Saving Paige, page 9
I shook my head as I grinned up at my little princess. “Nah, focusing more on fixing cars these days than I am on racing them.”
“Come on; it’d be great to have you on the track again,” he said. “For old times’ sake.”
I sighed. “I don’t even have my car here,” I told him.
Byron held his keys out to me with a smirk. “Come on, bro. One race. You’ve got your biggest fan cheering for you while you’re out there,” he reminded me, inclining his head up towards Kaylyn.
The last time I had driven, someone had set up a trap, and I had fallen right into it. I hadn’t seen the spike in my path until it was too late, and I hit it. It blew my tire, and I lost control of my car, sending me spinning and flipping into the trees on the side of the track.
“Byron, I won’t risk it,” I told him. “I barely made it out alive the last time.”
“People check the tracks now, Dylan,” he told me. “Shit hasn’t happened since your accident. Just drive. You can’t be afraid of doing this shit for the rest of your life.”
With an aggravated sigh, I snatched his keys from him, looking at Kaylyn. “You want to watch Daddy drive?” I asked her.
She nodded eagerly. I looked at Byron. “Who am I racing?”
“I’ll take the race,” my ex said, strolling up to me. She smiled at Kaylyn. “Hi, Kaylyn.”
Evangeline had been my girlfriend for a total of six months before I caught her sleeping with the senior quarterback of our school at a party. She had never met Kaylyn, only seen pictures of her until I had started bringing Kaylyn here with me so she could ride in Byron’s car with him.
Kaylyn waved at her. “Hi,” she squeaked.
I arched my eyebrow at Evangeline. “Sure you want to race against me?” I asked her.
She shrugged as she stepped close to me, pressing her body against mine. I pushed her off with a disgusted scowl. She stumbled a bit, shock filling her features. “What the fuck, Dylan?” she demanded.
“Dylan is taken,” Byron informed her. “Probably want to keep your hands to yourself. His girl has claws when it comes to him.”
I barked out a laugh and looked over my shoulder at Paige. Kaylyn followed my gaze, a grin splitting her face as she waved enthusiastically at Paige. Paige grinned at her, waving back. “Hi, Mommy!” Kaylyn yelled.
I winked at Paige, and she rewarded me with one of her pretty blushes. “Ready?” Evangeline asked me, a sneer on her features. “Our race is up.”
I took Kaylyn off the hood of the car where Byron had set her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Stay with Uncle Byron, okay?” I told her.
She planted a big kiss on my cheek. “Good luck, Daddy.” She stuck her tongue out at Evangeline. “You suck.”
I barked out a laugh and handed her to Byron who was silently laughing. He ruffled Kaylyn’s blonde curls. “That’s my girl,” he praised as he walked off to go stand with Jimmie, Paige, and Winter.
I opened the driver’s side door and slid into Byron’s car, quickly adjusting all of his mirrors and the seat so I was comfortable. I drew in a deep breath and turned the car on, feeling the rumble of the engine beneath me as it roared to life.
I looked over at Paige and Kaylyn. Paige blew me a kiss as Kaylyn waved at me enthusiastically. I looked back to the road, watching a leggy blonde step between the two cars, her bra in her hand. She threw it up into the air, and I took off.
Everything fell into place in my mind as I quickly navigated the street, whipping around the turns with ease. Evangeline was easing up beside me as we neared the finish line.
“Time to see what the fuck this car is capable of,” I grumbled.
I pressed my foot to the gas, shifting out of fourth and into fifth as I came from around the curve, taking off towards the finish line. When I came back around to the parking lot, Paige jumped on me as soon as I slid out of the car, knocking me back against the side of it as I caught her under her ass, holding her up.
She wrapped her arms around my neck and slanted her lips across mine, her tongue sliding against mine. I groaned and dug my fingers into her ass. I slid my other hand into her hair, yanking lightly on the strands as I deepened the kiss further.
“Daddy, stop eating Mommy!” Kaylyn yelled.
I laughed softly as I pulled back from Paige, grinning at my princess who was sitting on Jimmie’s shoulders. Jimmie grinned as he held his hand up for a high-five. “Definitely my niece,” he said with a laugh.
