Page 76 of Second Chance Baby

Carrington wrinkled her nose in a perfect imitation of her mom. “Uncle Penn has a new girlfriend down at the lake? When did he have an old one down there?”

“Funny, kid.” I rolled my eyes at her, and she stuck her tongue out at me.

“You’re doing another shoot together?” She looked over her shoulder at her mom. “More dirty pictures?”

“Definitely not, since this one is outside. I’m not sure what we’ll be doing, actually, but Rita seems nice in any case.”

“Uncle Penn’s new lake girlfriend?” Carrington asked again to be annoying, something she excelled at.

“I don’t know when you got to be such a smart aleck, but I have to say keep it up, kid.” I stood up and scratched the back of my head. “I’m gonna take a quick shower and get dressed then we’ll drop the monkey butt off at school.”

“Yes,” she said primly, “I really didn’t want to have to tell my teacher I was late because of my parents.”

“Oh, the horrors.” I smirked at her before heading off to the bathroom, savoring the normalcy of hearing them talking and laughing like any other mother and daughter while I got ready.

Small, basic things always made me feel better about our situation. I wanted the boring and mundane. I was even looking forward to teen meltdowns now that I’d have Bridget to help me.

I took a shower, taking the time to actually condition my hair and trim up my beard for the all-seeing camera. I finished up my morning routine, then I dressed quickly and headed back to the bedroom. I froze in the doorway, my gaze on Bridget lying down in bed with Carrington in her arms. Exactly what I’d dreamed about was right there in front of me. They were talking quietly, and she was stroking her hair so slowly and methodically, I wasn’t surprised to see Care clearly drifting.

Then she spoke. “Daddy, Mom said she has a letter for me for every month she was gone in her apartment. So, we gotta make sure we pack those when we go.”

I swallowed hard. “Of course we will. I figured we could go down to the city and get that taken care of this weekend. You game?”

“Sure.” Bridget’s quick assent went a long way to easing the thread of unease still inside me. As much as I wanted to believe in her—and inus—I still had a lot of the past to work through. So, I was taking it one day at a time.

I also had a feeling we’d be seeing that couples’ therapist sooner rather than later.

I didn’t hold back my grin. “Maybe before we have Rita and Penn over for that cookout. Though we do need to pick up some marshmallows. Bet Biscuit will like those too.”

Carrington scrambled to the end of the bed. “Can we get Biscuit back today? Yesterday didn’t work out but maybe Aunt Lacey will be home after school so we can get him then?’

I nodded. “I figured we’d go grab him after the shoot. Speaking of,” I tweaked Bridget’s foot currently poking out from under the covers, “we should get a move on since we still gotta drop off this one.”

“You’re right. I showered last night so I’ll be just a few minutes.” Bridget rolled out of bed and hurried to the en suite bathroom.

Carrington propped her chin on her hand as she appeared to think something through. “I think she is really gonna stay this time, Dad.”

“Yeah? Me too.” I sat beside her on the bed and looped my arm around her shoulders. “But Gams suggested we talk to someone professional like she and Pops are doing, and if your mom is on board with it, I think we will. Maybe you could talk to someone too. If you wanted to, that is.”

“Like a therapist?” She puckered her lips. “Jesse has one of those.”

Jesse again, the friend who may or may not have been pent-up sexually. Heaven help me.

“Yeah, a therapist. Is Jesse a friend? Or is he your boyfriend?”

She didn’t bust out with laughter as she had the last time I had asked a similar question. Loudly and over the top as if there wasn’t any possibility of such a thing.

“What are we talking about?” Bridget came out of the bathroom wearing a snug pale yellow floral dress that showed off her curves to the best possible advantage. I had to swallow hard when my mouth went dry.

“I asked Care if a kid at school named Jesse was her boyfriend.”

“Oh, is he?” Bridget sat on the edge of the bed, her face relaxed and natural as if the very question didn’t twist her up like it did with me.

Guess that was why it was better if a kid could have two parents, because they always had a variety of opinions then.

“He’s a friend who is a boy.” Carrington shrugged.

“Is he the boy I saw you with the other day when I picked you up at school?”

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