“Yeah, I thought because Maverick and Teagan couldn’t come, since they were watching over Sunday, none of you were coming,” I state, giving Dad a pointed look when he finally turns my way, glaring over my shoulder.
“I knew it,” he grits out, pointing at Clayton. “Didn’t I tell you he would be here? Didn’t I?”
“And I told you she is a grown adult,” Mum reminds him, directing a forced smile my way.
Sucking in a breath, he stares at Mum with wide eyes. “She’s our only daughter. Do you not care at all that he’s going to try and sex her up or impregnate her?”
“Please never use that word again,” I complain.
Mum, in all fairness, is just as crazy as my dad at times. I think after years of being together, she started projecting some of his mannerisms. Still, my mum is all about girl power, so when she opens her mouth to argue, I want to pump my fist in the air and hoot.
“Max, you need to drop this. When the boys were fifteen and you suspected they were being intimate, you sat them down and gave them a list of ways to please a woman.”
“You didn’t?” Maverick groans, running a hand through his hair.
“No… I also gave them tips on how to get a woman,” Dad tells him, shaking his head in disbelief before grimacing at Liam and Landon. “Sorry, boys, you had the looks—you follow after me—but you didn’t have the Carter game.”
Liam grunts, rolling his eyes. “Cheers, Dad.”
“You’re welcome,” Dad replies, looking like he actually did them a favour when he puffs his chest out.
“But…” Mum continues, raising her eyebrow. “Once a year, after Hayden started her menstruation when she was eleven, you sat her down and gave her reasons why she shouldn’t have sex.”
“With disturbing diagrams,” I point out, shuddering.
“They got my point across.”
“You told me in medical terms what STI’s would do.”
“I have them with me in case you needed to look at them again.”
“Mum,” I whine, praying he’s joking.
Mum pinches the bridge of her nose. “Max, leave her alone.”
He throws his hands up in a fit before slapping them down on his sides. “Does no one else care he’s here, or that my daughter, my only daughter, could get pregnant, or worse, get heartbroken?” he yells.
“Sir,” Clayton starts.
Dad holds his hand up, palm out. “Do not try to seduce me,” he tells him, his voice deepening like it does when you don’t take a breath.
“Max, if anyone can look after themselves, it’s Hayden. She was raised in your home. Now that you’ve dragged us all here, let’s go,” Maverick starts, but is interrupted by Maddox.
“How did he get you here?”
Uncle Malik’s eyes narrow dangerously on Dad, his jaw clenching. “He told me Hayden was worried about Madison meeting a guy she knew nothing about.”
Myles, looking dejected as his shoulders slump, says, “He called me, pissed off. He said he had a heart attack thinking Hayden bought tickets to a sex club using the family emergency fund but felt better when she explained it was Charlotte who borrowed the card.”
“Fucking wanker asked me what the ceremony he heard my girls were talking about was for, even said something about a test being positive,” Mason bites out, glancing down at his shoes.
We all turn to Maverick, waiting for him to answer. He shrugs. “I helped raise him. The minute he told me Beau was planning on taking Faith away to get married, I knew he was lying. I told him to shut the fuck up.”
“So why are you here?” Malik bites out.
Smug, Maverick shrugs. “To make sure he doesn’t get my kids arrested again. Aiden has Sunday to look after.”
“Traitor,” Dad grumbles. “None of you care about what I’m going through.”
“You are such a drama queen,” I declare. “Now that you all know he fucked you over good and proper, you can go.”
“Why?” Dad asks, narrowing his eyes on me. “What are you hiding?”
“Nothing, I—”
“Good, then you won’t mind us tagging along,” he declares, unloading his bags onto the back of the coach.
“Dad,” I argue, following him over.
“It’s fine. We can have some father, daughter time.”
I spin around, walking over to Clayton and punching him in the arm. “This is all your fault. If I spend the night in a cell again, I’m going to kill you.”
“Mine? What did I do?”
I storm off, hearing him follow behind me as I get onto the coach, passing the others. I take a seat in the middle, and when I get in, Clayton lightly pushes me over to the window seat, blocking my escape.
Dad ushers Mum up the aisle, giving her no choice but to take a seat next to us on the opposite side.
“I don’t know how this is my fault,” Clayton sulks as we push our carry-ons under the seat in front of us.
I tilt my head to the side, trying to find my phone in my bag, and whisper, “This week is going to end badly.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispers back as we both sit up.
“Son, you don’t have to worry about Sunday. Just enjoy your time away. We’ve found places to take her. They have a messy and soft play,” Maverick assures Aiden as they stop at the seats in front of us. Paisley gets the side Dad and Mum are on, but Aiden begins to fix Sunday’s car seat.
“Yes, there’s an amazing bookstore not far from Cabin Lakes. Looking online at the pictures, I can understand the great reviews. The place is truly beautiful. Sunday is going to love it,” Teagan adds.
“It’s not that. I’m kind of relieved. I just don’t want to drink around her,” Aiden admits, tickling Sunday before taking her from his dad.
“He really didn’t want to leave her,” Bailey explains, sticking her tongue out at Sunday.
“You won’t be. We will have Sunday in our cabin,” Maverick explains before taking the seat in front of them.
“I have beer for anyone who wants one,” Maddox calls out from behind my seat.
Shit! I completely forgot about bringing drink.
Nina, Faith’s best friend, yells from the front, “I’ve got cans of Malibu and coke, gin and lemonade, gin and tonic, and JD and coke. Oh, and mini bottles of wine.”
“Me too,” Hope yells, holding up the mini bottle of wine, already starting.
I groan as I get up, turning around on my knees to Maddox, holding out my hand and taking a can off him. “I’m not drinking girly shit.”
“I got you rum and Doctor Pepper, Hayden,” Charlotte calls from the front.
“Never mind,” I mutter to Maddox, grinning. I pass the can to Clayton, not caring if he wants it or not. “Pass ‘em here.”
A few moments later, she heads up the aisle with a bottle of rum and a bottle of Doctor Pepper. “Here you go.”
“There’s only one?” I pout.
“No, there’s another,” she confirms, smiling.
I sag into my seat. “Thank God.”
“Your dad is still staring,” Clayton whispers as I pour my drink into my flask.