Page 17 of Dancing in the Rain

She closed her eyes and breathed in through her nose. Nodding, she turned to face him, her hands going back to the edge of the counter. “I’m okay. Sometimes it just…gets to me. I try to hold it together in front of Sara, but…I’m sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” He took one step closer, his eyes fastened on her face. “It’s understandable.”

“Sara…?”

“I think she dozed off.”

She let out a short breath. “Okay. Damn.” She lifted her chin. “This has to suck for you. It should be wonderful and amazing to meet the daughter you never knew you had, but here you are dragged into our family crap.” Her lips trembled and she pressed them together.

“Well,” he said, hands in the back pockets of his jeans. “I’m not sure if ‘wonderful and amazing’ is how I’d describe finding out I have a nearly twelve-year-old daughter I never knew about.”

She looked at him sharply. “You don’t have to be here.”

“That’s not what I meant. I’m just saying, I’m still in shock about this and I have no idea how to deal with it. But being sucked into your family crap actually puts my own problems in perspective. I feel like a selfish asshole being worried about what the hell I’m supposed to do about having a daughter. Christ.” He rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

“Oh.” Peyton swallowed.

“My life is shit right now,” he said. “Just being honest. And I’m competitive, but I think I can honestly say your shit is worse than my shit.”

She stared at him, and then amusement bubbled in her chest and came out in a short laugh. “Yay. I win.” She dropped her chin and shook her head, then looked back at him. “I’m competitive, too.”

His smile and the twinkle in his eye tugged at something inside her, a shared understanding. A shared sense of humor, no matter how bleak things were. That was important.

“Chloe has a sense of humor,” she said softly.

“Glad to hear it.” He rolled his eyes. “I haven’t had enough of a sense of humor lately.”

“You’ve been through some shitty things.”

“Yeah.” He acknowledged it, but didn’t elaborate.

“What are you doing now that your hockey career is done?”

His jaw tightened. “Haven’t quite figured that out yet.”

“Ah. Well, I’m sure there are tons of opportunities for a guy like you.”

“Tons.”

His clipped tone made her pause and she studied him.

“Yeah, I’m basically unemployed,” he said. “Might as well be honest about that up front.”

“Oh.” Peyton hadn’t been thinking that. She tucked her hair behind her ear. “Well, we did run a credit check on you.”

Drew huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, Sara told me about the background checks. Can’t say I blame her.”

“I’m glad you understand.”

“Can you tell me more about Chloe?”

“Sure. Would you like more coffee?”

“I’m good, thanks.”

“Well, just so you know, she’s not perfect. Lately she’s developed a bit of a tween attitude. There have been instances of eye-rolling and hints that she thinks her mom is an idiot. I haven’t been the recipient yet because I’m just the aunt. We’re close, but not close enough for her to disrespect me.”

“Yet she’ll disrespect her mom.”

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