Second Chance Baby (Crescent Cove #18)

Chapter 21

TWENTY-ONE

For reasons I couldn’t quite explain, while I was waiting for Bridget to come home, I decided after a fruitless trip to the last big box Halloween store in the area—a Spirit in a midsize town just outside Turnbull—to broach the topic of sex with my daughter.

The Spirit had approximately nada left in the realm of cool decorations with troll dolls. I did find a huge illuminated Dalmatian though, and I put him in the passenger seat to amuse myself as I stopped at my parents’ place to find half of my annoying cousins in residence.

Yes, including Cam, who had claimed to desperately need to talk to Christian, though he was currently seated beside him on the sectional and playing tennis on the Wii while not speaking to him at all.

If I didn’t love my damn family so much, I might hate them a little bit sometimes.

Carrington just gave me a strange look when I brought her outside. She assumed I’d brought her out to see the dog, which did give her a giggle. “Amerie will love that. But where’s the Trollz?”

“Hell if I know. Store had nothing. Dalmatian is as good as it gets.”

“You still tried, Dad. She’ll be so happy.” Then she looked around and frowned. “Where’s Mom?”

The immediate trepidation on her face made me regret bothering her tonight. I didn’t want to make her nervous needlessly. Then again, it was something we’d have to get used to. Bridget still had a lot of things to wrap up before we could really settle into our new life, and we’d have to learn to trust she would always come home.

I hoped.

“Listen, kiddo, I have to ask you some unfun questions. Though, honestly, the subject itself is plenty fun if it’s done right once you’re old enough to understand all the ramifications of?—”

She crossed her eyes. “Dad,” she drew out the word with an exasperated sigh. “Mom already mentioned sex to me earlier tonight,” she said patiently.

“What? When?”

Also, if I hadn’t been sure I wanted to love Bridget forever, that she’d tackled that subject already with our daughter would’ve done it.

“Right before you guys left earlier. She saw me playing on the Wii and started apologizing for not being here when I probably needed her then she started talking about girl stuff.” She wrinkled her nose. “Which I know about. I got tampons for myself a couple months ago when I started my period so we’re all good there.”

“ What ?” I tried to moderate my voice but there was no possible way. She wasn’t even eleven yet.

How could she have her period already? That made her basically an adult.

My baby girl was a woman now, and she hadn’t even had someone to talk to about the changes she was going through. Because no matter how I tried to fill all the vacancies in her life due to her mom being away, the fact was I was still a damn clueless dude.

I looked down at my shoes, feeling utterly inadequate for the first time in my life.

I wasn’t perfect, nor did I have all the answers. But I’d been raised to know I was capable of handling anything that came my way, and if somehow, I messed up, my parents had my back. As did Penn, Christian, Murphy, and Maddie.

No matter what, we were a fucking team.

Was this how Bridget had felt after having Carrington? Utterly helpless and just not enough to face the road ahead? And if so, no wonder she’d chosen to run rather than face this burning shame of feeling like she wasn’t enough.

My shoulders ached with understanding. Finally. I didn’t just get intellectually what Bridget must’ve dealt with. Now I grasped it down to my bones.

“I owe you an apology,” I said in a scratchy voice that couldn’t be helped.

Carrington frowned. “No,” she said, stretching out the word. “For what?”

“For not mentioning this stuff earlier. Before you had to deal with it on your own.” I swallowed hard, blinking fast. “Has there been other stuff I didn’t talk to you about that you wished you could have a parent, you know, address?”

“No.” Again, the word was like five syllables. “What are you even talking about? I could’ve asked Gams if I had questions. But I didn’t. Missy is almost a year older than me, so I’d already heard all about it before I got it. It royally sucks but it’s no big deal. I swear.” She took a deep breath. “And since you and Mom probably figured you’d tag-team me on this too, no, I haven’t had sex. Ugh. Ick. Not even.”

The sound that rushed out of me bordered on a grateful sigh. I’d fucked up some stuff, but my little girl wasn’t that far out of my sphere. Thank God.

Still, my voice wasn’t quite steady when I spoke next. “Can I have a hug?”

“Duh.” She hurled herself into my arms, hanging on for an extra moment or two until I got ahold of my damn self. “You’re happy with Mom. And she’s happy with you. So, you know, just be that. Don’t worry about me. I’m fine, I swear.”

I leaned back to stare down at her. “Dream on, kid. You’re most important to us. Always. And if I ever forget, make sure you remind us.”

She rolled her eyes, pulling away. “Whatever.”

But there was no missing her lips twitching as she ran back up the steps and inside, slapping the door shut behind her in her wake.

I grabbed my phone and texted Bridget.

Travis

I love you. So much. That’s all.

A honk from behind me had me whirling to see Lacey’s small sedan swerving to the curb with Bridget hanging out the passenger window. “Hey you. I love you too. So much,” she called out before slipping back inside to say something to her sister. Then she climbed out to jog up the walk to me, breathlessly gripping my shoulders in her determined grip.

I grasped her elbows, holding her still when she would’ve kissed me. “Marry me. Now.”

“Yes, of course.” Her eyes widened. “ Now ? Like now now?”

I had to laugh. “Not this second. I gotta make plans. Because we are doing this once, so it’s gotta be epic. Plus, it has to be done by someone who is fucking legal so no fly-by-night shit, either.”

“Of course.” She nodded slowly. “Legal marital services are a must.”

“As is a fucking ring. I did not plan this out. At all. I just went with my gut, and all I want is to be married to you, and a father to your children. Whether one or a dozen.” I thumbed away her tears that sneaked free. “All sound good to me.”

“All sound good to me too.” She leaned up to hook her arms around my neck, her salty tears flying free as we kissed.

Then she whirled away and yelled at her sister, who was still parked at the curb, honking her horn and pumping her fist. “Hey, Lace, guess what? I’m getting married.”

“About fucking time,” she yelled, running out of the car without bothering to close her door. She raced up the walk to hug her sister and me too for good measure. “Congratulations, you two! I better be invited.”

Bridget echoed one of her daughter’s favorite phrases as she reared back to grab my hand. “Duh!”