Vanessa’s son is not at all what I expected. I guess I assumed, based on her size, that he would be a five-foot nothing dorky sort of kid. Instead, he looks like a grown-ass man, taller than me, although on the lean side, with golden facial hair and the kind of cocky swagger that I don’t want anywhere near my daughters.
That’s why, when I see him by the pool Saturday afternoon, lurking near the edge to gawk at Cass sunbathing, I decide to intervene.
“Aren’t you going to join us?” Vanessa asks when I step outside, drawing my attention away from the horny frat boy talking up my daughter. The woman made to torture me is lounging on a long green foam float wearing a black bikini and large black sunglasses over her eyes with her hair all pulled up on top of her head.
My designer suit be dammed, if I didn’t have somewhere to be I would drag her ass out of the water right now and let her use me as a towel.
Instead, I talk my dick down. “There’s a celebrity poker tournament I have to attend tonight.”
“Okay. You’re a celebrity now?” she asks with a grin.
“No, but the man hosting it has insisted that I come.” Lochlan isn’t going to be happy when I show up without Madison, but I’ll just have to try and smooth things over the best I can.
“So, it’s not down in the casino?” Vanessa asks.
“No. It’s at Emerald Paradise.”
“Oh.” Her brow furrows. “Isn’t that the Irish run place?”
“Yes. But don’t worry, Lochlan Dunne is a friend.” At least I don’t think he’s turned on me yet.
“A friend?”
“That’s right. And I was going to see if Cole wanted to come and bring his friends along.”
“Come where?” the kid asks, swimming away from Cass to join our conversation.
“To a celebrity poker tournament,” I tell him.
“I didn’t think they allowed any spectators, that it was VIP players only.”
“They don’t allow spectators, but I can buy you and your friends in so you can play.” Lochlan won’t like that either probably, but he never said I couldn’t bring guests of my own.
“Then hell yes.”
“I don’t know, Cole…” Vanessa starts.
“Don’t rain on his parade, butterfly. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” I assure her. “He could win enough money to pay off his tuition.”
The kid is already sold, pulling himself out of the pool to grab a towel.
“The guys won’t fucking believe this,” he says as he starts drying off. “When should they be ready to go?”
“Now.”
“Oh. Okay. I’ll go change and round them up. Meet you downstairs in the lobby?”
“Ten minutes from now or I’m going without you,” I tell him, because as much as I want him away from Cass, I don’t want to show up late. Lochlan will think it was an intentional move to disrespect him.
“See you later, Mom,” Cole says as he heads back inside.
Vanessa scoffs. “Did you seriously just steal my son from me?”
“Why not?”
She eyes the door he just went through while chewing on her bottom lip. Turning back to me she says, “Do not let those boys blow any of their own money. And they’re only twenty so they’re not allowed to have any alcohol!”
“I won’t let them piss away any money or drink,” I promise her. “They’ll be fine. It’ll be fun.”
“If you say so.”
“I do,” I tell her. Crouching down next to the pool edge so only she can hear me I add softer, “Try not to burn yourself, butterfly. Red flesh or not, I’m going to lick every single one of your sexy tan lines when I get home tonight.”
“And you try to keep your dick in your pants around all those actresses.”
“All dicks will stay in pants, especially your son’s.”
Now she smiles up at me. “Is that what this is about? You don’t want my son around your daughter?”
“I still remember how I behaved at twenty, when my dick was everywhere except inside my pants. Cole may be your son, but he’s no different from any other guy in that regard.”
She considers that for a moment, then says, “Fine. I’ll make sure he knows your girls are off-limits.”
“Great. So will I, just to reiterate the point.”
“I’m sure you’ll scare the shit out of him to dissuade him from doing anything stupid.”
With a nod, I straighten back up, then walk around the pool to talk to Cass.
“How are you doing, sweetheart?” I ask.
“Fine.”
“Just fine?” I repeat. She doesn’t respond, probably doesn’t even open her eyes to look at me behind her dark sunglasses. “Did you train this morning with Saul?”
“Yes. Just like every other day. But I don’t know why I bother if you’re never gonna let me compete.”
“The purpose of learning jiu-jitsu is for self-defense, not to prove you’re better than everyone else.”
“Well, I am better than everyone else, so I want to compete.”
My first inclination is a flat-out refusal. But then I remember where refusing Madison got me. It’s been weeks, and I still don’t know where she is or if she’s okay.
“Fine. Send me the information for a nearby tournament, and I’ll think about it.”
“Really?” Now she removes her sunglasses.
“Yes.”
“Because you feel guilty and don’t want me to run away like Madison?”
“I don’t want to make the same mistake twice.”
“You know when Sophie finds out she’s going to ask to go play in tennis tournaments, right?”
“I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” I grumble. “And I haven’t agreed to anything with jiu-jitsu yet either. I need to know I can trust you to be safe.”
“I could probably take out any of the guards if I wanted to,” she sasses.
“Your trainer says you’re one of the best students he’s ever had,” I tell her. Not only do I record their lessons to watch for myself, but he sends me a report each day.
“Seriously?”
“Seriously.”
“And he’s like, really old.”
“He’s sixty-seven. That’s not really old.”
“Yeah, it is. You’re old and he’s really old.”
“Thanks for the compliment, Cass.”
“You’re welcome,” she replies with a smile. One of the first I’ve seen on her face in months, even before Madison left. It gives me hope that I’m not the absolute worst father in the world.
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