Protected by You

by Nikki Mays

  Don’t kill him in front of the cop, I warn myself.

  I’ll just wait until there are no witnesses and I have an air tight alibi.

  I bite the inside of my cheek to hold myself in check. Gritting my teeth I ask. “How would you like me to introduce you to people?”

  He shrugs one of his well-defined shoulders. “Oh, I don’t know? How about, my ex, my best friend, my business partner, my pretty much everything?” His eyes are twinkling like he’s standing in front of a Christmas display.

  I cross my arms and pretty much crumple the paper with the paint sample in my hand. “I think that calling you the father of my children covers it pretty well.”

  “If you say so.” He sniffs. I’m going to make sure that his death is long and painful.

  We’re dragged out of our death stare by an awkward cough. Shit! I forgot JJ was standing there.

  “So, I’m just going to go. It was, ah, nice meeting you. Sage, it was great to see you. I’m sure I’ll see you again.” JJ couldn’t sound anymore awkward if he tried.

  I can feel my face flush bright red. “Right, see you later.” I give the world’s dumbest little half wave. I wonder if I could just go jump in front of a bus?

  Danny gives him one of those weird guy chin lift things that make absolutely no sense. JJ nods before turning around and walking away from us. To his credit he doesn’t run like I’m sure that he totally wants to.

  I slap the jackass next to me across his rock hard stomach and seem to do more damage to myself than I did to him. Seriously, how many crunches does he do a day? Abs like that can’t be normal.

  I rub my hand while glaring up at the annoyance grinning down at me. “Really?”

  “What?” Stupid tries for innocent.

  “You couldn’t have just said hi and left it at that?”

  He shrugs again. “Meh. Where’s the fun in that?” He claps his hands together loudly...right next to my ear and grins when I cringe. Asshole. “Chop, chop. We have paint to get.” He singsongs before walking away.

  I wonder what an airtight alibi consists of?

  Of all the people that I could run into, I run into the one woman that I have been trying to avoid. I think to myself as I power walk out of Lowe’s and towards my truck. Do I want to avoid the gorgeous woman after one of the best dates that I’ve ever been on? No...fuck no! But I just don’t have any other choice right now.

  At my age, you would think that I would have my shit together a little better. But nope. I’m still just a big screw up.

  Seeing Sage with her ex the multimillionaire MMA fighter had me seething. I wondered why his face wasn’t disfigured like all the rest of the fighters. I could feel his glare the entire time that I stood by the two of them.

  I can’t really blame him about that. Sage is gorgeous and has a witty/sarcastic personality that drags you in. On our date she didn’t say things that she thought that I might want to hear.

  Nope she was a hundred percent real and it was damn refreshing. It’s probably one of the reasons why I can’t seem to get her out of my head. It has nothing at all to do with that face and body that could give models a run for their money. Yeah, you just keep lying to yourself buddy.

  I get into my truck, buckle my seat belt, start the engine and drive as far away from Lowe’s as quickly as possible. I start heading home until I realize that my daughter Paige isn’t with me this weekend.

  I hit the phone controls on my steering wheel. “Call Rocco.” I tell the automated system and wait for it to connect.

  “What’s up man?” Rocco’s voice booms through my speakers.

  “Not much. I don’t have Paige this weekend so I wanted to see what you were up to.”

  What I don’t say is that it’s incredibly lonely being in my house all by myself. I rub my hand across my eyes. Jesus I’m turning into a pansy. Maybe I should get myself a dog?

  “I’ve got nothing going on. Surprisingly none of my sisters have conned me into babysitting this weekend. Whatchya got in mind?”

  I think for all of two seconds before answering.

  “Wanna meet up at Home Plate for a few beers and some wings?”

  “Sure. Give me about an hour to get ready.”

  I give him an incredulous look even though he can’t see me.

  “Why the hell do you need an hour to get ready? What, are you turning into Declan now?”

  “I’m all sweaty. Some of us like to exercise old man. I’m sure the future Mrs. Montinello will appreciate all the work I do to my abs. Ya know, whenever I met her.”

