Page 52 of Totally Off Limits

“Just a sec,” Sierra said, darting off to the kitchen to get the house playset, hoping to save the day. Her child was getting tired as bedtime neared and so a little fussiness might be inevitable—but it was still half an hour before it was time to put her to bed. Once back in the living room, she said, “Baby, I brought this.”

“Nuh-uh,” Mia all but grunted. The bass was the only thing that had her attention.

“Well, it’s here if you want it.”

As she sat back down next to Mickey, he said, “Sorry if I’ve created a monster.”

“No. If anyone has, it’s my mother.”

For a second, Mickey acted like he was going to say something, but he stopped himself. When he turned back to Mia, he said, “Show meG.”

Mia looked up at him and then touched a string on the bass, glancing back at her unknown father with a toothy grin. In that moment, it was as if her child’s fist were wrapped around her heart, squeezing. Watching how good he was with Mia made her heart melt.

“She’s got your smile.”

“Does she?” Sierra had never thought much about it, because she’d only ever been able to see Mickey in her child’s face—and she’d often felt like everyone else should have been able to see it, too. Either they were denying it to themselves or she could only see it because she knew.

Thatshit she had to keep off her face, or Mickey would figure it out.

“She’s so damn smart, too. Is she going to a special school or anything?”

“I read to her and stuff and have her watch educational programs on TV. Really, though, as much as I hate to admit it, a lot of that is thanks to her grandma.”

“Why do you hate to admit it?” Mickey asked, leaning back against the couch while Mia continued touching the strings on the bass.

Sierra also relaxed into the sofa, pulling her eyes from her daughter. “Let’s just say my mother and I have a…strainedrelationship.”

“Does she beat the shit out of you?”

“What?No.” Sierra snuck a glance at Mia to make sure theS-word wasn’t registering again—but the child was too intent.

“That’s a plus.”

“I suppose it is.” And, when he put it that way, perhaps all of her complaints might seem petty—so she shut her mouth again.

“So what does she do? Is she mentally abusive?”

“Kind of. She’s been controlling me her whole life, and it’s difficult breaking out of that pattern.” Mickey didn’t say a word, instead just looking at her, nodding—but she was sure he didn’t understand. She wasn’t going to try to convince him, either, because compared to his childhood, hers had been a cakewalk. “So my plan is to finish school and then move far away.”

“You said that before—but why don’t you just move now? Aren’t you taking classes online?”

“Yeah, but…it’s not that easy.”

“Why not?”

This was the part that was going to make Sierra seem like a complete asshole. “Because my mom watches Mia for free. Daycare’s crazy expensive, and I know Mia is in safe hands with her grandma.”

Again, Mickey didn’t say a word, and Sierra had no idea if it was because he was judging her or if he was trying to make sense of it.

It made her lips looser. “I know that’s selfish, but I want the best for Mia. Once I can make six figures a year while still being able to take care of Mia outside of school hours, I’m going to move—probably out of state. And I’m not going to cut my family off. We’ll still talk and visit, but I won’t have my mother constantly judging me, telling me what I should do, where I should go…what I should be.”

They were silent for a bit until Mickey finally said, “She does that because she loves you, right?”

“I think partially. But I think it’s even more that she doesn’t want me to be a bigger embarrassment to the family than I already am.”

“How the hell could you ever be an embarrassment to your family?” His dark eyes told her he thought she was losing her mind.

How could she explain it so that he would understand?

---