Page 133 of Dancing in the Rain

His teeth ground together. “Fine. You like plans. You draw something up. Then we’ll talk again.”

He lifted a hand to signal the server that they wanted the check, frustration expanding in his chest.

Peyton reached for her purse and he slashed a hand through the air. “Don’t even fucking think about it. I’ve got this.”

She opened her mouth as if to argue, with her usual stubborn competitiveness. He glared at her and she pressed her lips into a grim line. “Thank you.”

He tossed cash on the table since he couldn’t be bothered to wait to pay with a credit card and shoved his chair back. “I have to go. I have a meeting at two.”

She nodded stiffly and rose. “Yeah, I have…” Her words trailed off. Then she straightened her shoulders. “I have a lot to do also.”

He walked out of the restaurant nearly blind, ignoring everything around him, his chest on fire.

This wasn’t what he wanted. Goddammit, she was stubborn.

Luckily his week was full with working with the midget players he’d talked to, getting on the ice with them and recording their shooting, then analyzing it and working with them on his strategies for scoring. He was still going in to Paterson House because that felt good. And he was punishing himself in the gym, working out until sweat was stinging his eyes and his muscles felt like memory foam.

He took Chloe to her dance class on Wednesday and picked her up after school on Friday to take her out for pizza.

“Auntie P asked if I want to live with you,” Chloe said over a deep dish pie brimming with spicy tomato sauce and cheese. He caught the wariness in her eyes.

Drew held her gaze steadily. “Yeah. She told me that.”

“Do you want that?”

“I would love that,” he said. “But we’re still getting to know each other. And you’re settled in your house with Peyton. We don’t have to decide anything right away. Maybe once in a while you could stay over, like you did when Peyton went to New York.”

She nodded. “That would be cool.” She dropped her gaze. “I feel bad because she quit her job for me.”

Christ. He didn’t know what to say. “I feel bad, too,” he finally said in a low voice.

“I thought maybe if I lived with you, she could stay in New York. But…” Her voice quavered. “But I’d miss her. And anyway, she already quit her job.”

His jaw dropped. He shook his head violently. “No, Chloe. She didn’t want that. She would missyoutoo much.”

“Yeah. I think she was upset when we talked about me living with you.”

No shit. “I think we all just need time to get used to all these changes. It’s been hard for everyone.”

When he took her home, Peyton greeted him with cool reserve and handed him a piece of paper.

“What’s this?”

“A schedule. You asked for it.”

He stared at the table she’d created with Chloe’s weekly schedule, his name by a few items. He resisted the impulse to crush it in his fist. His teeth hurt from clenching them. Then he nodded. “Fine.”

He caught Chloe watching them, her mouth unsmiling, her eyes shadowed and darting back and forth between them.

He forced a smile. “I mean great. This is really helpful. Thanks, Peyton.” He turned his smile on Chloe. “Gimme a hug, kiddo.”

She moved into his arms and he held her little body close for a brief moment, his heart tilting. Then he released her. “Night. See you Sunday for the game.”

The Blackhawks had an afternoon game he was going to take her to.

“Night, Dad.”

His heart contracted at the sound of that name on his daughter’s lips. He felt like an imposter, like he didn’t deserve to be called that. But he remembered his mom’s words. Love her. That’s all it takes.He could do that.

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