Page 14 of The Third Girl

Travis presses his lips together, shooting me a wink. “Honestly, it was probably your wedding day. I didn’t think I’d ever be so lucky to find someone as kind and loving as Terri. I was so damn envious of the relationship you two had, knowing I’d already met my perfect match, and she’d moved away to follow her dreams.” He inhaled deeply. “Terri was a gorgeous bride—from her dress to her smile—but nothing could beat the way her eyes lit up when she saw you waiting for her at the end of the aisle. That’s the memory I’ll carry of the two of you. Pure love and affection. I only hope Kennedy looks at me the same way next month.”

That actually elicits a smile from me. “Dude, she already does. You’re a lucky guy.”

Logan pours more whiskey into my glass. “How about you? Do you have a favorite memory or are there too many to choose from?”

I drag in a ragged breath, my gaze landing first on Logan, then on Travis. Exhaling hard, I rasp, “It’s dumb, but I miss the everyday stuff. Brushing our teeth together before bed and making goofy toothpaste grins at each other. I miss having her cuddle up to me in the middle of the night. She’d stick her feet under my legs to warm up because they were always like ice blocks. I miss having coffee and talking about our plans for the day.” I press my lips tightly together. “I could probably go on and on. I miss the hell out of her, and days like today don’t make it any easier.”

“But you’ll get through it. Life may not have gone how you expected it to, but there are still plenty of good things in store for you.” Logan pats my shoulder. “Like that spunky little girl upstairs.”

“Yeah.” I chuckle, shaking my head. “She’s got Terri’s looks and Lucy’s spirit. I’m going to need a lot of help.”

Travis shrugs with an amused smile. “She has loads of people who love her and are willing to be here for both of you.”

My gaze flicks to his. “Speaking of. I’ve got someone willing to help with Sailor. I have no real clue who this girl is or what she’s like, except she’s a choke hold-escaping kindergarten teacher who entered into a verbal agreement with me today that she’d help me out. And she said yes without knowing a single fucking detail of what I’d expect of her or accommodations or what Sailor’s like or any of that.”

“Wait, is this Skylar?” Logan gives me a confused look.

“Yep.” I nod, my jaw tightening, then stare down at my whiskey, swirling it around.

“Oh shit, now I get it. The choke hold thing threw me for a second. You’re talking about the self-defense class.” He throws back the remainder of his whiskey, setting the glass aside.

“Yeah. Jackson was also kind enough to make her my victim, so I got to choke the girl who is going to be Sailor’s nanny.”

A rough chuckle bursts from Logan. “Oh, fuck. I’m sorry for laughing, but that’s kinda funny. Did he have any clue what was going on?”

“Nah. It wasn’t his fault. He realized toward the end of class why I was in such a foul mood. I never did mention anything to him about the fact that she might potentially be working for me because we hadn’t confirmed anything yet. But yeah, let’s just say it was a one-two punch not only because she’s the new nanny, but—” I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. May as well let it all out. “I guess I wasn’t ready to be physical with another woman, today of all days. If that makes any sense at all.”

Logan sucks in a breath. “Oh, man. Skylar’s a nice girl from the times I’ve been around her and Jackie with Laney… but yeah, I see your point. That’s a tricky situation, considering everything.”

Travis’s brow pinches as he swallows the last of the whiskey in his glass and pours another finger’s worth. “Okay, let’s back up a sec because you spewed a shit ton of information. What do you mean she doesn’t know any of the details?”

I let out an exasperated breath and run a hand through my hair. “We were supposed to discuss the logistics of her taking care of Sailor while I’m working, but when she found me, I was too fucked in the head to manage more than a few words. I kinda shut down and acted like— Fuck, I don’t know what. I couldn’t stop staring at Sailor through the window in the day care center, thinking about how her mama is gone, meanwhile the poor girl was standing there waiting for me to get my shit together. I’m sure she’s wondering what the fuck is wrong with me. It was awkward as hell, and I’m the one who made it that way.”

* * *

Hours later, Logan’s left for work and Trav and I have crashed out on the couch with our feet kicked up on the coffee table. I glance at him, then mumble, “You’re a good brother.”

He eyes me from the corner of his eye. “You are too. You’re also good and drunk. Do you want me to help you upstairs to bed?”

“Not drunk enough.” I pull my feet down and sit up. My eyes are bleary, and it’s not helping matters that my head spins with every movement I make. I reach for the whiskey bottle but can’t quite manage to put my hand on it.

Trav chuckles, sitting up and grabbing it for me. He pours a tiny bit into my glass. I pick it up, throw it back, and gesture that I want more.

“Oh boy. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you plastered like this.” He pours another finger of whiskey into my glass.Damn right.

“Yeah. That’s because I’m a fuckin’ responsible adult. Police officer. With a kid. Can’t be shit-faced all the time, though it might have helped me get through this past year if I had been.” I swallow down what he gave me and set the glass down. Travis stopped drinking a while ago so that one of us would be capable of caring for Sailor if need be, but I’ve kept right on going. Numb. I want to feel numb and not think about anything.

On the coffee table in front of me, my phone buzzes against the hardwood surface.

“Who would be texting you this late?”

“Dunno. Doesn’t really matter. Once I’m asleep I’m out like a light. When I can sleep at all, anyway.” I scrub both hands through my hair, tugging on it and realizing I can’t feel what I’m doing. Maybe not such a good thing.

Trav reaches forward, snatching my phone up off the table. He turns it to me, holding it near my face so the facial recognition unlocks it, and then pulls it back to his side of the couch before the bastard laughs. “Oh. Well, here’s your nanny asking after you. Do you want to look at it now? Or wait until you’re sober?”

I let out a heavy sigh. “I’d better have a look. What if she’s backing out?”

He shakes his head. “Surprisingly, she’s not, even after your behavior earlier.” He holds out the phone.

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