Side Hustle (Dawson Family 3)

“I think it’d be best if I go alone,” he tells me.

No. He can’t go alone. Because if he’s alone with her, there’s no telling what she’ll say. I won’t know. I’m slipping into panic mode and part of me wants to run for the hills, seek cover, and never come back up to see the light of day again.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I put one hand on the counter to steady myself. “I can stay in the car or go inside.”

“It’s late. Stay here. And I’ll grab some things and come back.” Wes frowns. “I don’t want to wake up Jackson and worry him. I’m staying with him tonight.”

“Good idea.” I swallow hard, doing everything I can, not to freak out. My life as I know it might be over in a few short hours. “So you’re going to wait until morning to talk with her?”

“No, I’ll go now. Or else she’ll be on the porch all night and I don’t want attention drawn to this matter. The quieter I can handle this, the better it’ll be for Jackson’s sake.”

“Are you two staying?” Wes asks his sister.

“If Emma wakes up, we can stick her in her car seat and head home,” Archer says. “But I don’t want to wake her up either.” He rests a hand on Quinn’s shoulder.

“You guys can come stay with us,” Quinn says, looking at Wes and then me. “Daisy might not know where we live yet, and I think she’d have a tough time sneaking around or breaking into our house.”

“Right,” Archer says dryly. “We’ll throw a cat at her. We have enough of them.”

“No one is throwing my cats. I was referring to the upgrades I did for our home security system.”

Quinn and Archer’s house is more secure than Fort Knox, and I wouldn’t be surprised to find out they have a panic room.

“Thanks,” Wes says. “But we’ll be fine at home. I’ll talk to her and try to diffuse the situation. If we’re lucky, she’ll be gone by morning.”

Poor Wes. He looks so tired and I want nothing more than to go home together, taking advantage of an empty house. We’d have sex—and I wouldn’t have to muffle my moans—and then I’d rub his back until he falls asleep.

But after Wes talks to Daisy, there’s a chance that’ll never happen again. And it will be totally my fault.34WestonThis is the last fucking thing I want to be doing right now. I used to hope Daisy would show up like this just so I could serve her with divorce papers, but things are already in the works and can get taken care of. I’ll have to call Mr. Williams tomorrow and see how her showing up like this affects my case.

Exhaustion hits me, making the short drive from my parents’ house to my house challenging. All I want to do is take Scarlet up to bed, fuck her senseless, and pass out naked next to her.

We have a good thing going, and I can’t help the sick feeling that’s forming in the pit of my stomach that all this soon-to-be ex-wife drama is too much for her. I’m terrified of losing her, of having her decide this isn’t what she signed up for and take off running for someone with less baggage.

I know events unfolded in such a way tonight that anyone would be shocked, but there’s something different about Scarlet. I don’t know what it is, but it has something to do with Daisy showing up announced. I suppose I can’t blame Scarlet if she doesn’t want to be involved with all this.

Just the thought of her leaving makes me feel sick to my stomach. I don’t like very many people, and I love even fewer. Scarlet is one of those people who I like a whole lot and also love with my whole heart.

She’s the perfect fit for our family. We just click, as lame as that sounds. I get her, and she gets me. She and Jackson get along perfectly, and she’s been more of a loving mother to him than Daisy ever was. Actually, Scarlet has been here for nearly two months. That’s longer than Daisy stuck around after Jackson was born.

I slow at a stop sign and see a shooting star streak across the dark night sky. My mind immediately goes to Scarlet, and I can hear her honey-smooth voice whispering make a wish.

I don’t believe in wishes. You make your own dreams come true, and it has nothing to do with a wish. But right now, I’m desperate. I close my eyes. “I wish Daisy would go the fuck away and Scarlet, Jackson, and I can get back to being a family.”

Feeling stupid, I open my eyes and shake my head at myself. I let off the brake and the Jeep inches forward, getting closer and closer to home.