Oh thank God.
The door opened and Dani came out slowly. She still glared at her, but she hugged her friend. “Cousins would be pretty cool,” she mumbled.
Fantastic.
When she turned to Jackson, he was grinning.
She narrowed her eyes as she shook her head. “Do not get any ideas,” she hissed as she followed the girls back to the fairgrounds.
“Far too late for that, pretty girl.”
* * *
“Thank you so much, Dad. Dani will be so thrilled,” Abigail said two days later as she gathered her things to head home after class. She still hadn’t heard from Dean about whether or not he could take Dani to the Father and Daughter Fall Formal that weekend, so she’d decided to ask her own dad.
Going to the dance with her grandfather may not be what Dani wanted most, but Abigail was desperate. Her daughter was at least speaking to her now; there had been a two-day silent treatment after the kiss incident, and she knew Dani still wasn’t crazy about the idea of her with Jackson. And she wasn’t sure if her reassurance that a repeat of the kiss wasn’t going to happen anytime soon had made anyone feel better.
But right now, it was probably for the best. She was still getting her new life on track, and despite the intensity of her feelings for Jackson, she couldn’t ignore the fact that her divorce had been finalized less than two weeks ago. She couldn’t possibly move on that fast. Right?
“What time should I pick up my date?” her dad asked, breaking into her thoughts.
“Oh, um, six fifteen…” Her cell phone beeped with an incoming call. “Dad, hold on just a sec.” She glanced at the call coming in and her heart stopped. Dean. “Actually, I’ll have to call you back.”
“Okay, sweetheart.”
Clicking over she cleared her throat. “Hello?”
“It’s me.”
No shit. “Yes, caller ID is a fairly accurate psychic.” It was the reason for his sudden call that remained the mystery. He’d blocked her incoming emails, and the one time she’d tried to call, it had gone straight to voicemail.
“I’m just calling to find out the details of this dance on Friday,” he said tightly.
He actually planned to attend? The man who gave away all of his custody and visitation rights was suddenly interested in a school dance? The same guy who hadn’t called to see how his daughter was in over a month? She wanted to tell him to screw off, that they didn’t need him, but she knew how much him being there would mean to Dani.
Therefore, it was the first time in many months she didn’t want to punch him in the face. At least not as hard. But she was still pissed at the lack of contact with his daughter. “How did you know about it?” Had he somehow still seen her email, though it had bounced back?
“Dani called me yesterday,” he said.
She did? Abigail had told her she could call her father anytime she wanted, she just hadn’t known Dani had done it. “The dance is at six thirty at the elementary school gym.”
“I’ll pick her up at your place. You’re still staying at your parents’, right?” His tone held an unconcealed note of condescension.
And she’d never felt as smug in all her life as she said, “Actually, no. We have our own place now.”
He was silent for just a second too long, letting her know she’d hit her mark. She felt like doing a happy dance on the teacher’s desk.
“Fine. Just text me the address.”
“Sure.”
“And I’d like to have her overnight.”
Her mouth fell, and any victory or relief she might have been feeling vanished. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, at the hotel in Denver. I’ll be playing there Saturday night.”
Dani had mentioned that, but she’d been doing her best to forget. She’d foolishly been hoping Dani would as well. She clenched her jaw. “We didn’t negotiate any visitation schedule,” she said, forcing her voice to remain calm and confident.
“Abigail, don’t start that shit. I didn’t fight you for custody because I travel too much and I never would have won, and I wasn’t able to commit to a visitation schedule for the same reason. But I expected that we would be adults about all of this and when I had time to see Dani, you wouldn’t have a problem with it.” His voice was hard and cold, and she almost shivered.
She swallowed hard. Damn it. She knew he was right. Despite everything, he was Dani’s father. More importantly, Dani loved him and she’d never forgive her if she refused visitation requests.
The truth was, she had no reason to. Dean may have been an asshole to her, but as far as Dani was concerned, he’d never hurt his daughter. Never would hurt her.
