Hard Break (Deadlines & Diamonds, #5) (7 page)

He tipped the bottle back, licking the drops off his bottom lip. “So, what’s blind-sided you now?”

“I was offered a job.”

His brows furrowed with the confusion he felt. “That doesn’t sound like a bad thing.”

“It’s not.” She took a sip from her can. “It’s just complicated.”

“Explain.” He ran his finger over the wood grain in the oak table.

She did; great opportunity, awesome benefits, incredible pay. “But the hours are when I need to be home with the kids.”

“What about daycare?”

She shook her head. “I don’t want some stranger watching my kids.”

“Do you have a choice?” He actually watched as her hackles rose to the innocent question. “Come on, Kay. No situation will be perfect. The ideal died right along with Leon.”

She bristled against his harsh words. He expected the lioness to erupt out of her, clawing and scratching, once again sending him from her domain. Instead, she sighed. “I know.” Her fingers plowed through her hair. “I know. I know.” Her fist lightly pounded the table. “Dammit, I know.” Her gaze sought his, holding it tight. “Nobody loves those three as much as I do, and I want the very best for them.”

“You’re right. Nobody can ever love those three little people as much as you do.” He didn’t bother to remind her how much he loved her children. “Of course you want the very best for them. But sometimes the best for all of you doesn’t appear to be the ultimate in awesome. Kay, those kids are resilient. They’ve bounced back really well.”

“I’m the one who’s a train wreck.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.” She smiled weakly at him, her eyes misty. “Thank you for not giving up on us.”

“I’m here for—”

A blood-curdling scream had them both jumping to their feet and sprinting to the back slider. Kayla yanked it open, running out into the chaos of her back yard.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Chase crouched over Sadie. “I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry.”

Sadie lay on the ground under the swing set. She held her head, blood spurting from between her fingers, surprisingly calm.

Ian ran back into the kitchen and grabbed a dishcloth from the counter. He hustled back to Sadie, pressing the cloth against her forehead.
She awkwardly crawled into his lap. Silent tears trickled down her cheeks, landing on his jeans.

“I’m sorry, Mom.” Chase’s frantic apology oozed his remorse.

Kayla took her son by the shoulders. “Tell me what happened.”

“She wanted to spin. I wound her too tight, I guess, ‘cause as she was unwinding the swing went crazy and she slammed into the pole.” He started to cry. “I’m sorry, Sadie.”

Sadie brushed the towel out of her eyes and smiled. “It’s okay. I’m fine.” She pushed at Ian. “It doesn’t even hurt anymore.”

Ian shook his head. “Let me see your head.”

She squared her shoulders and looked him right in the eye as he pulled the cloth away. Although the blood no longer tried to set long distance records, the cut was deep, right at her hairline above her right eyebrow.

“How is it?” Kayla asked fro
m over his shoulder. Her next gasped breath actually spoke, answering her own question.

“Yeah, I think so, too.”

“Come on, guys, looks like we’re headed to the emergency room.”

“I can stay with Chase and Penelope.” He glanced at the other two kids. “It’ll be easier on both of you if it’s just you two.”

And just like that he blew the hell out of his date with Denali. Yet, as relief replaced Kayla’s exhausted expression, Ian didn’t have a doubt he’d made the right decision.

“Thank you, Ian.” She ushered Sadie toward the garage, the girl
flip-flopping
with each step. “I’ll call you when I know something.”

“No worries.” He wrapped an arm around Chase’s shoulders. “We’ll be here.”

The door to the garage closed with a light slam, then the rumbling of the exterior door’s decent sounded.

Chase finally came inside, closing the slider. “Do you think she’ll need stitches?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh man.” He sank down into the chair at the table, his head dropping into his hands. “I didn’t mean—”

Ian put his hand onto the boy’s shoulder. “I know. It was an accident. Sadie knows it too, so does your mom. Things like that happen, man. At least it’s in a place she can hide with her hair.”

Chase’s misery
eased. “I guess that’s a good thing.”

“Yeah
, definitely a good thing.” Ian took his phone out of his pocket. “Hey, I need to make a quick call. Give me a second.”

Chase
lifted a shoulder that said
whatever
.

As he called up Denali’s number and put the phone to his ear, Penelope asked, “Who you callin’?”

He answered her, but only by saying, “Hey, Denali. It’s Ian.”

“Hey,” her husky voice purred. Not that she’d intended to verbally
seduce him, husky with her was just par for the course.

“I’m sorry, but—”

“Yeah, I don’t like those words.”

He chuckled. “An emergency came up and—”

“Oh no,” she gasped.

“M
y neighbor’s little girl smacked her head and had to be taken to the ER. I’m playing babysitter with the other two.”

“I could come over and help.”

