Chapter 66
—Reed—
My first day back at work after Connie’s funeral was awful. I was paranoid as fuck that Kase would need help with Posie even though Simone was with her today. Between us, we’d come up with a plan. Either Simone, Mom, or Dad would hang with Kasey at the house each day until she was confident in looking after Posie entirely on her own. Currently, she wasn’t medically cleared to drive and still ended up exhausted at the end of a busy day, so for the sake of both our sanity, we had to err on the side of caution.
I pressed the phone to my ear and willed Kase to pick up.
After five rings, she finally answered. “You’ve been gone forty minutes!”
I coughed a little with embarrassment. “Uh, I just thought I’d check in.”
Across from me, Eric snorted and rolled his eyes.
“Is this going to be a thing now?” Kasey sassed.
“What’s a thing?”
“You ringing every five minutes.”
Fuck, she had a point. “Just seeing how my girls are,” I murmured, flipping Eric off when he leaned back in his seat and silently laughed at me.
Kasey’s voice softened. “We’re doing good, Reed. I promise.”
That helped settle my worries. “I know, darlin’. How about I check in again at lunchtime, but not a minute before?”
She scoffed. “I’ll allow it.”
The tease had me grinning like a fool. I ran a hand down my face and didn’t bother hiding how much I adored her snark.
“I’ll talk to you later, darlin’. Have a great morning.”
“We will,” she sang, with Posie’s giggle in the background backing up her statement. “I love you. Goodbyeee.”
“Bye, babe.”
I disconnected and set the phone down, still wearing the shit-eating grin.
“You goofy shmuck,” Eric drawled, shaking his head at me. “It’s fucking good to see, Gats.”
“Thanks man, it’s good to feel normal again.”
He chuckled. “Aside from the desperate phone call.”
I tossed my stress ball at him. “The fuck that was desperate.”
“Pa-lease, it screamed desperate.”
Despite flipping him off again, I joined in his laughter. He could call me whatever he liked; I was one happy motherfucker and there was no denying that I was protective over my girls.
~
I barely stopped myself from speeding home after I’d clocked out that afternoon. I parked in my driveway, left all my work shit in the car, and beeped the locks as I jogged toward the front door. It whipped open before I had the chance to press my finger to the fingerprint reader to disengage the lock.
“There he is,” Kasey sang happily, jiggling Posie in her arms. My little girl let out a shriek then leaned toward me, wanting to be transferred.
I plucked her from Kasey’s arms, then kissed my woman.
“How was your afternoon?”
She smiled, though couldn’t hide the hint of tiredness from her expression. “It was really good. Simone left not too long ago, and me and Posie have just been hanging out, haven’t we, cutie.”
Posie smacked her mouth open and closed, then tucked under my chin.
Kase giggled. “She’s missed you. We both have.”
I kissed her again and smoothed my hand across her lower back. “I’ve missed you both like crazy today. It’s good to be home, darlin’. Go put your feet up while me and our princess raid the fridge.”
Kase giggled, making her brown eyes sparkle. “I feel like I want to argue, but who am I to deny a daddy-daughter date at the fridge.”
Dropping my chin a fraction, I smirked up at her from under my brows. “Your date is later.”
She had the audacity to laugh in my face. “Ha, we’ll see.”
I snagged her inner elbow before she escaped and tugged her close. Our lips brushed, and if it wasn’t for Posie tucked in the crook of my arm, I would have given Kasey marching orders to the bedroom.
“Later, Quinn. You n’ me.”
She tossed her long ponytail dramatically and gave me her best sassy pout. Her lit gaze flicked over my uniform before returning to my face.
“I’ll allow it.”
She spun on her heel, then threw a loud laugh over her shoulder. I shook my head and grinned like the damned fool I was. I tickled Posie’s cheek while shifting to the kitchen and spoke just loud enough for Kasey to hear.
“Mommy’s going to be annihilated later.”
Another bark of laughter came from the couch. “Ha! Daddy better put his money where his mouth is!”
“Don’t you worry about that, darlin’. Daddy is all over that like a rash.”
“Oh my god, stoooop,” Kasey begged through another giggle.
I snickered against Posie’s head as I grabbed a beer and bottle of Dr. Pepper from the fridge, then plucked a bag of chips from the pantry.
Kase accepted the bottle of soda and tucked close as I sat on the couch beside her. I balanced Posie on my knee as I cracked the bottle open, then held it up.
“Cheers, babe. First day down.”
A cute as fuck grin hit Kasey’s mouth. “We survived,” she cheered, clinking her bottle against mine. “Cheers!”
Posie added a squeal to be part of the celebrations, then without warning, latched her tiny hands around the neck of my beer bottle.
I tried to wrangle it away. “Christ, the grip of a four-and-half-month-old is surprisingly strong.”
“But taking candy from a baby is meant to be easy,” Kasey drawled.
I snorted. “Darlin’, if this is her grip on a bottle, I’d hate to try and take candy from her.”
She snickered into her soda. “Pussy.”
I barely held back from spittin’ my mouthful. “Don’t use the P word in front of her.”
“What? She can’t talk.”
“Yet. And I’m not having my little princess’s first word being P.U.S.S.Y. It’s not a word I want her slingin’ around.”
It sounds ridiculous to my own ears, and, despite me being serious in my warning, I couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of the conversation.
“Oh—” Kase’s eyes lit. “—that reminds me of a song.”
While still wrestling with Posie, I risked pointing a finger at Kase. “Don’t even.”
She raised both hands in surrender. “I won’t.”
“Your smirk tells me otherwise, Kasey.”
Said smirk turned devilish. “Later.”
“Christ,” I hissed under my breath, returning my full focus to our little fiend who remained adamant she was getting what she wanted.
“So…” Kasey started.
My eyes immediately cut to her and narrowed. “What, babe?”
All humor had left her expression. “Mom called today. A medical letter arrived for me.”
“Oh, okay. Good news?”
She tipped her head from side-to-side and hummed. “Hmm, maybe. I’m hoping the outcome will be.”
I shifted in my seat, angling her way more. “Was it about the accident or tests?”
“Tests. I’m booked in for an assessment in a month’s time at the head trauma clinic. If I’m cleared, I could get my license back soon.”
Excitement rose up my chest. “That’s fantastic! From where you started to where you are now, your progress has been phenomenal.”
Uncertainty drew her brows together at the center. “I still get tired, and the headaches are still bad some days, but my energy has definitely improved. Even if I get cleared, it might be a while before I drive again…”
I tucked Posie against my belly, then reached for Kase’s hand. “No one will force you to get behind the wheel, darlin’. It’ll happen when you’re good n’ ready.”
“And when I get another car,” she added.
“I’ll sort that for you, babe.”
“I can’t let y—”
“I want to,” I cut in gently. “Please. Let me take care of it… And you.”
She studied me as she contemplated, eventually blinking and offering a little smile. “Okay. Only if you’re sure.”
I pulled her in for a kiss. “I’m sure. Now, what do you want for dinner?”
“Oh—” Kase waved a hand. “Simone made lasagna. She said it’s your fave.”
Happiness cut through my chest. “Best damn lasagna I’ve had. And don’t you dare tell Mom I said that,” I warned with a laugh and another finger point.
A smirk tipped her mouth. “I won’t unless I have to. And you’re welcome.”
I shook my head and smiled like a fool. Finally, the scattered pieces of what we once were didn’t seem to be so lost. They were new, perfect, and in many ways, better than before.