“Abigail?”
“Yes, I’m here. She can stay overnight with you in Denver,” she said, feeling sick about it already.
“See you Friday.”
She disconnected the call and sat staring at the phone. See her on Friday…As if life wasn’t complicated enough.
* * *
Did she let him in or make him wait out on the step?
Abigail glanced at the phone in her hand. Dean’s text was two words.
I’m here.
She wouldn’t get any answers from that. What was the protocol for divorced parents? Too bad the divorce papers hadn’t come with a How to Deal with an Ex instruction manual. She sighed, standing on tiptoes to peek through the small frosted-glass window in the door. If he was still sitting in the rental car, she’d just let Dani go to him once she was ready.
Damn it. He was pacing the driveway.
Her heart nearly stopped at the blurry image of her ex-husband in a dark gray suit and light blue dress shirt standing near the car. He never wore a tie, and that evening was no exception. Despite the distance and the frosted glass, she could make out the tanned, muscular chest beneath his open-collared shirt. His dark, wavy hair was longer, reaching the collar of his jacket, and he’d started to grow his beard, as he did at the beginning of every season. Unlike a lot of the other hockey wives, Abigail had always liked the beard; it made him look stronger, tougher, sexier somehow…and still did.
She sighed. Did he have to be so good-looking? Divorcing an unattractive man had to be easier, she thought as she reluctantly opened the front door.
He glanced up and her breath caught. For a brief second, she almost forgot this was the man who’d cheated on her and broken her heart. For just an instant, he looked like the same man who would stand in her driveway, waiting to pick her up for dates on Friday night.
But he wasn’t that man anymore.
The silence hung heavy on the cool breeze blowing the leaves from the deck into the porch and finally, he held up a hand in greeting. “Hey.”
“She’s almost ready. You can come in and wait. If you want.”
He looked hesitant as he checked his Rolex. “Sure,” he said.
A second later, the awkward, strained silence moved into her entryway.
“Nice place,” he muttered.
Yeah, the hallway is pretty great, she thought. “Feel free to come in,” she said, leading the way into the living room. She wondered if he knew this house was Jackson’s. She wasn’t sure how often the two men spoke these days…or what they spoke about. The idea that her ex may have been giving Jackson information or insights into their dissolving marriage made her stomach sick.
Dean followed behind her, scanning the room. “The furniture actually looks better in this smaller space,” he said.
She nodded. He’d never been a fan of the light tan and blue checkered pattern sofa and chair anyway. She’d picked it out when they’d first moved into the house in L.A. He’d been busy with training camp and hadn’t been available for consultation. Over the years, she’d learned not to wait for him to make decisions.
“Does the fireplace work?”
She nodded again. Small talk with a complete stranger was easier than this.
His gaze landed on the photos on the mantel and he moved closer, taking in each one.
She was silent, waiting to see if he’d notice or comment on the fact that he wasn’t in any of them. She’d purposely sorted through their family photos, selecting only shots of her and Dani. There were several of him in Dani’s room, but not on her mantel.
“Was this from the trip we took to Maui?” he asked, picking up her favorite: one of her and five-year-old Dani in snorkel gear on the beach. Dani held up a starfish, and the smile on the little girl’s face reflected the happiness they’d all felt on that trip. They’d spent days lying in the sun and nights sitting on the deck watching the sun set over the ocean.
It was the last vacation they’d taken where she could honestly believe they were a real family unit. Dean had still been committed to their relationship, and his mind hadn’t been on someone else while he was making love to her. She pushed the thoughts aside as she answered. “Yes.”
“That was a great trip,” he said quietly, setting the photo back down.
She remained silent.
He picked up another shot of them from the year before, about a month before she’d caught him cheating. It was taken at the birthday party they’d held for Dani in their backyard. They were standing in front of the rented bouncy castle. “I’m pretty sure I was in this one.”