Yeah, ‘cause that would thrill the hell out of Kayla. “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think that’d be a good idea.”

“Got it.” No bitterness. She really did get it. “Rain check?”

“Absolutely. I’ll call you.”

“Anytime, Ian. Anyt
ime.”

No misconstruing that. “Later.”

He disconnected the call to face two sets of inquiring eyes. Chase frowned. “Sorry to ruin your date.”

Penelope snorted. “You had date?” She shook her head, propping her hands on her hips. “Ian no date. Ian Mommy’s.”

“Oh. No, sweetheart. Your mom and I are just friends.”

She laughed
, her blond curls swinging wildly. “Silly Ian.”

Ian looked at Chase for clarification. The kid only
rolled his eyes. Didn’t matter. Ian didn’t belong to Kayla any more than the beautiful mother of three belonged to him. He’d be wise to remember that.

The doorbell rang and Penelope took off on a run. She was still fiddling with the lock when Ian joined her.
Heaven help them when she was tall enough to reach. He released the latch and opened the door.

On the porch a lady with red hair and green eyes blinked up at him. She stepped back, looked at the numbers on the side of the door. “Hi, um, is Kayla here?”

“Nope.” Chase moved around Ian. “She took Sadie to get stitches.”

The woman
inhaled her concern. “Oh no.”

“She
just had a little accident,” Ian told the stranger. “Who are you?”

“Oh. I’m sorry.” She held out a hand. “I’m Rhonda White.
My husband and Leon were partners. I worry about them. We worry about them. I wanted to check on Kayla and bring some cookies by for the kids.”

“Cookies!” Penelope reached for the
plate.

Ian reached for her hand. “Pene. That’s not polite.”

The little girl frowned. “Sorry.”

“
No worries,” Rhonda said. “Here, you can have them.”

Penelope took the plate and ran toward the kitchen with Chase hot on her heels, laughing all the way.

“The kids look good.”

Ian glanced in the direction they’d gone. “Yeah, they are good. As good as can be expected.”

“How’s Kayla?”

“As good as can be expected.”

“Are you her brother? ‘Cause I saw you sitting with them at the funeral and I—”

“No, I’m her neighbor.”

Her eyes widened, but she schooled her expression. “Oh, well, I’m not sure how you fit into all of this, but—”

“I’m her neighbor, and her friend. Nothing more.”

She held up her hands. “I didn’t mean to insinuate…” She bit her lip and looked over in the direction of the kitchen. “Here’s the thing, she has completely shut us out. All of us. The whole world. Except for you, it seems.” Her brows rose. “As I said, I’m not sure how you fit into all of this, but you stay right where you are. Take care of her. Because she won’t let any of us even close.”

Ian’s scowl relaxed. “I’m not going anywhere
. She’s a hell of a woman, dealing with a shitty situation. She keeps trying to push me away too. I’m just too stupid to leave.”

Rhonda laughed
. “Well, stay stupid. She needs you.”

Ian snorted
. “Don’t let her
hear you say that.”

She stuck out her hand. “We’re here if she needs us. If
you
need us. Good luck.”

“Thanks, we’re all gonna need it.” 

Eight

T
he last time Ian remembered watching the Disney Channel the programming had consisted of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and animated movies they both starred in. Times had changed. Now, he sat flanked by two kids and watched a family with dysfunctional parents and a baby needing luck. Strange as it was, Ian had to admit to chuckling a couple of times.

His phone rang and he shuffled Penelope around so he could fish it
out of his pocket. “Hey.”

“Hey,” Kayla said. “
How are things?”

“
We’re good.” He brushed a palm over Pene’s head. She snuggled deeper into his side. “How’s Sadie?”

“
The bleeding stopped. She’s playing Candy Crush on my phone. They’re saying it’s going to be hours before they can look at her.” She huffed. “It seems everyone in all of Las Vegas decided they needed to come to the ER tonight.”

He groaned in a show of solidarity. “
I’m sorry.”

Penelope giggled at something on the television.

“Don’t worry about us.”

“If you want to bring the kids—”

“Huh-uh. None of that, Kay. The kids are fine. I’m fine. We’re all fine. Do what you gotta do with Sadie. Take as long as you need.”

“It could be very late.”

“Believe it or not, I know how emergency room visits wo
rk.”

Her soft sigh screamed exhaustion. “Thanks, Ian.”

“Glad to help out. What time’s bedtime?” He laughed at Chase’s glower.

“
Put Pene down about eight-thirty. Make sure she has her night-night underpants on.”

“Got it. What about Chase?”

“He can stay up ‘til we get home.”

“I’ll put him to bed at ten. How’s that?”
Ian winked at the boy.

“Oh, I should be home before then.”

Ian laughed. “Did you forget where you are?”

She chuckled. “Good point. Please make sure they brush their teeth.”

