Chapter 25
TWENTY-FIVE
LEE
“Does Stella have a combustion like you told Grams and her mom?” Bennie asked me as she stirred the pancake batter with a wooden spoon. I’d put her in charge of stirring and myself in charge of folding in the chocolate chips so she wouldn’t pour the whole bag in.
“Concussion. And I said she may have one, but I don’t think so. The hospital gave her a test that seemed okay, but she has to relax the next couple of days.”
“Oh,” she said, chewing on her lip as she stirred the batter in big, slow circles. “So you had to give her a shower to make sure she didn’t fall.” She squinted up at me, the blue eyes we shared narrowed with curiosity. “Is that why she made that noise?”
“What noise?” I froze, trying to figure out what she could have heard on the other side of the door and how the hell to explain it.
“Like a noise you make when you lean on something and it hurts. Mmmm ouch. Like that, Daddy.”
Jesus Christ.
“Yeah, a concussion can make you dizzy,” I said, taking the bowl from her hands. “I’ll cook the pancakes, and you can set the table for us.” I motioned to the stack of plates I’d pulled from the cabinet.
If Bennie had knocked thirty seconds later, my mouth would have been between Stella’s legs and who knows what else my daughter would have heard.
Despite the mortification, a smile twitched at my lips. Stella was passionate and loud, even if she tried to cover her mouth to muffle her screams. Now that I was allowing myself to love her, or stop denying that I did, I was already hooked.
“I thought someone said pancakes,” Stella said, coming up to Bennie. “Daddy said you guys make the best.”
“We do,” she said, wrapping her arms around Stella’s waist.
Stella’s hair was still wet, pulled back in a long ponytail that hung over her shoulder. Her yoga pants clung to all my favorite curves enough to make my mouth water. She smiled when she caught my gaze, her eyes making a quick perusal of my body.
“They have chocolate chips. Daddy doesn’t let me put them in because he says I use too many.” I could make out the jut of her pouted lip from across the kitchen.
“That is something I would do.” She cupped Bennie’s chin before heading to the coffeepot. “I’m allowed to have caffeine, right, Doc?”
“Actually, no. Not today. I made you decaf, and I’ll drink it with you. Just for today. Tomorrow, if you’re still feeling okay, then you can have the real stuff.”
“Picky on which rules to follow, I guess,” she said, pursing her lips, still swollen and taunting me.
“I thought you said that Stella was dizzy and that’s why you had to give her a shower?”
“I said she could be dizzy,” I said, flipping a pancake a little too hard and almost sending it across the stove.
Stella came up to me, stifling a laugh.
“Can I take the pile of pancakes to the table, or are you still afraid I’ll get dizzy?” she asked, the corner of her mouth twitching and beckoning me for another taste.
“I think you can handle it.” I handed her the plate. “I’ll watch you. I may have to put you to bed early later, just in case.”
An adorable blush stained her cheeks as she took the plate to the table.
How was I going to sleep in the same house with her and not have her in my bed? Maybe I was just torturing us more by making us wait, but I wanted a bigger conversation first before I took that last technical, but massive step.
“I think someone is at the door,” Bennie said as she stabbed her fork into the pancake with the most chips.
I checked the doorbell camera video screen in the kitchen and, sure enough, two people were climbing up our last step just as the doorbell chimed. Their heads were turned, so I couldn’t make out their faces.
“Weird,” Stella said, crinkling her nose. “Are you expecting anyone to stop by today?”
“Nope. Stay here.”
I headed to the door and found Gary’s face on the other side of the peephole.
“What the hell?” I said as I opened the door.
“Surprise!” Gary yelled before pulling me into a hug.
“Damn, it’s good to see you,” I said, slapping his back. “How long has it been since I’ve even heard from you?” I pushed him back. Gary was shorter than me, stocky but solid. I had no idea what he did in the army or why he disappeared for months at a time.
But if I ever needed him, he’d fly across the world like he had when Katie had passed away.
“Hey, my wife barely heard from me.” He adjusted the camouflage baseball cap on his head. “Secret missions are like that, but I’ll fill you in. You look good,” Gary said, slapping my shoulder. “Still on the road and cracking bones, I hear.”
“Yes, I travel but stay on the grid, my guy.”
“Yes, secret missions are great for worried mothers a world away,” Mrs. Parker quipped from behind Gary.
“My baby boy surprised me and wanted to see his sister. I told him she was here, and he offered to bring me for a visit. It happened so fast, and I guess I was in shock, that we forgot to call first.”
“That’s…great,” I stammered, all the elation over seeing one of my best friends after so long dwindling into dread.
