Page 167 of Steel

One of the stipulations I put in place with the rehab center was that Heather can call Lyric and me anytime she needed or wanted to. Heather’s called me a few times, and I know she’s called Lyric a couple too, but I can’t recall her doing it lately.

“I’ll do a check-in tomorrow. Sound good?”

“Thank you, Daddy.” She peers up at me. “I just want to know she’s feeling better.”

“I’m sure she’s just been super busy trying to get better, little bit,” Bailee says gently as she walks into the room.

She stops beside me, placing one hand on my shoulder and the other on Lyric’s. “Why don’t we go have some fun tonight, and tomorrow, we’ll make something special for your mom while your dad checks on her?”

Lyric’s face clears as she beams up at Bailee. “Promise we can?”

“Absolutely.”

“Thank you, Bee.”

“You’re welcome, my little heart song. Anything for you. Now, why don’t you go put your shoes on so we can go, yeah? Is there anything you want me to shove in your bag?”

“Nope,” Lyric says, her lips popping on the last letters.

Bailee runs her finger down Lyric’s nose in a move that’s becoming familiar, causing Lyric’s smile to widen. “Run along, little bit. Dad and I will be right out behind you.”

I climb to my feet and slide my hand around the back of her neck. “You’re good with her.”

Bailee shrugs, lifting her hand and curling it around my wrist. “It’s not hard to be good to her.”

“More than that, Hummingbird. You treat her as your own.”

She bites her lip, her eyes unsure. “Is that not okay?”

“Fuckin’ perfect. You give her what she craves. More than what she’s ever gotten from her mom. Even knowin’ it won’t matter to Heather, you’re still goin’ to do something for her to make Lyric feel better.”

“I love her,” she states simply.

Fuck, this woman keeps burrowing further into my heart.

I give her a quick kiss, wishing I had more time to show her how much I appreciate her loving my daughter like she does.

“Let’s go be with your family,” Bailee murmurs when I pull back.

I tune out Tweek’s ridiculous shit he’s spouting about a hookup as I watch the flames of the fire dance along Bailee’s features. She’s chatting with Nova and Kiwi, her head falling back as laughter pours from her mouth. Her eyes keep finding Lyric, reassuring herself that she’s fine despite being surrounded by somany people who’d die to protect her. She’s got the instincts of a parent who loves their child without wearing the title.

Yet.

Without wearing the titleyet.

It’s a reassurance I hadn’t known I was searching for from her.

Bailee lifts her camera, snapping some pictures of Kiwi and Nova before she turning it toward where Wraith and Crow are standing. Her face softens behind the lens, and I know she’s capturing some shots of Wraith holding his new daughter, Tilly.

Lyric is chattering away to Big Johnson and Sprinkles. They watch her with amusement, nodding along to whatever she’s going on about.

She’s having fun, and that’s all that matters. Her mind is no longer on her mom.

“Things good with you two?” Thrasher asks from my side, lifting his bottle of water to take a drink.

Usually, we’d all have beers in our hands, but with everything that’s been going on, we want to keep our heads about us.

“Reckon so,” I reply. “How’s your mom?”

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