Warnings and Wildfires

“Okay.”

He finally meets my eyes. “I feel like such an asshole even saying this, but, I’ve never introduced Madison to a girlfriend before. And I’m not ready to—”

“Sully,” I say, taking a step closer. “I totally understand.”

His eyes widen and his hands land on my hips, pulling me in closer. “You’re not mad?”

“Not at all. I figured you’d be busy this weekend.”

“I’ll still be here Sunday morning for class. My mom takes Madison to church.”

“So, I’ll see you then and you can tell me all about your weekend on Monday.”

He seems so relieved, he blows out a long breath and kisses my cheek.

Honestly, I’m relieved too. Meeting his daughter seems like a huge step I’m not ready for yet. What if she hates me?

“Thank you so much.” His voice nothing more than a low hum. He wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me closer.

Not only do I respect him even more for being so protective of his daughter, it absolutely melts my heart.

“Are you excited?”

The corners of his mouth lift. “Always.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “I have so much to do around here, but every time she visits, I feel like there’s so much I want to cram into such a short amount of time.”

“I can understand that.”

“Jake’s a big help, but he likes to see her too, you know?”

“Sure.” I squeeze him a little tighter and tip my head back, resting my chin on his chest. “I’ll do what I can to keep things running smoothly for you.”

“Thank you. I appreciate that.”

I pull back and poke him in the chest with my pinky finger. “Although, I don’t provide the same visual eye-candy for the ladies that you do.”

He snorts and grabs my hand, kissing the backs of my fingers. “You’re the only one I want to gobble me up.”

We both snicker at the silly comeback.

“Are you planning to tell Madison her dad’s a big Instagram star?”

“Hell no. She’ll probably die of embarrassment.” He squints at me. “I take it the clips are doing their job?”

“Big time.”

He shakes his head as if he’s embarrassed. Another thing I love about Sully. He’s extremely humble. Exactly the opposite of his brother.

He glances at the clock and groans. “I really do have to go.”

“Okay.” I attempt to pull away, but he hums in disapproval and tightens his arms around me.

Slowly, he leans down and presses his lips to mine for a slow, lingering goodbye kiss.

Jake sticks around, so I don’t expect Sully to return tonight.

“He told you about Maddy?” Jake asks when there’s a lull in the gym.

“We talked about her.”

“You’re cool with it?” he asks.

“Cool with what?”

He shrugs. “Him having a kid.”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know. A lot of girls can’t stand competing for attention. Don’t want the reminder he was ever involved with anyone else.”

“He’s almost thirty. I assume he’s had other girlfriends by now.”

He snorts then turns serious. “Lauren was his first serious girlfriend. They dated all through high school. He was crushed when her family up and moved to Florida his senior year.”

I swallow hard as I absorb that information. Sully hasn’t provided me with a lot of details and Lauren was obviously a big part of his life for a long time. “Is that how she ended up living down there?”

“Yup. Never told him she was pregnant when she moved. Didn’t tell him when Madison was born. She only bothered to let him know he had a daughter a few years later when she sued him for child support out of nowhere.”

My fingers trace over the achy spot blooming in my chest. “That’s awful.” Awful for Sully. And awful for Madison.

“Yeah, Sully lost his fuckin’ mind. Spent a fortune running back and forth to Florida to fight for custody and to be part of Madison’s life.”

“He mentioned some of that.”

“Knowing my brother, he probably didn’t want to bad mouth Lauren, even though she deserves it for what she did. That’s not the kind of guy he is.” At his sides, his hands squeeze into fists. “I want you to understand the situation. Sully isn’t some jackass deadbeat dad.”

“I’d never think that about him.”

Jake nods as if he’s satisfied I’ll treat his brother and niece right.

Maybe other girls would find Jake’s interrogation insulting, I’m touched by how deeply he cares for his family. Maybe on the outside, there doesn’t seem to be anything other than good looks, muscle, and flirty-arrogance, but there’s obviously much more lurking inside of Jake.