Gary was always protective over his sister, and she’d kill him if she ever knew how many guys he’d scared off over the years.
I’d helped him, but she’d be madder at him if she found out.
Back then, I was just as protective as he was, but it had been different from the rage I’d had to hold back with Deacon. That had been more possessive than protective, and I didn’t want to get into how it had all changed with Stella’s mother or brother today.
“Gary,” Stella gasped before racing toward her brother.
“Baby sister,” he said, lifting her up by the waist. “What’s been going on?” he asked, his smile shrinking when he set her down. “I heard you got hurt yesterday.” He dipped his head, scrutinizing her face.
“Freak thing. A foul ball hit me in the head, and two guys trying to go for it knocked me to the floor. No stitches, scan was clear. But Lee wants me to take it slow for the next couple of days.”
“Yeah, I heard you were living here to take care of Bennie. That’s quite the career shift, sis.”
“I was burned out and needed a change.” She shrugged. “Lee needed help. No big deal.”
“Burned out after that son of a bitch hit you? You left that out when you told me you broke up.”
She exhaled a long breath, her head falling back.
“Keep your voice down.” She motioned to my daughter, too into her pancakes to care about the company we had or what we were saying.
“Where is he?”
“Like you don’t know?” She scoffed.
“Does he know you’re here?”
“No,” I said. “And I have an alarm and neighbors who watch them both when I’m away. She’s safe here.”
“I know she is. I’m just…” His jaw clenched while he breathed through his nostrils. “I never liked that asshole. I said it, didn’t I?”
“You did, and I agreed.” I pressed my hand to the small of Stella’s back but dropped it when I spotted Gary narrow his eyes. “There’s a whole mountain of pancakes on my table, and I’ll make you some real coffee. I made your sister decaf while she’s healing.”
“That sounds good to me,” Mrs. Parker said while Stella led her to the table.
“Bennie, you remember Stella’s mom. This is her brother, Gary. He’s one of my best friends.”
“Hey there, kiddo.” Gary crouched by her chair. “You are definitely a lot more grown up since I last saw you. You probably don’t remember me.”
“Stella talks about you. She said that you guys and my daddy were good friends.”
“Still are.” Gary settled into the seat next to his mother. “Time and missions don’t matter between us.”
No, but falling in love with sisters might. We were all adults and I hoped Gary would trust me with Stella, but regardless of whether we were teens or in our thirties, he wouldn’t like it.
“How long are you in Brooklyn?” Stella asked Gary as she set two extra places for them at the table.
“A couple of weeks. I rented a hotel room not too far from where the Bats play. They told me the teams stay there.”
“Why didn’t you stay with me?” Mrs. Parker asked, glowering at her son.
“Because Stella squatting for so long probably has you on a watch list there.” He chuckled and kissed her cheek. “Plus, I don’t think I can fit on that bed and not kill my back in the morning. I’m checking out a few houses around the base in New Jersey.”
“Wait, if you’re looking at houses…” Stella said, flicking her eyes to her mother.
“I’m moving here. Well, probably New Jersey, but close enough.”
Mrs. Parker reached for her napkin and held it to her face, her shoulders shaking with sudden sobs.
“Mom, stop. I thought you’d be happy about it, not cry.” Gary laughed and rubbed his mother’s back.
“I am happy. I finally have both my kids home, and I never thought that would happen. I could see my grandson.” She sniffed and draped her hand over Gary’s. “I’m not trying to make you feel bad. I’d never hold either of you back. It’s just…good.”
Stella and Gary laughed, Stella’s eyes just as glossy when she met my gaze.
“But don’t you move again.” She pointed at Stella.
“I won’t be moving anytime soon. I’m good in Brooklyn.”
She was good here, in this house. But I was getting way ahead of myself. As much as I was all in, and I hoped Stella was too, this new us was still…new. New enough not to make all the plans my mind was running to.
After I pushed that out of my head, my breakfast table was like old times. Gary teasing Stella, Stella playfully snipping at me for laughing with her brother. Their mother stayed quiet, observing with a tiny smile, like everything was perfect in her world.
In that moment, I knew the exact feeling.
“You really can’t have caffeine?” Gary asked Stella as he poured the real coffee I’d made into a mug. “You said you were cleared.”
“Yeah, but confusions make people dizzy,” Bennie said before she downed her chocolate milk.
“Concussions,” I corrected her.
“Yeah, that’s what I said. That’s why Daddy had to give her a shower.”
Shit.
Gary’s eyebrows hit his hairline, while her mother’s eyes widened.