe she should be glad that Johnny wasn’t a touchy feely kind of guy. There was no way she wanted him hugging her.

“Okay then. Shoot.” She nodded at him.

He cleared his throat. “Um… well… after everything that happened at the drive-in, I wanted to make sure that you’re, um, okay.”

She swallowed. “I’m fine.”

“Nora thinks we should take a DNA test. Just to see if you’re really my daughter.” He looked up at her expectantly. “Would you be willing to do that?”

Van looked at him for a moment. At this big man in town who thought he was all that.