“I’m pretty sure I cut you out,” she said, taking the photo from him and setting it back where it was. She didn’t like him touching her stuff.
He cleared his throat as he turned away. “You seem to have settled in nicely. This house must back onto the lake, right?” he asked, glancing out through the window that faced the backyard.
She was back to nodding again.
“And Dani’s settled in at school?”
Again the nod. Jeez, she looked like a moron bobbing her head up and down. Say something. The problem was, without the tense arguing they often did when they spoke, she had little to say. Things really were over between them, and small talk with a man who’d hurt her wasn’t coming easy. “Dani’s doing really great, adjusting and making new friends,” she said.
“That’s great.” His eyes trailed the length of her and he paused before saying, “You look really great, too, Abigail.”
Her teeth clenched. Not as great as the two cheerleaders she’d walked in on him with. She forced the image and the thought away as she took a deep breath, choosing to ignore the compliment. “Dani!” she called down the hall instead. “Your dad’s here. Are you almost ready, sweetheart?”
“Just a second,” came her excited reply.
“She’s a little nervous about wearing a dress and heels,” Abigail said quietly. They’d gone shopping the day before, and seeing her little girl try on the semi-formal dresses had brought tears to her eyes.
Dean smiled. “I’m sure she’s going to look as beautiful as you do.”
The second attempt at a compliment irritated her even more than the first. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to finish getting ready myself.” She was already set to go, but suddenly him being in her new home, in her new space was making her feel stifled, and she needed to regroup.
“Hot date?” he asked behind her, his tone a mixture of annoyance and jealousy that he attempted to mask behind a joke.
She stopped, almost wishing that were the case. “I’m actually chaperoning tonight.”
“I’ll admit that makes me feel a lot better,” he said.
“Well, as long as you feel better,” she said sarcastically, as Dani’s bedroom door opened.
All trace of annoyance at Dean disappeared as she saw Dani. Her hand flew to her mouth and embarrassing tears sprang to her eyes. Her hockey jersey–wearing daughter was almost unrecognizable in the lavender dress and white one-inch heels. Her dark hair was pinned back in a high ponytail and the pale lipstick she’d given her looked so sophisticated.
“Do not cry and embarrass me in front of Dad,” she hissed.
Ah, there was her daughter. She smiled, as she quickly wiped her eyes. “Sorry, I’m good,” she said, moving back to let Dani pass her in the hallway.
“Dad!” she said happily.
Dean smiled and accepted her hug. “Hey, princess. Wow, you look amazing,” he said, letting out a low whistle.
Dani beamed. “I’m ready. Let’s go.”
“Okay, sweetie. I’ll see you there.”
“Do you want a ride?” Dean asked. “We’re going to the same place.”
Maybe, but not together. From now on they would probably be attending a lot of Dani’s important life events separately. And that was okay. “No, thank you. I’ll meet you both there.”
Chapter 17
This is stupid.”
Agreed, Jackson thought tugging at the tie his sister had insisted he wear. He looked around—hardly any dad at the dance was wearing a tie. “It’s not that bad,” he lied.
“You don’t want to be here any more than I do,” Taylor said, calling his bluff and folding her arms across the front of the light blue dress he knew she’d had no input on. “You’re a fill-in for a stepdad. Have I mentioned this is stupid?” She pulled on the curls around her shoulders, tying them back into a messy ponytail with the elastic band she always wore around her wrist.
“Stop fidgeting. You look pretty.” True, he’d barely recognized his niece as she’d come out of her bedroom under duress, Becky threatening not to buy her the snowboard she wanted for Christmas otherwise. But, it was true; she looked like a little lady that evening and nothing like his star player, which put his protective uncle senses on high alert.
“I look like a girl,” she said, distress etched on her tiny features.
“Newsflash.”
She sighed. “Uncle Jackson, do we really have to stay?”
