Page 25 of Maddox

Clare nodded, still not quite meeting my eyes. "Thank you," she said softly. Then added, “I hate sprouts, unless they’re cooked in the right way.”

“Duly noted,” I said, then struggled to follow that up. An awkward silence fell between us. I desperately wanted to talk to Clare, to clear the air about what had happened at my house. But I knew this wasn't the time or place.

"Would you ladies like to join me for some coloring?" I asked, gesturing to a nearby table covered in coloring books and crayons. "I hear there's a particularly nice unicorn picture that needs some attention."

Abby's eyes lit up. "Ooh, yes please! Clare, do you want to color too?"

Clare hesitated for a moment before nodding. "That sounds nice," she said quietly.

As we settled at the coloring table, I made sure to give Clare plenty of space. I didn't want her to feel crowded or pressured. We colored in companionable silence for a while, the only sounds the scratch of crayons on paper and Abby's occasional happy humming. Most daddies just supervised and honestly, I wanted to watch her color not do it myself, but I wanted to normalize tonight for her and if that meant grabbing a pencil, I was all in.

I couldn't help but steal glances at Clare as we worked. She seemed more relaxed than I'd seen her in a long time, her focus entirely on carefully staying within the lines.

"That's beautiful, Clare," I said softly, nodding at her colorful unicorn. "You have a great eye for color."

Clare looked up, a shy smile tugging at her lips. "Thank you," she murmured. "I used to love coloring as a kid."

"Me too!" Abby chimed in. "Daddy lets me color all the time. It's so relaxing."

I saw Clare tense slightly at the mention of "Daddy," her pencil pausing mid-stroke. But then she took a deep breath and continued coloring.

"It is relaxing," she agreed quietly. "I'd forgotten how nice it could be."

My heart ached, wanting so badly to tell Clare that she could color anytime she wanted, that I'd happily provide her with all the coloring books and pencils her heart desired. But I bit my tongue, not wanting to push.

"Would anyone like a snack?" I asked instead, noticing it had been a while since we'd started coloring. "I think there are some cookies and juice boxes in the kitchen."

And I stopped. Right there.False cheer.I winced at how I sounded. This wasn’t me. I mean, yeah, I loved the Littles snacking on whatever, but my voice sounded like a cartoon character. I got to my feet and met Gideon’s eyes. I couldn’tdo this. I couldn’t pretend any longer. I choked out something about having to check on my staff.

Gideon responded immediately and took over as I headed to the door. I was trying so hard it wasn’t me.

Seven days later I was back supervising Kingdom. Walker was still in Destin, so it worked out. Dion was helping Gideon supervise our other places, but the newly opened Kingdom needed more hands-on help until our managers settled. It was always the same.

Xavier appeared at my side. “Boss,” he said quietly.

“Any problems?” I clipped out.

“Nothing unusual for a Saturday,” he said. “Five groups upstairs. All the usual, except…” I glanced at him. “A similar group to before with the girl you took an interest in.”

My heart rate picked up at Xavier's words. "Clare?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral. My heart raced at Xavier's words. Clare was here? After everything that had happened, I wasn't sure how to feel about that.

"Is she alone?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.

Xavier shook his head. "No, she's with a group. Looks like some friends, maybe coworkers. They've been here about an hour, just having drinks so far, but nothing crazy like last time."

I nodded, debating what to do. Part of me wanted to rush upstairs and see her, to make sure she was okay. But I knew that wasn't fair to Clare. She deserved her space, her chance to enjoy a night out without me interfering.

"Alright, thanks for letting me know," I said to Xavier. "Keep an eye on things, but don't do anything unless there's a problem."

Xavier nodded and headed back to his post. I headed to the office, trying to focus on my work, but my mind kept drifting to Clare. Was she having fun? Did she feel safe here? Is that why she was here? Had she thought about me at all?

After about thirty minutes, I couldn't take it anymore. I had to at least check on her, even if from a distance. I made my way upstairs, careful to stay out of sight.

I spotted Clare's group easily. She was sitting at a table with three other women, nursing what looked like a gin and tonic. As I watched, she laughed at something one of her friends said, her head thrown back as she smiled.

But as I watched, I realized her humor was anything but genuine. I catalogued her tight grip on the glass, so tight it wouldn’t surprise me if it shattered, her withdrawn body language. She looked brittle, as if screaming not to be touched, even as her language and outward personality said the exact opposite.

She was terrified and making a show of being the exact opposite. And she was here. She had to know Kingdom was mine because of the last time she was here. I second-guessed myself for less time than it took to draw in a breath, then I walked to their table, smiling as if there was nothing wrong.

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