  I smile and shake my head at the nutcase. “Just hurry up pretty boy. I highly doubt that you’ll be meeting your future wife at HP.”

  “You met Sage there didn’t you?” The smartass asks. I forget sometimes that he’s more observant than people give him credit for.

  I let out a loud groan. “Don’t remind me.”

  He huffs out a laugh. “Yeah, we’ll be talking about that later today my friend. Somehow you’ve fucked up the situation and I’m going to help you unfuck yourself.”

  My brows furrow at his comment. “We really don’t need...” I’m cut off.

  “See you in an hour.” Silence is all I hear. That motherfucker just cut me off and hung up on me.

  Since I have an hour to kill and don’t want to look like some weird alcoholic sitting at the bar alone I decide to drive over to Salad Works.

  I pull into the parking lot and park my truck next to one, in the long line of Prius' that are here.

  Inside I see that there’s a decent crowd but it isn’t jammed packed. Hopefully, I’ll be able to score a table after placing my order.

  I get in line behind a group of four women all in skin-tight workout gear. Though, I highly doubt that any of them have seen the inside of the gym, since their makeup is on and they don’t have a hair out of place.

  One of them looks back at me with a flick of her hair and gives me a coy smile. Well, what would be a coy smile if I wasn’t sure that she is well versed in the art of seduction. Her whole vibe screams lioness.

  I give her a smile with full dimples and point to the front. “They’re waiting for your order ma’am.”

  She blushes profusely and turns to the teenage girl working the front and gives her order without a backwards glance at me.

  It’s nice to know that I can still turn a few heads at my age but I just don’t have the patience for flirts right now. I have more important things on my mind like my daughter, my not so ex-wife and a certain brown haired/blue eyed woman...whom I really shouldn’t be thinking of as often as I do.

  When it’s finally my turn, since all four women had to ask the poor teenage girl how many calories were in every fucking thing that they ordered, I walk up and give the poor girl a small smile.

  “Hi! What can I make for you today sir?” She asks with more exuberance than I’m sure she’s feeling right about now.

  I look down at her. “I’ll do the pick two combo. I’ll take an avocado BLT sandwich and a fire roasted cabo jack salad with a bag of chips.”

  She punches my order in on the register. “Would you like anything to drink with that?”

  I nod my head “Yeah, I’ll have a bottle of gold peak green tea please.”

  After ordering I head to the pick up line. Food in my hand, I snag a table from a couple in their mid-twenties. The cop in me has to make sure that the wall is to my back so that I can see everything.

  Making quick work of my food, I’m almost finished when I hear a voice call out.

  “Daddy!” Yells Paige while running over to me.

  I barely have time to stand and catch her as she tackles me with a hug. Not that I’m complaining. She’s a daddy’s girl. Always has been and always will be, much to the dismay of her mother, Jackie.

  The same woman who is currently staring at me like she just smelled something foul. And her idiot fiancé Harold – I know what a fucking name - who tries giving me his best glare whenever he sees me and always
fails miserably.

  “Hey babygirl, having a good weekend?” I ask with a smile even though my food feels like a huge lump in my stomach right now. It kills me that I can’t be with her everyday.

  She gives me a smile that I know to be fake. “Yeah.” She says in a syrupy voice. “Mom and Harold have decided that we should all spend the whole day together! We’re even going hiking after this!”

  “That’s awesome sweets, I’m sure that you guys are going to have a ton of fun.” To my credit there is not one ounce of sarcasm in my voice. Though, I think it was easier going through Ranger training than doing that.

  But with Jackie standing directly behind Paige making sure that she hears every word, I will not be giving her any more ammunition to give me more hate filled rants.

  My daughter gives me a saccharine smile. Uh-oh that’s never a good look. “I tried to explain to Mom that hiking might not be the best idea. But she’s on a new health kick so here we all are. Eating salads and trying to finish a hike that only two of us can probably do.”

