Page 20 of Derick

“Sorry. Games like this remind me of times when things were good. The gang would go away, and the kids would stay at the compound and play all the games. It was one of the only times I remember feeling safe.”

He gathered me into his embrace, and I snuggled against him, smelling his fresh sage, with a hint of lemon, aftershave.

“I’ve had fun tonight.” I tilted my head back and stared at him. As soon as our gazes clashed, his eyes swirled a warm chocolate that had all my other thoughts vanishing and my soul focus on the tilt of his lips as they rose in a smile that promised things I’ve only ever read about. “This has been the perfect first date for me. Thank you.” I wanted him to know that everything he’d done were things I’d only fantasized about.

“You never have to thank me for spending time with you. I’ve had so much fun too. I don’t get to let go like I have tonight much. Well, not since what happened with Dustan and attending university full time. Now I just have to top this on our second date.”

Taking a step back, I beamed up at him as he confirmed that we would have a second date. My heart soared, and I just knew I’d made the right choice from the start trusting my instinct and how I felt connected to Derick. Maybe the curse, er gift, he told me about was real.

Derick

I had surprisedmyself by winning bowling and putt-putt golf when my focus was on Ruby. I studied everything about her: the way her hair fell into her eyes when she became shy, the far-off look in her eyes when she was thinking of things that brought her off the track and into darker paths. She’d had a hard life. I could never blame her for what her parents did. Her therapist had warned my parents and I that with the life Ruby had led, and for her to stay moving forward to her happiness, she may getlost sometimes in memories and to let her. I’d learned when she was happy, content, excited, and even when her passion spiked, because her dandelion eyes became most prominent. Not one to talk endlessly about trivial things, Ruby was quiet. She wasn’t mouthy, or sassy yet.

I could tell she was starting to trust a little more. Ruby no longer stuttered. The therapist had a theory that because she felt safe, she didn’t do it anymore. She’d stopped panicking in the morning if she couldn’t find Hope. She didn’t get as upset when we spoiled Hope with gifts and was even starting to not protest when something was gotten for her. I knew from Mason that with what she had gone through that the process to get her to trust and feel comfortable could take a while. Mason’s wife, Alexa, had been in a similar situation as Ruby, but she’d been good at hiding and had at least gone to school.

Tomorrow I had a plan to talk to Ruby about school. She had investigated school and had started getting everything she’d need for it. She had options, and if she wanted, she could get whatever level of education she wanted and at the pace she wanted too. My family and I would be honored to help in any way. I didn’t want to push her into anything she didn’t want, so I was hesitant about how I went about asking. I had a feeling she would want to get some type of education. She devoured the books she got and had even read many from the library at the house. I’d helped her fill out forms and enquire into a couple of schools weeks ago, but nothing had advanced on the matter since then.

Kissing her last night and then going to my own room had been torture. I wanted her with me, in my bed. I knew Ruby wasn’t ready for that step yet, no matter how much I wanted it for myself. I’d taken to fighting to let off steam, and cold showers were all I seemed to ever have since meeting her.

Mason’s coach yelled, “Get your head in the game, Derick, or Mason will kill you, kid.”

His words brought me back to the fight before me. Mason was training for an upcoming fight, and because I’d been so angry lately— well, before meeting Ruby— I’d been eager to be his partner to let off steam. Now I needed to fight for the same thing, just a different reason.

I dodged just in time to miss a fist to my chin. I rose, back in the game, and channeled my need for Ruby into the fight. “Fuck. Mason, stop going easy on me.”

“Fuck you, Derick. I thought with all the practice we’ve been getting in, you wouldn’t need Micky to warn you. Pussy.” Mason sucked at bantering. When he fought, he wasn’t one for smack talk. He tried, but unless he was fighting with his brothers, who he knew all his life and all their embarrassing secrets, he didn’t have dirty talk.

Rolling my eyes, I took a step back and to the side as his fist missed me again. “Mason, you’re slow. What’s up? Alexa getting too tired to ease you? Is ‘Miss Palmer’ not helping ease your pain? Is impending fatherhood making you slow?”

You never insulted a Silverman woman. I knew this would make Mason fuming mad. I wanted a good fight to wear me out, and now I would get it. As he roared, I had a feeling that I was probably going to be in pain for the next couple of days after what I’d just said.

On the bright side, it may help with my own frustration that I had to take it slow with Ruby.

I hurt everywhere.I would never say anything about Alexa again. Mason had been brutal after I talked about his wife, but Ihad a feeling he needed the no-holds-barred workout if he was going to have a chance at his upcoming fight. Andrew had been training with Mason, and even Arron, Divinity’s brother, but not many other men were game enough to spar with us Silverman, and it was hard to find people we trusted. Some of our guards sparred, but we couldn’t risk them getting hurt.

Andrew had asked me to take over sparring with Mason for his upcoming fight because, and I quote, ‘I can’t keep looking like a big purple bruise for the ladies, ’cause I’m not getting laid.’ Even thinking of that I rolled my eyes. My cousin was a huge ladies’ man. I had no idea how though, but I had a feeling it was more the Silverman name as Andrew was a major dick. He was also the troublemaker in the family.

Ruby was with her therapist, and then my mother was taking her for a spa day. Hope had come with me to the gym, and I had thought she might go to the daycare, but as soon as Andrew saw Hope, he fell under her spell and took her out for a walk.

“Daaaddddyyyy!” Hope yelled.

Bracing myself, I gritted my teeth as I leaned down and opened my arms as Hope ran into them. I rose with her, her arms around my neck. Hope smothered me in kisses, and I bit my tongue to hide my wince when her knees dug into my ribs in her excitement.

“Guess what? Both Poppy and unclze Adwes, says I’m irsisitabbbled and don’t realize the powers I wielded.” Hope yelled in my ears. She wiggled in my embrace until she could look me in the eyes. “What’s that meanded?” Hope’s brows furrowed and her lips pursed.

She was utterly adorable. The pigtails she had today with rainbow lace through them and a fairy dress, or costume, I knew my mother had gotten for her. I was sure Hope had a new outfit for every day of the year. Because since she’d moved in, I hadn’t seen her in anything twice. Today though, she looked morelike an angel than a fairy. Her unusual dandelion eyes shone brightly, and her cheeks were a healthy, rosy red. A good ninety-five percent of the time her lips were spread in a beaming smile but now they were set in a determined pout.

Hope was beyond adorable. I knew she would get away with anything because of it. “It means that you are way too cute to say no to.” I bopped her nose.

“But Mummy says no’sss all the times.” She nodded her head dramatically, and I couldn’t hold back my laugh.

“I think your mum is the only one with the power to say no.” I was sure I couldn’t and was damn grateful I hadn’t had to yet. “Your mummy is special.”

“Ahha, she’s the best.” Hope patted my cheek. “Cans wes goes see her now sos I can show Mummy whats unclze adwes got me.”

Closing my eyes, I said a prayer that Andrew had at least got age-appropriate things for Hope. On a sigh, I opened my eyes and kissed her cheek before I turned and saw Andrew laden down with a massive teddy bear almost the size of him and bags overflowing with pink things.

“Oh my God, cous’, you have the biggest chick magnet ever. Not only is she super cute, but your daughter attracts hot women like moths to a flame. I’ll take her anytime.”

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