“Dad?” Jordan piped up while he slipped his bag on his back. “Will Haven be there?”
I groaned internally. The boys hadn’t seen Haven in almost two months. Hell, I hadn’t had seen much of her in the last four weeks. Not since that douchebag came into the parlor and pulled the moves on her. I promised she was off limits and I would stick to my word. It had been rough on them but they didn’t need to be confused any more than they already were. I needed to think about what was best for everyone and that meant letting her go. It wasn’t easy, but it had to be done. I had kids to worry about. My feelings and hers come second to that and the situation wasn’t going to be helpful to anyone. I hated that they missed her though. She was such a big part of their lives for so long.
My fists clenched—bastard. Because of him, she finally seemed happy. I had seen her a few times in town on his arm. She was smiling; she looked light. I wondered if she was fucking him yet. I wouldn’t put it past the asshole to push her for sex…I just hoped she was smart enough to say no.
Goddamn it.
Who was I kidding? He was everything I wasn’t. And he was available. He wasn’t hiding their relationship. He damn well had better be treating her like the angel she was or I’d—
Oh, for fuck’s sake!
I needed to push Haven out of my mind. For good.
I looked at my boy, “I dunno, buddy. I don’t think so,” I told him as he shoved his feet into his sneakers. Haven used to babysit for the boys. From the time they were about six, she would come in once or twice a week and watch them while I went out with the guys or to run errands. She was young… just a kid. Until that one night I saw her for who she really was. She had big secrets the family didn’t know about. Nobody but the two of us were aware of her past, but I would still never let it be known just how Haven and I became close. They were her demons to hold.
“Haven.” I groaned low in my throat. “You’re playing with fire, honey.”
“I know,” she replied huskily, causing my half-hard dick to jump up to full attention. Her voice and the way her tongue darted out to touch the middle of her top lip was driving me crazy. All I could think about was what she’d taste like. What it’d feel like for my cock to pass between her soft, red pouty lips. Her tongue slid back into her mouth and she bit down on her bottom lip. That was about all I could take. It was as if a rubber band snapped and I lunged forward, grabbing her tiny frame in my large hands. Pulling her as close to my body as possible, I brought my head down and kissed her like I was a starving man.
“Dad!” Jax’s voice dragged me from my memories. I cleared my throat and shook off the hindering memories as I shuffled the boys out to my truck and loaded up, trying my best to stay focused on the present and why I’d made the choice I had.
Listening to the boys chatter in the back seat just made me melancholy. The last time I’d packed us up for a family day at their pseudo grandmother’s place, Haven had been with us. The boys had been talking trash at each other in the background completely distracted, and I’d reached my hand over just enough to make contact with her fingertips. It was as much contact as I could afford to make with two curious boys in the car with us. We’d been a secret from the start and it had to stay that way. Too many people would have been hurt if we’d come straight out with it and it went bad. And I’d been right. When it finally came out, it’d been a catastrophe.
I guessed things would have to be as they were. All this time, it had been just me and them, since their mother had skipped out on them when they were just a few months’ old. It was obvious by how things panned out, Haven and I weren’t meant to be. I’d done the best I could with my boys, going on ten years now, and they were my top priority. Despite their opposite temperaments, they both wanted the same thing—a momma-type figure. All I could offer them was the stability of a father who loved them more than anything. If that meant I did it alone, so be it.
“Boys! Slow down.” I didn’t even have the truck in park before they were climbing out and racing for the front door. Every month since I could remember, I was expected to be at Haven’s parents’ house for their get-togethers, a barbeque, swimming, and general catch-ups. This one, however, I wasn’t looking forward to, not only had I not spoken to Mace yet, since he was avoiding me like the plague, but Haven might just be here too. I sluggishly moved to collect the cooler and swimming bags from the truck, biding as much time as possible before facing the <last name> family, namely Mace.