“I love him, okay? I’ve always loved him. I don’t walk away from the people I love. And actually, no. I did walk away from him. Or do you not remember that? We weren’t always together and talking. You thinking this about him is fucking insane.”
“Ooh! Mommy! You say bad word!” Savannah immediately jumps into the conversation.
“Sorry, buttercup,” I say to her. “Mom, I’m telling you, you’re wrong. Don’t make something out of nothing. Please.”
She’s quiet for a moment.
“I promise if I was in that situation, I wouldn’t put my daughter in it when he didn’t even know about her at first. You’re questioning my judgment as her mother.” My voice cracks on that last word. Honestly, that has me more upset than anything else. Ian didn’t know about Savannah; if he was abusive to me, why would I bring her into that?
Mom sighs. “You’re right; I’m sorry. I just wasn’t expecting to see him throw down like he did and to see that no one was bothered by it.”
“It’s a game where fights happen.”
“Daddy!” Savannah runs over to Ian and he picks her up. It’s probably a good thing that he has a beard. Otherwise, I’m sure we’d be able to see a bruise on his jaw. He looks damn hot with only a pair of pajama pants on. They sit low enough that I can see where the waistband of his boxer-briefs should be showing, but he must not be wearing any because I don’t see any. Man, if I had’ve known that last night… “Daddy, you finally wake up,” Savannah tells him, dragging me out of the gutter.
“He’s just waking up?” Mom questions and I can hear her dissatisfaction.
“Yeah. It’s been a long week. Is this over now?” I ask as Ian sits next to me.
“Are you happy and safe?”
“Yes, absolutely.”
“Okay. It’s over. We’ll come over for lunch because I want to see where you live.”
“Okay, that works.” We hang up and I lean my head on Ian’s shoulder.
“Well?” he asks.
“I solved our problem. How much did you hear?”
He grabs my chin to force me to look at him. “You are the best mother. Don’t let it bother you when someone else is stupid enough to question that, especially when she doesn’t have the grounds to do so.”
“Thank you. Let’s not think about it anymore. You,” I tickle Savannah’s stomach, “need a bath. Nana and Papa are coming over so we can go to lunch.”
Savannah hugs Ian’s neck and hides her face there. “Daddy help.”
“Daddy has to get his own bath. You can snuggle with him later.” I swear, she’s taken to him more than she did with Logan. For her to have mostly women around her, she’s more attached to the men. I’m honestly surprised that she’s taken to him as quickly as she has, but then again, I don’t have a shy child. If you show her some love and are fun, she’ll love you.
“Go take your bath, little Miss. I’m starting to get hungry, and if we don’t go eat soon, I might have to eat whatever’s nearby…like you!” He bends his head and starts fake-eating her arm.
“Daddy! You can’t eat me!” She giggles.
“But I’m hungry.”
“Feed him, Mommy,” she orders through her laughter.
“He’ll be okay until lunch if we hurry with your bath. Come on.”
She wiggles out of his loose hold and scrambles into my arms. “Hurry!” she screams when he acts as if he’s going to pull her back.
I stand and turn my body, so she’s out of his reach. Before I can step away, he’s grabbed my thigh. Good lord, that touch shouldn’t get me as hot as it does, but if I could shift my thighs without it being obvious as to why, I would.
“Babe.”
“What?”
He tilts his chin up. “Forgetting something?”