Page 88 of Shootout Daddies
Brooke smiles, eyes flicking down to Chloe. “So. Big news, huh?”
Her voice is gentle, not prying. Just enough to tell me she knows. Which means the rest of them will, too, soon enough.
My throat feels tight. “Big news.”
Her expression softens. “How are you holding up?”
I shift Chloe higher, pressing a kiss to the top of her head before answering. “I’m… good. Better than I thought I’d be.”
And it’s true. The anxiety in my chest is still there, but it’s no longer crushing. It’s grounding.
Chloe coos and I kiss the tip of her fingers.
Brooke grins. “She’s already got you wrapped around her little finger.”
I let out a breath that’s half laugh. “Wrapped, tied, and knotted, apparently.”
Ace joins us and takes the carrier from his wife. I exchange polite greetings with my former coach as he asks about practice so far. It takes my mind of everything for a couple of minutes.
Then Tanner calls to Ace and he excuses himself, leaving me with Brooke once again. Brooke squeezes my arm before stepping back. “You’re going to be great, Rhett. She’s lucky to have you.”
I nod, but words don’t come. Not when my chest feels like it’s about to split open again.
From the corner of my eye, I spot Landon. He’s standing near the edge of the circle of light, talking with Cam.
Landon’s got that lawyer posture—straight, controlled—even in casual jeans. Cam gestures wildly, already halfway through some story, but Landon just tilts his head, listening in that sharp, assessing way of his.
The whole team is here. Some tossing a football down by the water, others leaning back in camp chairs, legs stretched out, laughing too loud.
It’s a good night. It should feel easy. But the truth is, my arms tighten around Chloe every time someone comes too close. Like I need to prove, even here, that she’s mine.
Hunter and Ivy return from the cooler with beers, sand sticking to their bare feet. Hunter hands me one without asking. Ivy leans into his side, smiling at Chloe first, then at me.
“How are you holding up?” she asks, the same question Brooke had, only softer.
I twist the cap off the beer but don’t take a sip. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”
Hunter lifts his brows. “You don’t look fine.”
I give him a flat look, but his grin is easy, teasing. “I’m serious,” I add. “I’m good. But it’s almost six. We should head home soon.”
Ivy glances at me, then toward where Landon is still standing with Cam. “I’ll invite him over.”
I nod slowly, shifting Chloe again. My arms ache, but I don’t let go.
Hunter notices, of course. He always does. He reaches out, gently lifting Chloe from me. She settles against his chest without fuss, her tiny fingers grabbing at the fabric of his shirt.
“She needs her diaper changed,” he says, rocking her lightly. “We’ll meet you in the car.”
Ivy nods, already tucking her hair behind her ear like she’s bracing herself.
I watch them head across the sand—Hunter steady, Chloe snug against him. The fire pops behind me, voices rising in laughter again, music thumping low. But all I can think about is the weight that’s no longer in my arms, the space that feels too empty without her.
My daughter.
I grip the beer tighter, swallowing against the knot in my throat.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
