Page 11 of The Ex Puck Bunny
“Before I bashed his face in, we pursued appropriate avenues to encourage his involvement. The guy wouldn’t give Heidi or the baby a minute of his time. Not a cent of his money. Won’t even acknowledge the kid.”
My jaw tightens because I’m all too familiar with the results of a deadbeat dad. Not to say single moms aren’t amazing and can make it on their own. Some of them are superheroes. However, I’ve always wondered if my father had stuck around, things would’ve turned out differently. Like I could’ve invited Derek over for macaroni and cheese night instead of feeling like the Rice family mooch.
Derek exhales through his nose. “In hindsight, fighting him didn’t help her case. He relinquished all responsibility and custody.”
“You can do that?”
“Through certain legal channels, apparently so. My sister is proud and independent, but I know she wouldn’t have turned down financial help. Despite her dislike for Trey after what he did to her, of course, she wanted Bunny to know her father. And the real kicker of the whole thing, he’s already remarried.” Derek’s nostrils flare, telling me if Trey walked in this room right now, he’d take him down to Punch Town.
Truth be told, I would too, given the fact that I’ve crumbled the soda can in my hand. Dillard played the field, er, ice, and had a reputation with the ladies, but this is next level.
“I was on suspension, not in outer space. How did I not know this?”
“You’ve always been in your own world, Grady.” Derek doesn’t say this in an insulting way. More like it’s a point of fact.
He’s right because I didn’t even recognize Heidi earlier. She was always Derek’s bratty kid sister, but she’s all grown up and didn’t deserve what Trey did. It makes me want to pummel him. Derek is tough, works out, and coaches pee-wee hockey, but at that stage, they encourage the kids not to fight. As an NHL defenseman, I’m on the ice every day using my body and stick skills in battle. I could wipe Trey off the ice, never mind the planet.
Next game against the Lions, maybe I will.
My blood sugar isn’t low. No, my blood is boiling.
CHAPTER THREE
I can’t quite claimto be a new mom anymore, but every day feels like a new day. No sooner do I think I’ve hit my motherhood stride, Bunny does something delightful or diabolical.
Not saying she’s bad or anything, but she can go from smiling and laughing to pooping up her back. Thankfully, those days are mostly over but time is flying by and I’d like her to slow down for a minute.
I don’t mean for her to regress or stop growing. More like before I know it, she’s going to be skating and then dating and then moving out.
My thoughts spin and spiral and I just want to spend every moment with her.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow your roll. Literally. You’re going to kill the napkins and cutlery,” Aleeyah says.
I glance down at the bin of silverware that we roll into napkins for the place settings. “Sorry. I was in my head.”
“Seems like a dangerous place to be.”
“Ha ha,” I replydryly.
Aleeyah and I resume rolling the bin of napkins and cutlery for tomorrow—one of our daily duties at the Fish Bowl.
I glance at her perfectly folded linens. I bet she could make a napkin origami swan or rose. “How do you do it?”
She glances down at our task and then up at me as if deciding what I mean by the vague question. “What? Juggle motherhood, marriage, and my online custom wreath shop?”
“By the way, my mother already has the Easter one on display. She couldn’t help herself. Every time she opens the door, she smiles.”
“That’s so sweet to hear.”
“But I meant how do you let them grow up?”
“You’re already thinking about that?”
“Yes. No. Sometimes I look at Bunny and think, if a man breaks her heart, I’m going to break his face.” I set the butter knife down next to the fork and roll the napkin around it.
“Hmm. Sounds like you’re thinking about your ex. Maybe it’s time to allow someone to redeem the opposite sex. Bunny is almost two. You could reenter the dating pool.”
I flash her a flat look.