Kaylyn looked over at Evangeline as she strode over to our group. Paige tightened her legs around my waist, glaring at Evangeline as she did so. I ran my hand down her spine and slipped my hand under her shirt to trace circles on her bare skin right above her jeans. “Easy, baby,” I soothed.
“Loser,” Kaylyn said, doing the L in front of her forehead even though it was the wrong hand, so it was backward.
Jimmie high-fived her again. I rolled my eyes at him. “Stop encouraging her,” I told him. God, my child was going to be a nightmare when she started school.
He shrugged. “Daddy is lame,” Jimmie told Kaylyn.
Kaylyn smacked his head, making me laugh. “My daddy is not lame. You’re lame.”
Evangeline arched an eyebrow at me. “She’s definitely a spitfire.”
Paige slid her legs down until she was standing, turning to face Evangeline as she wrapped an arm around me, keeping her body pressed to mine. She held her hand out. “Paige,” my girl introduced herself. “I’m Dylan’s girlfriend.”
Evangeline shook her hand. “Evangeline, Dylan’s ex.”
Paige nodded. “Right, ex—which means you need to learn to keep your fucking hands to yourself,” Paige snapped.
I nuzzled her neck, smothering my smirk as I pressed a kiss to the curve of her shoulder where it met her neck. “Shh,” I soothed. “You’re the only one for me, sunshine,” I whispered in her ear.
“Mommy,” Kaylyn whined, reaching out for Paige before Evangeline could respond to Paige.
Paige instantly reached forward and took Kaylyn off of Jimmie’s shoulders, holding her on her hip. Jimmie threw an arm around Evangeline’s shoulders, a smirk on his face. “You looking to get laid?” he asked her. I coughed to cover up a laugh. She shot her shocked eyes up to his. “I have a thing for desperate whores,” he tacked on like a classic asshole, an amused gleam in his eyes.
She slapped him, storming off with a huff. Byron and I were roaring with laughter. Paige was giggling, and Winter looked very alarmed that Jimmie had just gotten slapped.
Jimmie rubbed his cheek. “Fuck. She hits harder than I remembered,” he grumbled.
“Dumbass,” Winter mumbled as she shook her head at Jimmie.
He grinned at her as he threw an arm around her shoulder. “Say, Winter, why don’t we ditch Byron and go have some fun of our own? I’m much better than my cousin.”
Byron yanked her from under his arm, pulling her into the circle of his arms. He narrowed his eyes at Jimmie. “I’m going to punch you,” Byron warned. “Keep your hands off my girl.”
14
I glared down at the polished wooden table I was sitting at. The suit I was wearing felt too tight—too professional. This bitch sitting across from me didn’t deserve professionalism.
I wanted her to go the fuck away.
Why now? Why did she suddenly want to be a part of Kaylyn’s life three fucking years later—hell almost four? Kaylyn’s fourth birthday was two weeks away.
Why the fuck now?
“I understand that Miss Joy is seeking primary custody of Kaylyn Bowen,” the judge began as he steepled his fingers together, placing his chin on them as he looked at Heather. “I’m trying to wrap my head around the fact that you expect any court to grant you any kind of custody when you gave up every single right when Kaylyn was born and have not reached out in the almost four years that this little girl has been alive.”
“I understand that I made some mistakes in the past, your honor—"
“Quiet,” he snapped at her. She quickly snapped her mouth shut. “Mr. Bowen,” the judge called. I dragged my eyes to his, “I understand that you have been taking care of Kaylyn since she was two days old, yes?”
“Yes, your honor,” I replied.
“Do not worry, Mr. Bowen. You will remain the primary custodian of Kaylyn with the ultimate decision-making authority of everything concerning her well-being. However, Miss Joy, you will be granted supervised visitation with Kaylyn for two hours at a time. Mr. Bowen or someone Mr. Bowen trusts will be overseeing each visitation that you have with her.”
I clenched my hand under the table. I didn’t want Heather to have any contact with Kaylyn. It was going to flip Kaylyn’s entire world upside down. She wouldn’t understand—not at three.
She thought of Paige as her mom—that’s how I wanted it to be. I knew Paige would never let her down, and I had a feeling in my gut that it was only a matter of time before Heather got the next wild hair-brained idea in her head and forgot all about her daughter again.
