Page 39 of Wildest Dreams

He walks towards the door, eyes finding mine before he gives a soft nod and disappears.

I wait a moment, heart racing beneath my chest before I close my bedroom door and sit on the edge of my bed. My eyes cast over my daughter, and I feel a mix of emotions run through me.

He came in here and soothed her to sleep.

He didn't want to disturb me.

A heavy sigh leaves me as I flop down on the bed and let my whirling thoughts consume me.

CHAPTER TEN

TRIPP

Pulling my tee over my head, I toss it to the floor. It had been a long ass day. I ached in places I never knew existed. Riggs worked me hard. I knew he was going to be a prick about it, but he was so much more of a prick than I expected.

My heart stammers in my chest when I think of Dixie. Was Riggs right to think that she is feeding back information to the Attaway’s? I can’t see it. I knew Dixie; sure, that was ten years ago but I somehow trusted her and I wasn’t sure if that made me an idiot.

The Dixie I knew left.

We had five days to get through until the funeral.

Almost one whole week.

She had been here nearing three days so far and it already felt like a month.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, I push my hand through my hair and a deep sigh passes my lips. Tugging my socks off, I ball them up and launch them across the room towards my tee.

I felt well and truly wrecked.

Pushing to my feet, I’m unbuttoning my dirty jeans when I hear a muffled cry. I ignore it for a moment, pushing them down, but after a minute or two, Lainey’s cry gets louder.

Tugging my jeans back up, I rush out of my room and into Dixie’s to see it empty and a now thrashing Lainey.

“Shh shh, it’s okay,” I say softly to Lainey. Holding her against my chest, I bounce gently then reach for her pacifier. Popping it into her mouth, she sucks it in and makes a sweet humming noise as I continue rocking. Her head is against my chest, my heart beating at a steady rate and I feel her getting heavy in my arms.

Everything that was once consuming my mind now fades into silence, and it’s just me and Lainey.

A creak in the floorboards has me looking towards the door when I see Dixie walk through, towel wrapped around her wet body. Suds still sitting on her silky skin, beautiful blue eyes wide, dark brown hair pulled into a messy bun. Her eyes skating between me and Lainey.

I lower my eyes back to her daughter, and I feel protective over her in an instant.

This little dot on my chest, soft snores leaving her, pacifier slowly slipping from her mouth.

“She was crying,” my voice is quiet, my body still rocking side to side. Her lips part slightly. “I didn’t want to disturb your bath, so I thought I would try and settle her.”

A soft gasp slips past her lips.

I turn to face her, walking slowly and delicately towards her, careful not to disturb Lainey as she shuffles down my chest.

She tightens the towel around her body and it wraps around her curves like a tailored dress. I force my greedy eyes away.

I shouldn’t be looking at her.

I shouldn’t be feeling the way I am.

Heart racing, palms sweaty and blood pumping around my body like fire coursing through my veins.

A step between us—maybe half—but I’m close to her. Sweetness fills my senses, daisies and honey swim around theroom, and I can’t get enough of her, inhaling deeply trying to take as much of her scent in as I can.

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