“You got it. Don’t worry about us. We’ve ordered pizza, so dinner is taken care of.”

“Thanks. I’m not sure what I’d do without you.”

“Luckily, you don’t have to find out.” He wasn’t sure whether or not she heard his last statement. It was probably for the best if she hadn’t.

“You ordered pizza?” An incredulous pucker formed between Chase’s eyes. “When did you order pizza?”

Ian held up his phone and punched in a few numbers. “Right now.”

“But you told my mom you’d ordered
it. Past tense. You lied.”

Past tense?
“What your mother doesn’t know…” He paused and looked into the blue eyes so like Leon’s. “Scratch that. You’re absolutely right. A lie is a lie and you should never lie to your mother. Or me.” He wasn’t quite sure why he felt inclined to tack himself onto the instruction, but there it was.

“And you shouldn’t lie to my mother either.” Chase crossed his arms over the Batman insignia on his chest.

“No lying,” Penelope added with a satisfied smirk on her pouty lips.

Ian nodded. “We have a deal. No more lying. Now, should I call your mother and apologize or—”

“Nah, just order the pizza,” Chase said.

The pizza arrived and was promptly devoured.
Little Penelope had a huge appetite. Ian couldn’t believe the amount of food she packed away. He sure hoped her stomach didn’t revolt. His pansy ass gut wouldn’t accept that particular challenge very well. Poor Chase would be cleaning up the contents of two digestive tracks.

“How do
you feel, princess?”

She belched loud enough to make a drunk proud.
“Full.”

He cringed back a bit. “Sick at all?”

Blond curls rioted with the adamant swinging of her head. “Nope.”

“
Well then, it’s time to brush your teeth and get ready for bed.”

Her face scrunched up and she looked at the huge clock on the wall. “It’s not eight-firty.”

Ian shot a shocked look at Chase. “She can tell time?”

Chase laugh
ed. “No. But she made you think she could.” He stood and took his baby sister by the hand. “Come on. I’ll help you brush your teeth.”

She snorted, following him up the stairs. “I do it myself.”

“How about I just put the toothpaste on your toothbrush?” Chase offered.

She paused, then finally nodded and st
arted walking again. “I do it myself.”

Ian checked out of the rest of the conversation, opting for the
cleanup. When placing the order, he never imagined the lack of leftovers. He rounded up the empty box and disgusting, grease-stained paper plates. His belly gurgled at the thought of the stuff he’d just ingested. Nothing clean about that. Seriously, being with the Blacks shot his diet to hell.

And he didn’t regret one damn second. He’d just hit the treadmill when he got home.

The kids were coming down the stairs as he came out of kitchen. Penelope hopped off the bottom step, her Pepto colored nightgown flaring out at the hem. She ran to him. “My teeth clean. See?” She grinned, looking a little like a constipated Chihuahua.

“Very nice.” Ian glanced at Chase. “What about you?”

“All good.”

“Where are you
r pajamas?”

Chase shrugged. “I don’t need them for a while.”

Ian lifted his brows. “Think again, bud. Get ‘em on.”

Blue eyes rolled around in his head. “Whatever,” preceded the retreat back up the stairs.

“Thank you,” Ian hollered at the kid’s back, then said to Pene, “Let’s get you in bed.”

“It’s not—” She yawned until her
tonsils made an appearance. “—eight-firty.”

“You’re right. It’s
after
eight-thirty.” He hefted her into his arms. “You got your diaper on?”

She clutched his face, sandwiching his cheeks
between her hands, and brought her nose to his. “I no wear diapers. Ni’-ni’ underpants. I wear ni’-ni’ underpants. No’ a diaper.”

He nodded as best he could under her grip. “Got it. You have your night-night underpants on?”

“Yes.” She yawned again, released her hold and laid her head on his shoulder. “But I no’ tired.”

He
humored her. “I know, but it’s time for bed anyway.”

When they
got to her room, he put her in the crib, pulling the blanket up to her chin. She rubbed at her eyes. “Story?”

“Um…sure. Where’s a book?”

She shook her head. “No book.”

Confusion two-by-foured him. “The
n how?”

She tapped her temple. “Your ‘mag’nation.”

“Um…yeah, I don’t know about that, princess. I’m not very good at telling stories.”

Her scowl was the three-year-old equivalent of bullshit.

He laughed. “Fine, but don’t blame me if it su- er, stinks.”

“Tell me about a princess. I like stories about princessessess.”

“Sure thing.” He pondered his topic for a minute, unsure of where exactly to go with the story. “There once was a princess…”
From Nantucket
, his thoughts added.

“No, no, no.” Pene swung
her head back and forth in violent protest. “Start with,
‘Once upon a time.’
” She waved her hands as though leading an orchestra.