“You will consult Mr. Bowen before you visit, and these visits will only happen every two weeks at Mr. Bowen’s discretion,” the judge continued. “We will revisit this again in three months to see how this arrangement has worked and to see if we will extend the visitations, or if we will leave it the same.”
I glared at the television screen in front of me as I angrily shot people on Call of Duty. Byron was silent beside me, and Jimmie was also silent in our headsets from the other room.
“Alright, bro, it’s time to talk,” Jimmie finally said through the headset. “What the fuck happened in court?” he demanded to know.
“The judge granted her visitation,” I snarled, killing three more people.
“What the fuck?” Byron snapped. “Why the fuck would he do that?”
I shrugged. “Fuck if I know,” I grumbled. “She gets supervised visitation for two hours every two weeks.”
“At least it’s supervised,” Jimmie said, trying to look on the bright side of it all. “You’ve got me and Byron here to back you up in anything,” he reminded me.
“Supervised doesn’t mean that it still won’t fuck with Kaylyn’s head,” I reminded him. “She’s never known Heather, much less known her as her biological mom. Kaylyn thinks of Paige as her mom. My little girl deserves someone that will love her unconditionally, won’t give up on her, and someone that I can trust won’t disappear the moment something better pops up.”
Byron sighed softly. “I think it’s time to sit down and have a serious talk with Kaylyn,” he told me. “I know she’s going to be upset, but we can’t avoid this, Dylan. She needs to know and understand that Heather is her real mother.”
I sighed, ripping my headset off of my head. I tossed it onto the floor, running my hands down my face roughly. “I think Daddy needs someone to cheer him up,” I heard Paige whisper.
I looked up as Kaylyn rushed over to me and catapulted herself into my lap, wrapping her small arms around me. I softly smiled as I wrapped her up in my arms, burying my face in her blonde curls. “Daddy, why are you sad?” Kaylyn asked me, her voice muffled against my chest.
I sighed as I leaned back against the couch, glaring up at the ceiling. “I need to talk to you about something, princess.” She looked up at me, curiosity shining her pretty blue eyes.
“Okay.” She nodded.
Paige sat beside me on the floor. She was at sixteen weeks now, and her belly was getting rounder by the day. Honestly, I had never really thought of a pregnant woman being hot, but damn, Paige turned me on without even trying.
“Princess, you have two mommies,” I started, looking down at her precious face. Confusion twisted her delicate features as she looked up at me. And I fucking hated it.
Damn you for this shit, Heather.
“Two?” she asked, not understanding. “I thought Paige was my mommy.”
“I am, sweetheart,” Paige reassured her as she grabbed her hand. “I will always be your mommy.”
She looked so confused it broke my heart. “Then why did Daddy say I have two?”
I ran my fingers through her pretty blonde curls. “Because you have a mommy that gave birth to you,” I told her. “You came out of her tummy.”
“Like the baby is going to come out of Mommy’s tummy?” Kaylyn asked, putting her hand on Paige’s slightly swollen belly.
I nodded. “Just like that.” God, my little girl was so smart. Sometimes, I didn’t give her enough credit.
“Why don’t I know her, Daddy?”
I didn’t want Kaylyn thinking badly of her mother, no matter how much I detested Heather for abandoning her. I would let Kaylyn decide on her own how she felt about her mother. My job as Kaylyn’s dad was to be supportive in this situation.
“She had to take care of some things,” I said vaguely. “Because she was very busy, she asked me to take care of you. You’re going to meet her this weekend.”
Kaylyn clutched at my shirt, her eyes filling with tears. “I don’t want to leave you, Daddy. I want you and Mommy,” she said, her bottom lip trembling.
I held her tightly to me. “No one will ever take you away from me, princess. I promise.”
“Do I have to meet my other Mommy?” Kaylyn whined. “I already have the mommy I want.”
Paige laughed softly. “Yes, sweetheart, you do,” Paige told her.
Kaylyn huffed. “Uncle Byron, tell Daddy I don’t have to.”
Byron chuckled as he looked up from nuzzling Winter’s neck. “You need to meet her, munchkin,” he told her.
