Page 17 of Rolling with the Single Daddies

A weak smile crosses her lips, hinting that I’ve hit a nerve. She steps away. “You’re right. She’s the one good thing that came out of that relationship.”

She stops near a framed photo of her roller derby team. Something about one of her teammates nags at me, ahalf-formed memory I can’t quite grasp. I shake it off, not wanting to ruin this moment of connection.

I step behind her, drawn by some invisible force. Probably just not wanting to come across as a dismissive asshole since I know nothing about Bella’s father. Resting my hands on her shoulders, I say, “We just have to do our best to move forward, protect our children, and raise them to be good people.”

Avery turns, our hands linking between us. She laughs softly. “What if it’s not that easy?”

“It’s not easy, but it’s all we can do.”

How have I ended up this close to her again? Physically and emotionally.

The front door opens and closes. Diego calls out, “Where’s my sexy mama?”

I jerk back, guilt and confusion warring in my chest, my head… my cock. Avery looks equally flustered, smoothing her hair as we back away from each other.

“I should… check on the kids,” she mumbles, fleeing.

Diego just laughs and goes to the kitchen. I think he likes me being tortured by Avery’s presence. His relationships are too shallow and fleeting for him to understand the levels of connection I have with her.

And yet, I’m not even sure I understand the connections.

Resuming my mission to set the relationships straight, I corner Diego in the kitchen. “We need to talkabout Avery.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Agreed. I think we could make this three-way thing work.”

“What the fuck? It’s not what it looked like.”

“Which time? Just then or when I walked in on the two of you kissing?”

“Either time. I told her about Evie’s mom, and that she was murdered. She opened up about her ex a little. We shared trauma moments. That’s all.”

Diego nods slowly, then grins. “Just admit it. You want to hook up with your nanny.”

“She’s great with Evie. I don’t want to mess things up.”

“Or are you afraid to fall in love again?”

“It’s not love. It’s caring and compassion. Something you could learn if you ever want a relationship to last more than one night.”

“Ouch, bro,” he jokes.

“Someday you’ll wish you weren’t so afraid to be open with a woman.”

“Open with a woman. That’s good coming from a guy who hasn’t dated—”

“Fuck off.” I retreat to my bedroom. Besides, Avery’s too young. It would never work. Unless I consider all of the other guys in our MC who are hooking up with younger women, taking care of them, finding true happiness.

I spend the rest of the day alone debating whether I should test this thing between Avery and me… and Diego. I’d told herI would be at the shop all day so she already planned on taking care of the kids.

Fuck! I should be out there with her. With them.

How can my heart be so loyal to my wife and yet drawn to Avery? Is it anything more than a desire to protect a young mother? A desire to do what I couldn’t do for my wife?

Finally working up the courage to talk to Avery, I follow the faint sound of her voice to her bedroom. Passing the nursery, I stop in to kiss my finger and tap it on each of our sleeping girls.

As I get closer to Avery’s room, I figure out she’s on the phone, her voice hushed and tense. “I’m doing what I have to.”

I pause out of sight. It’s wrong to eavesdrop, but I have to think of Evie, about the people I let into our family.

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