He hesitated. Becky thought this was important, and he really wasn’t in any position to contradict his sister’s parenting. She wanted Taylor to explore both sides of her personality, though he personally thought his sister was dreaming if she believed her daughter possessed even one feminine bone in her body. “Unfortunately, yes,” he said, taking in the decorated school gym. Green and gold helium-filled balloons covered the ceiling. Tables covered with gold paper tablecloths and balloon centerpieces were placed along the walls, framing a dance floor area. The DJ was set up on a stage in the corner, and the sound of hip-hop dance music filled the air. Strobe lighting and an aluminum foil–covered papier mâché disco ball completed the tacky setup. It brought back too many memories of his own school dances, where he’d felt just as uncomfortable and out of place.
“At least Dani’s here,” Taylor said, looking past him a second later.
He turned to see Dean enter the auditorium as well. So his buddy had made it. Good. He knew how important this was for Dani, even if Taylor had trouble with the idea.
“Let’s go talk to them,” he said. At least he’d be able to catch up with Dean, if nothing else. Though, he may not be able to get through a conversation with his friend without asking him if he’d lost his mind letting Abby go. And of course, he’d probably keep his own recent endeavors to himself. He wondered if Dean had been inside the house when he’d picked up Dani, if he and Abby had spoken…He couldn’t help but wonder how their first face-to-face as divorced parents had gone, or if she’d told Dean anything about them.
Probably not.
Then she appeared in the doorway, looking stunning in a dark blue, knee-length dress that clung to her hips and accentuated her tiny waist. Hips and waist he’d kissed every inch of. Hips and waist he couldn’t wait to get his lips on again. Unfortunately, after their on-display kiss at the fair, she was more adamant than ever to take things slow. He understood but didn’t love it. And how the hell was he supposed to be at this dance with her without being able to dance with her, hold her, kiss her? Yet another sense of déjà vu washed over him. “Actually, you know what? This is stupid.”
Taylor’s eyes lit up.
“Look, your mom wanted photos.” He grabbed his cell phone and dragged her in the opposite direction, over to the balloon
archway in the corner. “Smile,” he said, leaning closer and barely giving her time to before he snapped the selfie and headed toward the empty dance floor. He took her hand in his and held the camera out. “Say cheese.” Snap.
By the time they reached the dessert and punch table, Taylor’s laughter was actually genuine. “You’re crazy, Uncle Jackson.”
“Do you want to get out of here or not?”
“More than I want to breathe,” she said, suddenly serious. “What’s next?”
“Pick up a cupcake,” he instructed.
She reached for a vanilla one with blue frosting, but he shook his head. “Not that one. One of the cherry chip ones with the red frosting your mom made.” His sister had instructed him to take at least one picture of her hard work in the kitchen before the kids got to them.
“Hey, buddy.”
Shit. So close.
Taylor stopped mid-bite and looked past him, her eyes wide. Pieces of cupcake fell from her mouth as she gaped. “Oh my God—Dean Underwood…” She pointed.
Dean laughed as Jackson turned to face him. “Hey! Look who made it,” he said, his eyes searching the auditorium for Abby.
“Hi there,” Dean said with a wave at Taylor, who was still frozen, staring at one of her hockey idols. “She okay?” he asked him.
Jackson wrapped an arm around her shoulder, drawing her forward. “Dean, this is Becky’s daughter, Taylor,” he said.
“My friend I’ve been telling you about,” Dani said, linking her hand in Dean’s. The look of pride on her face to be there with him made him glad that Dean had finally shown up for her. For his own sake that evening, not so much. Dean being there would no doubt have Abby on edge, and she certainly wouldn’t allow herself to be dragged into the equipment room for a quick kiss.
“Right, Taylor, the best left defenseman on the team.”
His niece blushed. Actually full-on blushed. He’d never thought it possible. “Th-thank you, Mr. Underwood…I’m a huge fan,” she said, finally finding her voice.
Dean smiled. “Call me Dean. Any friend of Dani’s is a friend of mine.”
Maybe This Time Page 19
