It's Our Time (Carolina Rebels 3)

I follow him out of the room, wondering what he wants and hope Logan gets his fill of Savannah before they have to leave.

“Two things,” he starts. “Zane was wanting to hang out tonight, but I told him Savannah was with me, and he wants to meet us at the rink.”

I wait for him to say more, but when he doesn’t, I realize he wants permission. I think. “He’s your friend, Ian. If you think he’ll be a decent adult around our daughter, then I trust you.”

“Right,” he nods as if he knew that all along. “Are you coming to my apartment when you get off work?”

“Wasn’t planning to.”

“Have a sleepover, too, Sydney.” His hand reaches out to grip my hip. His touch is always my weakness, especially when he slips his thumb underneath the fabric of my T-shirt to rub my skin. “Please?” God, what is it with him and please? Has he ever said please so much in his life? I don’t think so.

Wordlessly, I nod my head in answer, making him grin.

Zane is on one side of Savannah while I’m on the other, each of us holding her hand. She’s been having a blast so far. My chest wants to puff with pride so badly because she’s a fast learner. She hasn’t asked to skate on her own yet, which is good because I’m suddenly realizing how dangerous it is if she were to fall and hit her head and I don’t think I’m ready for that step.

“Woah,” Savannah says when she sees a girl in a skating dress, twirling around. “I want do that!”

Zane laughs. “You’re asking the wrong people.”

She gets so distracted by the girl that we eventually sit down to watch her. She’s not here for a lesson, but it looks like she’s practicing all the same. Savannah can’t take her eyes off of her.

“Teach me, Daddy,” she says, pointing when the girl jumps and twists in the air before landing perfectly.

“Uh, Daddy doesn’t know how to do that.”

Zane snorts and I glare at him. “You have to learn how to skate first, Savannah,” he tells her.

“And be really good at it,” I add.

“I want do that!” Even while talking to us, she hasn’t looked away from the girl. She’s completely fascinated.

“Hey, Z. Can you watch her and make sure when I come back she’s still with you, alive, and unharmed?”

He laughs. “Sure, man.”

I leave them to talk to someone at the front desk and ask for all the information on their beginner skating programs. Savannah learning how to skate is a good thing any way you look at it. Hopefully, I can talk Sydney into bringing her since I won’t always be able to, obviously. Then, once that’s over, she’s old enough, and she’s still interested, if she wants to learn how to figure skate, I’ll talk Sydney into signing her up for that, too.

When I come back, Zane is in the process of taking her skates off. “She’s hungry and demanding ice cream, but I told her we’d have to see what you said.”

“Does your mom ever give you ice cream for dinner?”

“Yep,” she immediately says.

“Don’t lie, little Miss.”

“I’m not!”

She’s cute, even when she’s being a little liar. Zane hangs out with me way longer than expected, going to dinner with us and going back to my apartment to watch cartoons. He did teach her something while we were hanging out, though. Savannah no longer wants to high-five. She wants to fist-bump because that’s what Z does.

Shortly after he left, Sydney texted me and said to make sure to give Savannah a bath—a text which came with some tips of basically do’s and don’ts. Can’t lie; I’m relieved she did that because when I first started reading it, I panicked. I can’t wait for the time when I won’t feel like an idiot at every turn when it comes to Savannah.

My goal is to get her to sleep in the guest bedroom by herself. I want to be able to have Sydney all to myself tonight, even though I’m not planning on anything happening. I miss her. And I want her without Savannah on the other side of me like last time. That makes me feel a little bad until I realize that if they do move in, Savannah would have her own room anyway. She only slept in the same bed that first night because she was scared.

The bath goes smoother than expected, and then I get her into the bed in the guest bedroom. I turn on the lamp and tuck her in.

“Okay, Savannah. You get to sleep in here all by yourself like a big girl. I’m goi

ng to leave the light on, though, okay? Because I don’t have a nightlight. And if you need anything or if you wake up and need me, just shout and I’ll come. You don’t even have to get out of bed.”