Page 143 of Hot Shot

When they part, they swipe at their faces. Cass asks for Cricket’s glasses to wipe them off, foggy and wet from her tears.

She looks at me with those big, tawny eyes, flecked with gold.

“I love you, bug.”

“I love you too, Daddy.”

A hard swallow stops a threatening tear. “Do you have any more questions, baby?”

She shakes her head.

“I’m sorry we lied to you.”

But she surprises me, as she so often does, when she says, “I’m glad you lied, Daddy. Because I got you and Cassie. And you got to remember you loved each other.”

My chest is too small, the feelings too big, the world shrunken down to the contents of the cab of my truck. Cass sniffles, and I realize she’s crying again—I reach for her hand, kissing her knuckles once I have it. Cricket leans over the console to hug me around the neck.

With my throat knotted up like it is, I can’t say anything. So I kiss her little cheek and let her go, and we float into the house, head over heels.

Until Cass’s phone rings.

And it all comes crashing down.

CHAPTER 52

TAKE A PENNY

CASS

I’m unsurprised to see Patty calling after the text I sent letting her and Paul know what happened.

“Hey, Patty,” I answer, kicking off my shoes next to the door.

“Oh my God, is she okay?”

Wilder gives me a questioning look, but I nod my head.It’s fine.

“She’s fine. She was actually planning to ride her bike to your house, but Tate found her.”

“Thank God,” she breathes, her relief palpable.

“Why was she trying to get to us?” Paul says from a little farther away.

“Hey, Paul.” I hesitate for a beat. “Wilder and I got into an argument, and she overheard some of it. I…I got fired today and then Trent was here… it was just an intense afternoon, and I was very upset.”

Wilder stops dead in the kitchen.

Silence sits heavy between us.

“What was said that upset her so much?” Paul asks.

I open my mouth, but I have no idea how to start. I can’t lie, especially not with Cricket knowing the truth.

“It was a few things,” I start carefully. “We were discussing Avery—the bully—and what happened at the game?—”

“When Wilder hit that man?” Paul’s voice is quiet, edged with warning.

“Yes. And we were arguing about it because Wilder wants to do something about me getting fired for it, though there’s nothing wecando. It just got heated.”

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