I’m not sure how to put that sentiment into words without sounding condescending. While I’m puzzling it out, the back door crashes open.

“Uncle Jake!” a girl shouts. In a blur of motion, she races across the room, launching herself at Jake so hard, he almost falls backward.

“Holy shit, kid.” He laughs and holds her at arm’s length. “Look how tall you’ve gotten.”

She pulls back and adopts a more casual pose. “I’m almost as tall as Mom now.”

I’m not sure what I expected Madison to look like. Sully said she was twelve, so this tall, willowy young woman isn’t what I pictured. Except for her light, aqua eyes, she strongly resembles Sully. Right down to her dark, wavy hair and lightly tanned skin. Only a bit of roundness in her baby face gives away that she’s not quite a teenager yet.

I glance at Sully who’s standing behind them and he flashes a quick, reassuring smile.

After some light teasing and mild rough-housing with her uncle, Madison’s gaze lands on me.

“Oh, hi.” She glances at her dad in a who’s-this-chick? way.

“Maddy, this is Aubrey,” Sully introduces.

My discomfort ratchets even higher. Am I supposed to shake her hand? My palms are sweaty. Damn. “Hi. How was your trip?”

Maddy shrugs and tosses her hair over her shoulder. “No biggie. I do it all the time.”

“Aubrey’s helping out here,” Sully explains.

“She’s managing the social media too,” Jake adds.

“Huh. About time,” she says, dismissing me and returning her attention to her father. “That reminds me, I need a digital detox this weekend.” She reaches into her pocket and pulls out her cell phone while Jake and I duck our heads and laugh.

“Is that right?” Sully says, holding his hand out for the phone. “Your mom know you plan to have your phone off?”

She shrugs. “Mom has your number.” She pats her backpack. “I finished most of my homework on the plane.”

“You want to use the office?” Sully asks.

“Can I use your tablet for one last thing?”

“Okay.” Before leading her into the office, he turns and raises an eyebrow—a subtle check-in. I wink in response which makes him laugh.

I return to my spot behind the desk and flip on the television.

“You okay?” Jake asks.

“I’m fine.” I nod toward the office. “She seems excited to be here.”

“Yeah. It’s always madness when she’s with him,” he says with an affectionate smile. “Sunday afternoons are rough, though. She used to try every trick to stay longer when she was little. Stomach aches, ear aches, tantrums, forgotten stuff at home.” He glances over his shoulder. “She doesn’t do that anymore, but he’s still torn up every time he drops her off at the airport.”

For a parent who actually cares about their child, I can’t even imagine how much that hurts. “It must feel like watching a piece of his heart fly away,” I whisper.

Jake cocks his head. “How poetic,” he says. Not in his usual teasing way.

Uncomfortable, I stand and jiggle my shoulders.

“Tight?” he asks.

“I guess. I’ve been on the computer a lot lately.” I give him a pointed look. “Managing the social media and all.”

He chuckles and motions me over to the wall. “Here, let me show you a few things you can do to prevent an RSI.” He gently pushes me until I’m leaning against the wall.

“Flat against the wall,” he encourages. His fingers lightly graze the top of my head and whisper over my shoulders. “Butt and heels against the wall too,” he directs without touching me in either spot.

“Good. Now raise your arms parallel to the floor. Bend your arms.” He positions me so my elbows are bent at a ninety-degree angle. “Keep the backs of your hands against the wall. Feel the stretch in the front of your shoulders and chest?”

“Yes.” Ow, this seems so simple, but it actually hurts a little.

“Breathe, Aubrey. Now, draw your elbows into your sides. Focus on squeezing your shoulder blades together.”

“How long?”

“Hold it for a couple seconds.”

By a couple, he means forever. Apparently I’m in poor shape. How embarrassing.

“Just means you spend lots of time working hard on the computer,” Jake says gently. No judgment in his tone at all.