  It takes every amount of will power that I own not to burst out laughing or even smile at all of her backhanded comments towards her mom.

  I’m well aware that Paige doesn’t enjoy being near her mother as much anymore. Jackie’s plan to bad mouth me had backfired. She went low thinking it would win her favor.

  It didn’t. Paige is way too smart of a young woman to fall for things like that. Plus, she’s a daddy’s girl and did not take too kindly to some of the bullshit that her mother spewed.

  Jackie gives an annoyed huff and crosses her bony arms over her gigantic fake breasts

  “Paige you know that we ALL will finish the hike. And everyone needs to be healthy. Your father” –that's spat out with pure venom – “is obviously trying to eat healthy too. At his age it’s understandable.” She shrugs a bony shoulder.

  I narrow my eyes at the harpy that I got stuck with all because the condom broke. Not that I would trade my daughter for anything in this world but shit. Ten years with her mother is probably the thing that has aged me the most.

  Of course, my sweet teenage girl filled with piss and vinegar comes to her dad’s defense.

  Pursing her lips and crossing her arms to mimic her mother’s stance she goes: “Even though Dad is eight years older than you and Harold, he doesn’t get winded walking up a flight of steps. And considering how many women have been staring at Dad’s muscles, I’m guessing none of them care at all how old he is.”

  I literally spit out the sip of my green tea that I had just taken during her rant so that Jackie wouldn’t see me smirking.

  “Paige!” I choke out.

  She looks over at me and shrugs innocently. Well it would be innocently if her eyes weren’t dancing with mischief. “What? All of my friends, their moms and my teachers refer to you as a Silver Fox with muscles for days. One of my teachers even said that she wouldn’t mind if I started acting out so that she could call you into more parent teacher conferences.”

  She pauses and smooshes her lips around. “I’m pretty sure that I wasn’t supposed to hear her say that to Ms. Keals, the chemistry teacher. But whatever, they all think that you’re hot no matter your age.”

  I rub my forehead and try to figure out how to answer.

  “She’s right you know!” We all swivel our heads in the direction of the feminine voice that just shouted that. A woman that has to be in her early twenties with what I’m told by Paige is called mermaid hair color. Even with the weird hair color she is extremely attractive.

  “Right about what?” Jackie hisses like a snake at her.

  The woman gives her a malicious smirk. “That man is fine. I couldn’t care less what his age is. He looks like someone I definitely wouldn’t mind handcuffing me.”

  I give her a quizzical smile. “How did you know that I was a cop?”

  The smile she gives me in return is nothing but pure unadulterated sex. “I didn’t.”

  I’m pretty sure that my face is as red as a fire hydrant. I rub my forehead again because I have absolutely no idea how to respond to that.

  I should’ve realized that Paige would have no problem answering for me. “He’s totally single and a member of the SWAT team. They have to stay in really good shape.”

  I’m now sure that my face could be used to melt butter on. “Paige, you really don’t need to be giving people details about my life.” I murmur to my child who is basically pimping me out. Seriously, is this what my life has come to?

  “Honestly Paige, don’t you realize how pathetic you’re making him sound. Poor guy needs his daughter to help him get a date.” My ex nightmare replies with nothing short of glee in her voice.

  Behind her Harold gives an uncomfortable chuckle. “Honey, why don’t we just go place our order, that way we can eat? And then get on with our fun filled hike.” He says with only a small grimace.

  I’m actually worried that a hike might end up killing the bastard. I can’t have that. Our paperwork got fucked up and we’re still legally married until next month. Then they’re getting married four months later.

  I am so close to being fully rid of her that I can taste it. It tastes sweeter than apple pie covered in vanilla ice cream. Sure, I still have to deal with her until Paige is eighteen and pay child support. But four years is nothing, especially if she’s busy making someone else miserable!

  With the end so close in sight, I just bite my tongue and bide my time. So very close.

  “Whatever.” Jackass...I mean Jackie huffs. “Let’s go somewhere else. I lost my appetite for the cheap food here anyway.” She sneers around at everyone because she’s classy like that.

