Page 71 of Dagger

Maybe Kennedy had a point that day in her office. She said I should stop putting pressure on myself and just get to know John again. Had I been so hell-bent on protecting myself that I’d gone too far and pushed good away?

Glancing up, green clashed with gold, and my lips curved involuntarily at the warmth sliding through me.

You okay?John mouthed, inclining his head toward Adele.

My heart swelled at his care.

I had no doubt John had kept an eye on me and Adele while we’d been talking.

It felt nice and simple, and the ease of it touched me somewhere deep. It was such a small thing, but I hadn’t been cared for since before my momma died.

It was the little things that meant everything.

My smile widened, and my heart fluttered inside my chest.

I’m fine, I mouthed back.

And then something suddenly struck me.

For the first time in a long time, I was.

Chapter Thirteen

Dagger

My asshole was clenching like a motherfucker.

“What the fuck does Dell want with her?” I muttered to myself.

Freya craned her neck to study my ex-wife and the love of my life, having a powwow before turning back to me wearing a smirk. “Mom will be clueing her in.”

My ass clenched again, and I scraped a hand down my face. “Fuckin’ great.”

Freya laughed, and my throat went dry as I watched her entire face light up. I pulled back, still holding her at arm’s length while I studied my daughter’s gorgeous face.

The last time I saw Freya in person was when she and her mother stormed the clubhouse to collect her stuff. Back then, tension was etched into her features, probably because of the shitty way I’d treated her. Now, Freya’s expression was calm, content, and relaxed, and I didn’t mind admitting I felt relieved.

“You look good, Frey,” I murmured. “You seem happy.”

My girl beamed at me. “I am, Dad. I love my job.” She looked me dead in the eye and said in a low tone, “And I love Colt, too. He’s good to me.”

My heart sank when I thought how close I’d come to screwing up my and my daughter’s relationship in ways that were permanent.

I’d always doted on my girl and went over and above to protect her. Since she’d left, I’d had time to reflect and realized I’d gone over the top.

Dipping my chin, I caught Freya’s gaze. “The grapevine told me shit between you both was rocky at first.”

Freya shrugged. “It was hard to settle initially. I mean, he did keep disappearing on me, and we were under a lot of pressure. But things got way better pretty quickly. I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else now. I miss everyone here, but I like Virginia. It feels like it’s where I’m meant to be.”

Sliding my hands down her arms, I took her hands in mine.

Something sharp caught my skin. I looked down, and my forehead creased as my stare caught on the glimmer of a ring. “What the fuck’s this?” I lifted her hand up to study the huge diamond on her finger.

Freya raised her chin defiantly. “Colt asked me to marry him, and I said yes. It’s not official yet, though our moms know. Things between us were fraught, so I thought it would be better to tell you face-to-face.”

I released Freya’s fingers, my hand raising rub at the ache shooting through my chest.

It hurt that I was the last to know my baby girl was getting wed, but it hurt more knowing I only had myself to blame.

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