Page 87 of Toxic

“You don’t want more kids?” Daisha asked.

“You make really cute kids,” Tori added.

They were all starting to walk, as a group, toward the tables where the food was.

Pressure held me back and I looked up at Daryl. He finally let me go and crossed his arms over his chest. He was still smiling or I’d have been worried. I understood now where Toxic had gotten so many of his mannerisms.

“Let’s talk for a few minutes, Darlin’.”

And his charm.

“Okay,” I said with a nervous smile.

“Don’t worry. I don’t bite.” We walked over to an empty picnic table and I sat down. Daryl remained standing.

“I just need to tell you somethin’ about my son.”

Looking over, I spotted Toxic. He was the one holding Dani’s baby now and I all but melted seeing the ease with which he was holding the little girl. “He’s wonderful,” I said before Daryl could say anything.

Some of the tension bled out of Daryl’s shoulders. “I’m glad you can see that.”

“Who can’t?” I asked, really wondering who would think badly of that man.

“He’s a bit of a…”

I had to hold myself back from saying fuckboy in response. It was one of Keely’s favorite descriptions of men who slept around. She’d gotten me used to saying it. But this was Toxic’s dad. I wasn’t going to say that to him. “I know.”

“That doesn’t mean he’s not loyal,” he said, moving past giving his son a description. “He just likes to have a good time. Always has. Brad was the serious one. My older son,” he explained. “Tried to keep Boone out of trouble. Most of the time he just got dragged into it though.” Daryl was grinning. “Pretty soon they just teamed up from the beginning on whatever mission they were on. Once that happened… Well. It only cemented Boone’s trouble-making streak.”

I smiled and shook my head. “Kids are supposed to get into trouble and cross boundaries. Especially when they grow up on a ranch.”

Daryl chuckled. “I remember one time, Ellie coming to find me. She was frantic. Couldn’t find Boone. She’d gone to lay Brad down for a nap and he was just gone. Always was a busy kid, even at two years old,” he explained. “Had to keep an eye on him. Anyway, searched for hours. I finally found him, in the barn, in the stall of our ornery stallion. Sleeping between his feet. Fuck if that horse wasn’t watching over him.” He shook his head, taking off his cowboy hat, he ran a hand through his hair. “Animals love him.”

“So do the ladies,” I said with a laugh.

He chuckled. “Right. That’s what we were talking about. Don’t let his wild ways make you think he won’t be loyal to you. Once that boy sets his mind on something, nothing can change it. And he’s got his mind set on you. I can tell.”

I blushed and looked down at the toes of my cowboy boots. “I have…some trust issues,” I admitted. “Trusted someone I shouldn’t have.”

Daryl grunted in acknowledgment. “Too many men think their dicks are God’s gift to women and try to give it to as many as they can. They’ll get theirs one day though,” he said in a companionable tone while my mouth hung open. I couldn’t believe I was talking about dicks with my boyfriend’s father. “It’ll either end up rotting off or get hacked off by some angry husband.”

I stifled a laugh. “You’re just as ruthless as they are.”

He gave me a nod. “For my family? You bet your pretty ass I am. There isn’t anything a Sutton man won’t do for his family.” He gave me an intense look. “You remember that, Billie Girl.”

My eyes widened and I swallowed hard as tears popped into my eyes.

He frowned. “Uh oh. What’d I do?”

“Pops,” the name was more of a warning that came from behind him. We both looked over as Toxic walked up. “Why is she looking like she’s gonna cry?” He narrowed his eyes, looking between us.

“I didn’t do anything,” Daryl said, looking at me for back up.

Shaking my head, I laughed. “No. He didn’t. Sorry,” I told him. “It’s just… My dad used to call me that. My gramps still does, but hearing you say it just…” I waved a hand in front of my face, desperately trying to get my tears to dry up by any means necessary. I refused to cry in front of these two strong men. Not to mention the rest of the people here.

“It’s hard to lose a parent,” Daryl said, and I knew those words weren’t only for me. “And no one can ever replace your pops, but I’m sure looking forward to being your father-in-law.”

He pulled me up off the bench and wrapped me in a hug again and this time I sank into it immediately. I wasn’t sure if it was just him, or the fact that he reminded me so much of Toxic, but I trusted him. And appreciated that he’d pulled me aside to talk to me. That he was being so incredibly kind to me. I was going to be the luckiest girl alive if I did get to have him for a father-in-law. Doubly so, because that would mean Toxic was my husband.

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