I Want You Back (Want You #1)(92)

Mimi hugged me. “Thank you, Mommy. This is gonna be the best day ever.”



* * *



? ? ?

Calder was a sweet kid. I got a huge kick out of seeing him and Mimi playing together.

Mimi was a grade ahead of him in school and thought that entitled her to boss him around. But also, as an only child, Calder was used to getting his way. Listening to them bicker and compromise kept me entertained throughout the afternoon.

They were munching on chocolate caramel cookies they’d made—Calder insisted on sprinkling coarse sea salt on the chunks of caramel before we popped the cookie sheets in the oven. Surprisingly that gave them a different, better flavor. He proudly informed us he’d learned that secret on Chopped.

Then I’d hauled out my crafting supplies so they could make friendship bracelets before we dropped Calder off.

When my phone rang and the caller ID flashed JAX, I had a moment of panic because I’d forgotten to call and let him know Mimi wouldn’t be at practice.

I answered with, “Hey, Jax. What’s up?” as if I didn’t know.

“Where’s Mimi? Class starts in ten minutes.”

Rude much? “She’s not coming to class today.”

“What? Why not?” A paused followed. “Is she sick?”

“She’s fine. Calder spent the afternoon and they’re having a great time.”

“Too great of a time for her to make it to hockey practice?” he snapped. “Or is it that you don’t want to bring her because you’re upset with me?”

Oh hell no.

I walked into the kitchen out of the kids’ earshot. “Don’t make assumptions when you haven’t been around either of us the last four days. If you had, then you’d know something was bothering Mimi. I don’t know what it is, but she told me she wasn’t going to skills class—regardless if Calder had come over or not. She’s had a fun afternoon, being a kid playing with her best friend, and she’s happier than I’ve seen her all week. The world won’t end if she misses one practice, Jax. And you have a problem if you can’t see that.”

I swore I heard his teeth clack together in frustration.

“Call her later. I’ll make sure she has her cell phone on.” I hung up. If he wanted to argue and accuse, he could show up and do it in person.



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    Since Jensen was out of town, Rowan suggested we take the kids to Chuck E. Cheese’s so neither of us had to cook. The kids were in heaven. Rowan and I had a lot in common and we enjoyed hanging out in what we jokingly called a “Lund-free” zone. We hugged good-bye and promised to keep in touch more frequently, and we meant it.

I juggled the box of leftover pizza and my keys when we stepped off the elevator, so I didn’t notice him before Mimi did.

“Daddy?”

I saw him sitting on the floor across from our apartment.

“Hey, Meems. I heard you got to play with Calder today.”

“It was so much fun!” Her nose wrinkled. “Why are you sitting on the floor?”

Good question. He had a six-thousand-square-foot apartment three floors up, with killer seating; I oughta know, I picked it all out.

“I was waiting for you. I missed you, squirt. A lot.” He reached out and tugged her onto his lap.

Mimi curled into him, nestling her head between his neck and shoulder. “I missed you too, Daddy.”

And . . . my ovaries exploded. My heart melted. I wanted to dogpile them with relief and happiness. But I didn’t move and interrupt their moment.

Jax kissed the top of Mimi’s head. “Can I tell you something?”

“Uh-huh.”

“You hurt my feelings tonight.”

She lifted her head and looked at him with confusion. “I did?”

“Yep. See, tonight was my first night as the fill-in coach for the skills class. And I was kinda nervous about teaching all those kids. But then I thought, it’ll be okay because Meems will be there. And then you weren’t. It made me sad and hurt.”

“Did you cry?”

I bit my cheek to keep from laughing. Crying was Mimi’s pain barometer.

“Well, I wanted to, but I didn’t think it would be very cool for the players to see me boo-hoo-hooing at our first practice together.”

Mimi giggled.

I watched her studying him; the look on her face indicated she was about to make a confession.

Jax noticed it too. “Remember our promise to each other to always be honest when it came to hockey stuff?”

When had he had that conversation with her?

“Uh-huh.”

“What’s the real reason you didn’t want to come tonight?”

“Because I don’t want you to be my team coach.”

If that answer shocked him, he hid it well. “Okay. Can you explain why?”

“Because coaches yell, and I don’t want you to yell at me. I want you to come to my games and watch me. If you’re everyone’s coach, then you’ll be watching them too and then maybe I’ll never get to be a better player.”

It’d never crossed my mind that that’s what had upset Mimi Saturday night, not seeing her dad kissing me—if she’d even caught that.