“Luke, I still can’t find my shoes!” Emily hollers from her room.
“I’m coming.” Amber sighs, heading up the stairs.
I wave her off. “I got this.”
“Luke—”
“Here,” I toss her my keys, “load Matt in my truck, I’ll get Emily.”
Amber tosses the keys back to me. “Your truck doesn’t have Emily’s booster.”
“So, put it in.” I toss them back. “We can get lunch after the game then look at furniture. We are going to need furniture if we’re hosting Thanksgiving.”
“We are?”
“That’s what Clint said.”
“Why am I always the last to know everything?” Amber groans and storms off. Matt chuckles as he follows her.
“Found them!” Emily shouts from the top of the stairs, holding her shoes up triumphantly. I’m starting to think she only has one volume level, loud.
“Where were they, little human?” I ask in my giant voice that makes her giggle.
“In my closet,” she says, tugging one on then sticking her foot out for me to tie her shoe.
I take her foot and tie up the laces. “Don’t you know how to tie a shoe?”
“Yep, but you do it better.” She smiles at me and lifts her other shoe.
“Lazy little human.” I narrow my eyes at her, tying the other shoe. “You tricked me.”
“Nah-uh.” She giggles.
“Come on, let’s move.” I pick her up and tickle her all the way to the truck.
∞∞∞
“You didn’t have to come,” Amber whispers softly in my ear as we take our seats in the stands.
“I wouldn’t miss it, even if it means putting up with your grumpy ass,” I whisper back.
“You aren’t supposed to cuss, Luke,” Emily says from Amber’s lap, not looking up from her tablet. “Are giants allowed to cuss, Mommy?”
“No, they aren’t.”
“Sorry, little human, I won’t cuss again,” I giant grumble to her, then scoot in close to Amber. I want every man in this gymnasium to know Amber’s mine.
“Amber?” a man I’ve never seen before calls up from the court floor and I almost put my arm around her when she stiffens. This must be Henry. He’s wearing an expensive suit and his face is pinched as if he smelled something bad. “A word.”
“Can it wait until after the game? It’s about to start.” She points to the clock. The boys are already starting to get into their positions.
Henry narrows his eyes at her, pressing his lips together, then looks at Emily. “Emily come with me,” Henry orders, holding his hand out and waving for her to come.
“Mommy, do I have too?” Emily looks up at her mom, her emerald eyes bright with fear. I clench my fists so I don’t snatch her up so this douchebag can’t have her.
“You don’t get to see your dad that often. You should sit with him and DeeDee.”
“DeeDee couldn’t make it,” Henry says, looking impatient. The referees are eyeing Henry, waiting for him to move so they can start the game. “Emily, don’t make me come up there.”
Amber pastes on a fake, reassuring smile as she lifts Emily from her lap. “Take your tablet and show your dad the new spelling game you are so good at.”
“Emily, I’m not going to let you play on your tablet if you keep disobeying me,” Henry spits out loud enough to carry across the stands. Other parents turn to watch.
“Go on, Emily.” Amber’s hands shake when she nudges Emily toward the stairs. I’m blocking Emily’s way but don’t move. I can’t move. I don’t want to watch Emily be forced to do something she’s scared to do. I want to protect her and scare away her fears, but what choice do I have? I’m not her father, and Henry has a right to see Emily.
Emily looks to me with a plea in her eyes—eyes that are so much like her mother’s. My gut twists and I still refuse to move. Decision made, I’m not going to let this man take her unless she wants to go.
I lean in close and ask, “Do you want to go with him?” Two small arms dart around my neck and hold on tight.
“I don’t want to go with him. Please, Luke, can I stay with you?” Emily pleads in my ear and I wrap her in my arms. No one is taking her, not without force.
“Emily, stop being a baby and come here,” Henry hisses as he moves up the stairs. My hand runs down Emily’s hair while Amber rubs Emily’s back, who looks visibly upset and uncertain.
“Touch her and I’ll break your hand,” I growl. Henry recoils
“Excuse me?” His lip curls with disgust before shifting his glare to Amber.
“She wants to stay with her mom, and I don’t think you want to continue to force your daughter to come with you. Not in front of all these witnesses. It’s the kind of scene that won’t end well for you,” I say quietly enough that others around us can’t hear. “Now, the game is starting, and I think you need to go sit somewhere else. Let Emily calm down and maybe if she wants to come sit with you, Amber will bring her over.”
“Amber, who the hell is this guy?”
“He’s right, Henry, you’re making a scene. Go sit down,” Amber says to my relief. I don’t know what I would have done if Amber told me I had to let Emily go.
Henry opens his mouth to say something but thinks better and promptly snaps it shut before he turns to leave.
As soon as he is out of ear shot, I turn to Amber, who slumps her shoulders. “So, that’s the ex?”
“Yep, and it’s not the last we’ve heard from him.” She sighs, looking worried.
Before I can say anything, a whistle blows, signaling the start of Matt’s game, and Amber’s focus shifts.
“I love you, Giant Luke.” Emily sniffs in my ear and my heart breaks a little. It breaks for Emily and Matt. No one should be scared of their father. I’ve been that kid and hurt for them. They don’t deserve it.
10
- Amber -
“Are you sure it’s a good idea for the kids to go with Henry?” Luke asks again, watching Henry load them up in his car.
“He’s their father, he has a right to spend time with them,” I try to reassure him, though he only frowns at me.
“They didn’t even want to go,” he grumbles as he climbs into the truck. “Are they always like that?”
“They sometimes resist, but I think it’s because they don’t see him that often.” I try to justify their actions, but the truth is, I have been concerned lately. They’ve resisted seeing Henry more than usual these last few months, and when they return home, they are distant and quiet.
“Do you think he’s hurting them?”
“Not physically.” I sigh because I don’t think Henry would do anything to hurt them physically. Henry’s criticisms cut deep though. “His words aren’t always nice, but mostly I think he’s absent, even when he has them for his weekends, he is always working or has some event he has to attend. They are with a babysitter a lot, from what Matt has told me.