Warrior (First to Fight #1)(58)

She acts like she doesn’t hear me. “Okay, then. I should be back sometime this afternoon. It shouldn’t take long.”

Livvie starts heading up the stairs, but I grab her hand and turn her to face me. “Don’t think that means that this discussion is over, Olivia. We’re going to talk about it when you get back.”

She waves a hand and I take that to mean that she agrees.

Cole and I are sitting downstairs watching a movie when she flounces into the living room. I immediately take notice of the tight-as-sin pencil skirt and the white button up. The shirt is hanging from her wounded side and it’s untucked over the skirt.

Her cheeks are stained red. “Can you help me button, please?”

I lay Cole down in his vibrating chair and rise to my feet. She can’t look me in the face as I slowly do up the buttons on her shirt. By the time I reach the top, we’re both breathless.

“Thanks,” she says faintly.

I lean in, brushing her ear with my lips, then my teeth. “About this conversation that we’re going to have later. If you need extra convincing, be prepared to take it without any lip.”

“Don’t think you’re going to be able to change my mind with sex.”

“I don’t think anything,” I say with a smile, having finally gained the upper hand. Her body sways towards me as I walk to the playpen to pick up Cole.

I’m pleased to hear that her voice isn’t so self-assured when she follows. “You sure you’re going to be okay with him? If you need anything, you can call mine or Jack’s cell. His cardiologist’s phone number is on the fridge in case you have any questions. She’s available 24/7.”

I rub the back of my hand across her check. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”

She releases the breath she was holding. “I know you will. I’m just always nervous about leaving him.” She grabs her purse and gives Cole a kiss on the head. “I should be back soon. Yes—” she cuts me off before I can respond, “I promise I’ll be careful. I’m only heading there and back.”

“You better,” I whisper to her back as she walks out the front door.




I try to keep myself busy after Cole goes down for a nap. His third of the day. Unlike a completely healthy child, he tires easily. Which is okay with me, because it’s given me a lot of time to bond with him. My new favorite thing is letting him fall asleep on my lap while I watch a movie or play video games.

When the door opens and she steps through, the relief is all encompassing. As is the irritation. She bounds into the living room—as much as she can with her injured shoulder—with a huge smile on her face.

“They said I can come back on Monday. The temp they had filling my class moved to Arizona. I can’t wait to get back to my students.”

“So you’re still determined to go back, huh?”

Her smile dims a little. “Yes, and there’s nothing you can say that will change my mind. I’ve been away for far too long as it is. They can’t hold my job forever.”

“Fine, but I have some conditions.”

A laugh bubbles through her lips. “You sound like my dad.”

“The conditions are,” I talk over her, “that someone will drive you to work and pick you up each day. And you’re to stay in public places at all times.”

She crosses her arms and heaves an exaggerated sigh in my direction. “In fact, I think I had this exact conversation with him when I went off to college. You remember, right? He asked the dean if he could be my roommate in the dorms?”

Ignoring her, I say, “I’m being completely serious, Olivia.”

“Yes, Dad,” she answers with a smile.

I sigh. “This isn’t a joke.”

“Relax. It will be fine.”

“I’ll feel better when Logan’s caught the sonuvabitch,” I admit.

She snakes her arms around my waist and I hope to God that she’s right, because I know just how bad it can be when it goes wrong. And I can’t fail Olivia and Cole. Not this time.





“THE CARNIVAL?” I say, my voice ending on a surprised note. The bright lights wash over my face. I turn to him and can’t help the slow rush of excitement that buzzes along my nerve endings. “What are we doing here?”

Cole bounces happily on Ben’s hip, also entranced by the sights before him. “To celebrate you going back to work. Plus, I figured I might as well get started on date number two.”

“Oh, so you’ve decided that I was right. It is time for me to go to work.”

He wraps an arm around me. “I’ve decided that I still like fighting with you, Spitfire. Sometimes, I may do it just to see you get all riled up.”

“I think date two is getting off to a rough start.”

He leans down to me, his lips whispering across the shell of my ear. “Then wait until you see what I’ve got planned for you later.”

I ignore the resulting warmth that spreads through my chest as we join the growing lines of people at the ticket counter. Ben contents himself with Cole’s gibberish conversations, and my heart simply melts as I watch them together. Most of the time, it’s like they’re in their own little world and I’m merely afforded the privilege of the show. I don’t mind much. Since they’ve been spending so much time together, I’ve noticed how different he is around the baby.