  She rounds on our daughter. “And don’t think that we won’t be talking about your attitude young lady.”

  Paige raises an eyebrow. “I wouldn’t dream of it.” She drawls.

  Jackie turns and latches onto Harold’s arm and storms off without another word. Miracles do exist.

  I look down at my sweet girl who is the spitting image of me. “You gonna be okay sassy pants?”

  She smirks at my nickname for her and lifts one shoulder. “Eh, I’ll be fine. She’s been so consumed with her wedding that she barely acknowledges my existence. I’m pretty sure this whole day is just to torture us because her wedding planner isn’t available this weekend.” Paige states matter of factly. “The lucky bitch.” She murmurs...just not low enough.

  “Language.” I scold and receive an eye roll.

  Paige gives me a smile and stands on her tippy toes. “Love you Daddy. I’ll call you tonight.” She gives me a kiss on the cheek and walks away.

  Yeah, I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker when it comes to my little girl. She knows exactly how to play her old man.

  I look at my phone and realize that almost an hour has passed. I toss my garbage into the bin, blush at the wink the mermaid woman throws my way when I walk past and rush out to my truck. I could most definitely use a beer or thirty after dealing with Jackie.

  Two Hours Later:

  I listen to Rocco chuckle once again, in turn making me start to laugh again as well. We’ve been laughing at what happened earlier today and how Paige put my ex in her place. He’s also found the mermaid woman’s comments extremely entertaining. I can’t really blame him though. If the shoe was on the other foot, I sure as shit would be entertained as hell.

  Rocco wipes under his eyes and takes a long pull of his beer. “What I don’t understand is why you didn’t get that chick’s number? First, you know that it would’ve pissed your ex Jackal the hell off. Second, and most importantly, that woman wanted nothing more than to handcuff you to her bed. Or let you do the handcuffing. Either way, that spells nothing but fun man.”

  I look down at the bottle of Bud in my hands and start to peel at the wrapper. “You know why.” I say in a hushed tone.

  “That’s an easy fix man.”

  I turn my head to left and raise my eyebrow at him. I get a grimace in return. “Okay, maybe not
easy, easy. But definitely not impossible.” He tries infusing his voice with confidence that we both know shouldn’t be there.

  He’s the only one that I told about Sage. Mainly because he’s the one that I’m the closest to. And second because Marc had just been shot by Kay’s fucking coke head ex-husband. It just didn’t really seem to be the right thing to do.

  Now though, I’m kicking myself that I didn’t go to Kay for some advice. I fucked up royally. There really is no other way around it.

  We went out and had an amazing night, two nights before Marc got shot. So, me not calling her could’ve been excusable. Then finding out a few days later, that due to some error at the county clerk's office, I was still legally married to Jackie? Yeah, I went a little off the rails and pretty much stayed hidden if it wasn’t for work or Paige.

  The worst part of it is that whenever I saw Sage afterwards, I was so ashamed of my actions that I kind of pretended like the whole date never happened. I know, I know, but even a man who is closer to forty than he is to thirty can still be a royal fuck up.

  So here I sit with one of my best friends looking at me with pity shining in his eyes. He knows how much I like Sage. He also knows that it would take a miracle for her to even consider another date with me at this point.

  Add in a multimillionaire ex who is still very involved in her life. One who looks like he wanted to rip out my throat? Yeah, I don’t have a snowballs chance in hell at this point.

  “And what should I say to her as to why we had a great night and that I’ve pretty much ignored her ever since?” I ask hoping he has a genius response. I should know better though.

  He gives me a smirk that usually has woman crawling all over him. “Set up a way for her to meet Jackie and then tell her how horrified you were to still be married to the shrew. She’ll probably forgive you instantly and bake you a cake in sympathy.”

  “I see that working out perfectly.” I reply dryly.

  He gives me an annoyed look. Right, because I’m the one saying asinine shit. “Well, you’re not getting any younger and she’s gorgeous, funny, successful, down to earth...you know, pretty much every man’s dream.”