“Let’s try this again.” He cleared his throat. “Once upon a time, in a galaxy
far, far away…” He delivered the line from low in his throat, barely resisting the urge to bust up.

Penelope,
however, wasn’t amused. “That no’ how it go, Ian.”

“
I told you I’m not very good at this sort of thing.”

Her brows formed a V
above her nose and her mouth a perfect rainbow. “And I no believe you.”

“Should we try again?”

She nodded from her prone position on the nearly flat pillow. She fisted a blanket and brought it just under her chin. He expected her to pop her thumb in her mouth, but that didn’t happen. Instead, her big blue eyes blinked, waiting.

“Once upon a time there was a princess, wi
th long dark brown hair and eyes the color of the ocean.”

“She sounds pretty.”

“She’s very pretty, but she’s very sad.”

Penelope gasped. “Why she sad?”

“Our beautiful princess has a broken heart.”

“Why?”

Damn, he’d dipped his toe in very dangerous waters. “Her hu- ah, friend
went away to slay a dragon and didn’t make it home.”

“What happen
?” At least Penelope helped the story along at every turn, giving him time to come up with the next sentence.

“No one in the kingdom knew what happened to the brave knight. They think the dragon won their battle.” Penelope frowned
, but didn’t ask for more clarification. Ian continued, “So, our princess was very sad and nobody in the kingdom could make her smile. The king hated seeing his daughter so sad. He asked all the villagers for their help, saying the man who made her smile could have her hand in marriage.”

“What if she no like him?”

Spoken like a true twenty-first century woman.
“If he could finally make her smile, how could she not fall in love with him?”

She
nodded, appeased.

Too bad love in real life didn’t happen so easily.

“Anyway, men from all over the countryside came to try and make the princess smile. Some were field workers, others were knights. One was a prince. He came from very far away after hearing of her plight—”

“Her wha’
?”

“Her
…problem,” he explained. “The prince traveled for many days, almost a month, to get to the princess. When he rode his horse through the gates of the kingdom, he heard crying. The sound hurt his heart, making him want to cry. But princes don’t cry. Princes are strong.” He flexed his biceps and Pene giggled.

“Strong to slay dragons.”

“Uh-huh, and to love princesses.”

She beamed.

“He knew the princess needed him, so he kicked his horse to make it go faster. The prince jumped from his steed at the palace walls and shouted, ‘Let me in. Let me in, you fools.’ The palace guards answered, ‘Go away.’ But the prince wouldn’t let anything stop him. He pounded on the wooden drawbridge, drawing his sword when it began to lower.”

Pene sat up, grinning at him through the bars of her crib.

“The prince ran inside, expecting to have to fight his way to the princess. But nobody was there. No one except a—”

“Unicorn!”

He chuckled. “Yes, a beautiful white unicorn with purple eyes and a rainbow mane. The unicorn snorted, making bubbles come out of its nose. It jerked its head in the direction of a long corri- er, hallway and the prince hurried to follow.”

Pene yawned. “He find
princess?”

He guessed he’d better
hurry the story along. “Yes, he found her crying. She looked up at him, her eyes red.”

Pene grimaced. “S
he a monster?”

“No, no, no. You know how when you cry your eyes get red?”

“Like Mommy’s when she cries.”

“Yes. Like that.” He hated to think of Kayla’s tear
stained eyes. “The prince ran into the room right on the unicorn’s hooves. When the unicorn stopped, the prince didn’t. He slammed into its rump—”

“Rump?”

“Butt. He ran smack into the unicorn’s butt. He flew back and landed on his own butt right in front of the princess. She looked up at him, surprise on her face. He grinned at her, the biggest smile he could muster. ‘Your majesty,’ he said, scrambling toward her on his knees. The unicorn whinnied and knocked him over with a brush of its big head. As he fell to the floor again, the princess giggled. She put her hand to her mouth, then she laughed and laughed and laughed.”

“Did they marry
?”

“Yes, and they lived—”

“Happy Eva Afta.”

“Yes, they did.” He helped ease her back against the mattress. “Now you get some sleep.”

“I lo’ you, Ian.”

“I love you, too, p
rincess.” He rubbed at her wispy blonde curls, turning off the light as he left the room.

Ian took his time making his way back downstairs. He
’d never told a bedtime story, let alone made it up as he went along. He’d done a fairly decent job, if he did say so himself. Except that he’d failed at putting his audience to sleep. But maybe that meant he was better than he’d thought.

When he got back down to the living room, someone was asleep. Chase had curled up a
t one end of the couch. Out cold. At least he had his pajamas on.

Ian went over to the boy and tried to pick him up. His back tightened up. Holy hell! It wasn’t worth getting a hernia. The kid could sleep on the couch for all Ian cared. He nudged Chase.