Page 57 of Her Hat Trick Daddies
She doesn’t say anything, just drops her head, sobbing a little louder.
David approaches, circling to her front. His big hands are so damn gentle as he brushes the tears from her face. “We’ll figure this out. All of it. Together.”
“How?” she chokes out. “How do we even begin to fix something this big?”
“One day at a time,” I say, stepping in beside David, needing her to feel surrounded, held.Not alone.She’s done being alone. “We didn’t see this coming, no. But we’re not running from it, either.”
And god, it’s true. I don’t know how we’ll make this work, but somehow, I know we will.
Who knows what the future will hold, but I know one thing for sure. I’m not letting her walk out that door.
Chapter 16
David
Iunderstand why Shane’s losing it, but that doesn’t mean he gets a free pass to act like a damn lunatic fresh out of the asylum. This thing’s already a powder keg, and if we hadn’t stepped in when I did, it would’ve blown sky-high. The way Leighton stared at him, like he was a live grenade, made me want to knock his ass out. I don’t blame her.
But Shane isn’t violent. He never has been. It’s just that when he’s blindsided, he reacts. Loudly. And yeah, to a woman who’s already put everything on the line, he must’ve seemed like a raging wolf ready to attack.
Man, am I glad Andy’s here, all broad shoulders and quiet strength, the perfect buffer. “I’m going to take Leighton to the sunroom. Check on Shane, will you?” I tell him.
Right now, my priority is Leighton. I take her hand and lead her out, not stopping until we’re in the sunroom. The pool outside shimmers with multicolored lights, throwing rainbowprisms through the French doors. It’s always been a calming place for me, peaceful. So, I sure as hell hope it helps her.
“Shane would never hurt you,” I say gently. “He’s just… in shock. He needs time to process all this.”
She’s shaking, her whole body tense. It guts me. I’ve seen her confident and sharp, but now? She looks shattered. I pull her in, rubbing slow circles on her back, my chin resting on top of her head.
“It’s going to be okay. I promise.”
She gives a soft, humorless laugh against my chest. “That’s sweet of you, David, but I’m not sure you can promise that.”
“I can and I will. You’ve seen Andy. We’re going to be here for you and for Luna. And Shane… it doesn’t seem like it now, but he’ll come around,” I explain, shocking myself with how steady I sound.
She pulls back slowly and sinks onto the couch. “Somehow, I doubt that.”
“Look, you have to know something about him,” I begin carefully. “He had a rough childhood. No parents, bounced around foster homes, bullied by his older foster siblings. Bullied by kids at school until high school. Wherever this confusion and anger are coming from, it starts there… in hurt and betrayal. Just please understand that his first reaction is always defensive, so he doesn’t get hurt again. Callie reinforced that in more ways than one.”
She sighs, nodding. “I see. Who’s Callie?”
“His ex-girlfriend of three years. She did a number on him. I still can’t believe it. But you need to hear it from him. Now, I’m not excusing his behavior at all, but you’ll understand why he said some of the things he did tonight…”
“But it still doesn’t give him the right to be so ruthless,” she says. “Honestly? It reminded me of my dream.”
“What dream?” I ask, frowning.
“I dreamt all of you rejected me, rejected Luna. And laughed about it. I cried my eyes out and couldn’t wake up from it. I was literally stuck in the nightmare. At least now, it’s only one of you having a fit, not all of you.”
“I’m sorry,” I murmur.
She looks down, her gaze distant. “I know Shane’s Luna’s biological dad, but… I’ve always thought of all three of you as her dads. I know that sounds crazy. But in my mind, it’s always been you three.” She avoids my eyes. “Not that I expect anything from you. I just needed you to know she exists.”
I move beside her, gently tracing her cheek, tilting her chin until she meets my gaze. She’s not crying. No tears, no fear, just that raw, quiet pain that comes with truth. I press a soft kiss to her temple.
“What do you want from us, Leighton?” I ask quietly.
She blinks. “I’m not asking for anything.”
“I know. But if you could have anything, what would that look like?”