“Uncle Jimmie!” she yelled. I laughed. God, my little girl went through each fucking adult to try to get her away. I thought it was both adorable and annoying.
“Nope!” Jimmie called back as he came out of the hallway. “Not happening, you little terror. If your daddy says you have to, then you have to.” He ruffled her hair. “Stop being so spoiled.”
She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest angrily. “I’m not spoiled,” she grumbled.
I barked out a laugh. “Oh, yes, you are.”
She huffed, turning to Paige. “Mommy, am I spoiled?”
Paige shook her head as she opened her arms to Kaylyn. Kaylyn instantly slid over onto her lap. “Nope. Your daddy just loves to take care of the girls in his life—that’s all.”
Well, she wasn’t wrong about that. I loved taking care of her and Kaylyn.
Kaylyn stuck her tongue out at me. I rolled my eyes with a laugh. “See? Mommy said I’m not spoiled.”
“That’s because your mommy is spoiled, too,” I told her as I got up from the floor with a groan.
Fuck, my ass hurt.
“Get him,” I heard Paige whisper. I turned just in time to catch her mischievous smirk.
Kaylyn launched herself at me with a war cry, knocking me on my ass. I toppled over onto Byron and Winter as Kaylyn instantly began jabbing her fingers into my sides, tickling me. I roared out with laughter, quickly moving away from her. “Catch me if you can, princess!” I called as I dashed away.
Jimmie jumped on me from behind, sending me crashing back to the floor of the living room with a loud bang. “Fuck,” I groaned. “I think your fat ass just broke my spine.”
Kaylyn screamed with laughter as she jumped on my back, tickling me as Jimmie held my legs down. Byron grabbed my arms. Together, they pinned me to the floor so Kaylyn could continue tickling me. “Mommy, Auntie Winter, come help me!” Kaylyn squealed.
“No!” I shouted, still laughing. “Paige, I swear—fuck!” I yelled, laughing so hard I couldn’t breathe as both Paige and Winter joined in on the assault on my sides.
“Paige, you’ll pay for this,” I gasped out.
She grinned down at me, her eyes shining beautifully. “I look forward to it.” And she fucking winked.
15
Kaylyn clung to my leather jacket as I held her on my hip. Heather was standing on my porch, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her hoodie. “Come on,” I grunted before I turned and led her into the living room.
Paige was sitting in the recliner, curled up under a throw blanket. Kaylyn’s favorite movie was on TV, ready to play. I knew it would soothe Kaylyn’s nerves, and honestly, I was hoping it would remind me that I was supposed to be playing nice and not throwing Heather back out of my house flat on her ass.
“Who is this?” Heather snapped when she looked at Paige.
“That’s Mommy,” Kaylyn said.
Heather narrowed her eyes at Paige. Paige only arched a single eyebrow at her. I set Kaylyn down on the floor and gripped Heather’s arm, leaning in close to her. “If you do anything to upset Kaylyn while you’re here, I will take you back to court and make you lose visitation rights,” I quietly snarled into her ear so Kaylyn couldn’t hear.
She ripped her arm away from me and shot me a glare. “You’re my other mommy, right?” Kaylyn asked her.
Heather cringed at being called a mommy. I clenched my jaw, my eyes locking on Paige’s as I tried to keep my temper reined in. “Yes,” Heather finally said as she sat on my couch. “But um, just call me Heather,” she said.
“Okay,” Kaylyn said, a little confused. “But I thought I came out of your tummy? Why can’t I call you Mommy?”
Heather sighed, a bit of irritation showing on her features. I clenched my jaw. “I can’t be your mommy, Kaylyn,” she told her. Kaylyn’s chin wobbled as tears filled her eyes.
“That’s enough,” I snarled as a tear slipped from the corner of Kaylyn’s eye. After I had explained to Kaylyn the best way that I could that her mom wanted to be a part of her life, Kaylyn had finally warmed up to the idea, and she had actually looked forward to meeting Heather.
And now, in classic Heather style, she was shitting all over that and Kaylyn’s fucking feelings. And for what?
I picked Kaylyn up in my arms, settling her on my hip. Paige got up. I pressed a kiss to Kaylyn’s head. “Go with Mommy,” I gently told her as I handed her over to Paige.
