Page 1 of I've Got You

Chapter One

DAVIS

I closedthe door gently behind me, hoping like hell it wouldn’t make a loud noise and wake Libby. She was cutting two teeth, which made us both miserable. We’d continue to ride it out together, though. Her with lots of gum-numbing ointment and me with brain-numbing beer when she was sleeping peacefully.

A whoosh of breath hissed out of me when the door closed quietly. Baby monitor in hand, I turned and headed toward downstairs where the party was happening. Tanner, my best friend, and his boyfriend, Carter, were having a housewarming of sorts. I glanced around the space when I hit the foyer. Tanner had done a good job. Not that I was surprised; he was a talented bastard, so it was kinda kickass to see his craftsmanship hadn’t gone to waste here in the hicksville town of Kirkby that we’d only called home for about a year or so.

“She go down okay?” Tanner asked, handing me a bottle of beer as I made my way into the kitchen.

I nodded and took the beer gratefully. “Thanks. Yeah, no problem at all.” I took a swig and placed the baby monitor on the charger on the large sideboard.

During the final stages of refurbs, Carter, whose home it was prior to Tanner and he getting together and Tanner moving in, had set up one of the spare rooms as Libby’s room. I’d been blown away by the gesture when Tanner had told me. While Tanner and I had known each other forever, he hadn’t been with Carter for all that long. So for Carter to create a space for my baby girl in his home told me with absolute certainty, Tanner had got a good one.

What it also meant was Tanner and Carter supported me and my single-parenting gig even more by having Libby overnight on occasion. They’d had her a couple of nights already, my only nights without my daughter since she was born.

And what had I done on both nights? The first in almost a year with zero responsibility? Partied? Picked up? Neither. I’d had a few drinks without having to wait for Libby to fall asleep first, watched Netflix, and stared at Libby’s empty room a few times.

“What are your plans tomorrow?” Tanner stood next to me, both of us glancing around the room filled with a few faces I recognized from my coffee shop, while some were clearly out-of-towners, no doubt Carter’s friends, since I was pretty much all Tanner had beyond a few other tradesmen in the area he’d got to know. There were also some of Carter’s work colleagues, a bunch of vets, nurses, and such.

I shrugged. “Not much. Katie and Phil are working the morning shift, and Sandy and Craig are taking over so I have the day off.” I took a pull of my beer before continuing. “If it stays sunny, I’ll probably take Libby to the park and duck pond.” I glanced at Carter heading our way, a bright smile on his face and his gaze intent on Tanner. “How about you?”

Tanner’s shrug brushed against my arm lightly. “Tidy up, I suppose.”

I snorted just as Carter reached us. Tanner’s arm immediately went around his waist.

I glanced at Tanner and realized he was looking at me. “What?”

“What’s the snort for?”

With a roll of my eyes, I took a large mouthful of beer. After swallowing the cool liquid, I said, “Just wondering when the fuck we got old and Sundays were filled with domestic shit.”

“Who are you calling old, fucker?”

Carter laughed. “Well, the two of you are reaching your prime.Ouch.” Carter reached behind himself and rubbed his ass.

I chuckled. “See, your younger studmuffin knows it.”

Tanner shook his head. “Studmuffin? For real? Who even uses that term anymore? Hell, did anyone ever?” He glanced over at said studmuffin, and his gaze softened before he turned back to me. “And I think you’ll find it’s you who’s become the king of domestic duties since having that angel of yours. But hey, you know, if you want to go partying and spend the next day nursing a hangover, we can definitely have Libby for you.”

Damn, he was right. That made me feel ancient, and I was so far from that shit it wasn’t funny.

Carter nodded. “Absolutely, you know we love having Libby over. Though—” He paused and looked me up and down, his brows pulling together.The hell?“—I’m not sure you could handle it anymore.”

I threw a look his way, not at all impressed with his truths. Carter smiled and blinked innocently at me. So many blinks so damn close together was not natural, though I supposed he looked kinda cute doing it.Asswipe.

“For shit’s sake, I’m only thirty-five.”

Along with a shrug, Carter’s smile turned into a grin. “So in that case, what are you waiting for? Live a little. You know, go and see if you can get a life beyond that sweet girl of yours.”

“I’ve got a life,” I grumbled. And I did, sort of. Admittedly it involved me juggling owning and running my business, keeping house, and most importantly being the best dad possible. That shit right there took time. Considering there was barely time to shit, sleep, or even jerk off, how in the hell could I handle more than I already had?

“I know you do.” Carter reached out and placed his hand on my forearm, squeezing lightly. “You have a pretty amazing life, but you know—”

“You need to get laid.”

“Tanner,” Carter admonished at the same time that I groaned. “I was trying to be subtle. You know, go for tact, ease in gently?”

Tanner grinned, and I rolled my eyes at the pair of them. “Tact was never this dick’s forte; you’ll soon get used to it, Carter. And I’m fine.” I was aiming for neutral, reassured, perhaps even as though I was in control. But fuck me, I did really need to get laid.

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