Breaking Even (Sterling Shore 5)

“She’s really smart, really observant, and really blunt. Oh, and she eavesdrops on any conversation she can,” he explains dryly.

Angel walks toward Ash who is calling for her, and Angel thanks her when she offers her cake.

“She just turned six, right? Not eighteen?” I ask, looking at the back of the kid who very properly thanks Ash.

“Yeah. She’s used to living with her mother and Bella—Allie’s roommate and best friend. Like I said, she eavesdrops. I’ve learned the hard way to keep my mouth shut if I want to keep secrets, because she could be under your bed without your knowledge. And she’s quick to catch on. I think she’s aware that I was a dick to her mother. So... Yeah... It’s a struggle, but I’m working hard to build a relationship. Right now she’s not too thrilled with me.”

I sigh long and loud. This is fucked up no matter how you slice it. No one is a winner in this. Allie was a single mom who didn’t know the name of her child’s father; Wren is the guy who missed six years of his daughter’s life because he messed up once and acted like a jerk; and the kid is stuck in the middle.

“Does Allie talk bad about you around her? I know you said she hates you.”

I feel bad for not being there for him as much as I should have been this past month. I got too involved with my own drama, and I let him down.

“No. She doesn’t talk about me at all, according to Angel. This sucks. Allie is actually trying to help us have a relationship, but she resents me—possibly hates me. Angel is smart enough and observant enough to realize that without Allie vocalizing it. She’s loyal to her mom, and I don’t stand a chance until I get on Allie’s good side. And that’s not working out so well.”

Sighing, I take a sip of my beer. I suck in this department. I don’t know the first thing about kids.

“Tag got any insight?”

“He has tons of advice. But his kid is much, much younger and loves him. His new one will love him, too, when it’s born. But he can’t help me build a relationship with an estranged daughter. No one can. It’s on me, and I’ll figure out a way to fix this, because I want to make this right. And I really, really want to get to know her. She looks at her mother with such pride and adoration. But she looks at me with disappointment and the same resentment Allie has. I paved the road, now I have to try and drive down it despite the damn crater-like potholes that are on it.”

I smile weakly in an attempt to seem encouraging. Angel sits down next to Ash, eating her cake, and we both watch.

“I should get her out of here. Her mom only gives me so long to keep her without supervision. It’s sad that she trusts me that little. But she doesn’t know me. I guess that’s on me to change.”

I frown as he ruffles his hair and sighs.

“She can’t stop you from seeing your daughter. You have rights. You should talk to your lawyers.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t want to do anything like that unless I have to. The more amicable this thing is, the better. She’s raised Angel on her own because I never gave her my name. The least I can do is take it at her pace. If she insists on continuing this limited time thing after I’ve proven myself, then I’ll involve the lawyers.”

I’ve seen guilt—struggled with it for most of my life. Still struggle with it.

His guilt is different than mine, but I see it.

“I’ll come back after I drop her off,” he says, clapping my back on his way over to his daughter.

“Are Wren and Angel leaving?” Brin asks, suddenly beside me, and I wrap my arm around her shoulders to bring her closer.

I wish Wren had someone to help him through this right now. I wish it was me, but I don’t know what to say. But I’ll be there as much as I can, just like he’s always been for me.

“Yeah,” is all I tell her. I’m not sure how much Wren wants divulged to everyone. He just announced he had a kid to our entire group a few days ago, and then he brought Angel over to introduce her to all of us at the last barbeque.

Until then, it was only a few of us who knew. No one is asking him a lot of questions right now, out of respect.

“You want a beer?” I ask Brin, smiling down at her wearing the white sundress I bought her.

“I do, but I’ll get my own,” she says, eyeing me like she still doesn’t trust me.

I don’t blame her. I have three bottles of green food coloring in my pocket.

She walks away to grab us both a beer, and I watch her with the same amount of suspicion as she watches me. I really love this girl.

Kode and Tria are hugged up, lost in each other—as usual. Tag and Ash are playing with Trip, and Tag reaches over to rub his wife’s small, barely pudgy stomach. Dane and Rain are trying to convince Carrie, their daughter, to eat the vegetables on her plate. And Kade and Raya are walking through the gate, their eyes locked as though they don’t need to see the world around them.

Brin comes up and tugs at my shirt, prompting me to bend so she can kiss me, and I smile while taking my beer from her hand. Before I drink it, I push it to her lips.

“You first,” I order, eliciting a soft chuckle from her.