Evie stares at me for a while before she whispers, “I wish you had told me all of this before I left.”
“I was a coward, Evie. It was easier to hide behind my bullshit jokes and hardass mask.”
I can’t take my eyes off of her as I watch her process everything I’ve just said.
I know my time is up. Whoever Evie’s waiting for will be here any moment.
I place my business card on her coffee table.
“I’d like to have coffee with you, Evie. It would be nice to catch up.”
She nods and draws her bottom lip in between her teeth as she glances at my card.
“I miss you,” I whisper.
She smiles sadly, and I’m surprised when she admits, “I’ve missed you too.”
“When you’re ready to have coffee with me, please call or text. Hell, you can send a smoke signal.”
She lets out a little burst of laughter. Fuck, I’ve missed that sound so much.
I walk to the door and turn back one last time. “You look happy, Evie. I’m glad. No one deserves it more than you.”
“Thank you, Rhett. I’ll be in touch.”
Taking one last look at her, I turn around to leave, but instead, I come face to face with the scariest looking man I’ve ever laid eyes on.
I can hold my own in a fight, but my gut tells me that few have gone up against him, and survived to tell the tale.
“Hi,” he says, reaching a hand out to me. “I’m Hayden Cole. Who are you?”
Holy fuck. He’s intense.
I take his hand and say, “Rhett Daniels.”
Evie pops up next to us and the huge smile I saw when she opened the door is back on her face. She stands on her toes, and I watch as the man leans a little down so Evie can reach his cheek where she plants a firm kiss.
She takes hold of his arm and pulls his hand out of mine, then locks it in a tight grip to her chest.
“Morning, Daddy,” she says, and the two words send ripples of shock through my entire body.
“Daddy?” I echo her like an idiot.
Hayden’s eyes snap back to mine, and I quickly explain, “Sorry, the last time Evie and I spoke, she didn’t know who her parents were.”
“How do you and Rhett know each other?” he asks Evie, but he never takes his eyes off me.
I have never been so intimidated by a girl’s father before.
Evie clears her throat, and her cheeks flush pink, as she says “He’s the guy I told you about. Rhett helped me get off the street.”
Hayden’s facial expression changes so fast, I actually blink to make sure I’m not seeing things. It’s as if he just threw an off switch. Gone is the Hulk and he’s back to being Bruce Banner.
“Thank you,” he says, as he pulls his arm free from Evie’s death grip, and holds his hand out to me once more.
I shake his hand, and this time he doesn’t try to break any bones.
“Thank you for taking care of my daughter when I couldn’t.”
I have a million questions but now is definitely not the right time to ask them.
I nod because saying something as stupid as you’re welcome or it’s a pleasure, doesn’t sound right.
My manners haven’t entirely up and left me. “It was nice meeting you, Sir,” I say.
I smile at Evie. “Talk to you soon.”
Not waiting for them to reply, I walk away.
Fuck, that was unexpected. Evie found her dad. I wonder what else has changed in her life.