He took her home after a few hours at the garage. His daughter fussed about it but he had promised Ashlee that she would be home before the party. Ashlee opened the front door. Aubree stood next to her father's bike. Happy got off and knelt in front of his daughter to remove her helmet. He put in one of the bags on each side of the bike. She took his hand as he walked toward the porch.
"Did you have fun?" Ashlee asked.
His daughter nodded. She looked up at her daddy. He smiled down at her.
"Daddy will see you later," he said.
"Dinner, daddy," Aubree said, quietly.
"Baby, Uncle Tig needs my help. I will see you later."
Aubree started to cry again. Ashlee picked her up. She sighed. He stared at her for help. Ashlee turned her back on him and started speaking softly to the little girl in her arms. Happy felt helpless as he watched the two of them.
"I'm sorry," he said, to Ashlee.
She nodded, rubbing her daughters back.
"You can stay for dinner if you want. Maybe if you put her to bed tonight, she won't be such a grouch," Ashlee sighed.
"I don't want to impose on you," he said.
"Shut up."
He looked at her. She stepped back to let him in the house. He followed her to the kitchen where she was already cooking. The pit bull he had gotten his daughter for her first birthday picked its head up off the floor to see who had come in the house before laying its head back down.
"Lazy dog," Ashlee sighed.
"He a good dog?" Happy asked.
"Yeah, Bree loves that dog."
He nodded. Aubree had run down the hall to get something she had insisted on showing him. He sat at the kitchen table, watching Ashlee move about getting dinner ready. He missed this but he wasn't going to admit that to her. Aubree held her hand out. He took the picture she was handing him. She was always giving him something she had colored. He had plenty of her pictures up in his tool box as did most of the other guys. Ashlee turned and leaned against the counter.
"We have to figure this out," she said.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Our daughter is obviously missing you. That's our fault, Hap,"
"I didn't kick me out."
"I didn't cheat."
He sighed. He glanced down the hall to see if Aubree was coming back. She was nowhere to be seen. He turned his attention back to Ashlee. She had crossed her arms across her chest and was staring at him. He ran his eyes down her body. She was standing in the kitchen barefoot with a pair of short shorts and a tank top on. He smiled.
"Hap, this isn't a joke. Our daughter is hurting. We did that. We have to fix it," she said.
"Well, I don't know how to do that," he replied, hearing the frustration in his own voice.
"I really don't either."
Ashlee had concern written all over her face. He knew she was worried about Aubree. He stood up from the table and took a step closer to her. She shook her head.
"No, this is confusing enough without you making it worse," she said.
"What do you mean me making it worse," he asked.
"She can't think we are getting back together."
"What's so bad in us getting back together?"
"You're a cheater."
"Jesus before all this, those girls were nothing to you. Ever since you've had Aubree they are an issue. Why? Huh? Can you answer me that?"
"Because Happy Lowman, I don't want our DAUGHTER to grow up thinking it's all right for a man to cheat on her and make her feel like less of a person."
"Whatever. You knew the life when you got involved."
"Yeah when I was young and stupid. Now I have her to think about."
"She's fine. Those teachers just want us all riled up. Chill out."
He heard a noise in the hallway. His daughter was standing there. He sighed heavily. He knelt down in front of her. His phone went off.
"Baby, daddy has to go. I'll come see you in the morning," he said.
The little girl nodded, his scowl on her face. He hated that look from her but she had mastered it in the last few months. He kissed her forehead and headed for the door. He didn't even bother to look at Ashlee again before walking out. Aubree stared at her mother.
"Come on, baby, let's eat dinner," Ashlee said.
Happy Lowman was not going affect her the way he thought he did. She was going to focus on her daughter and make sure that her child was healthy and taken care of. Aubree climbed up in her seat at the table. Ashlee served them both dinner and sat down across from her child to eat it. She knew Aubree was upset that he had left but she wasn't about to allow him to confuse their child.
After dinner she gave Aubree a bath and dressed her for bed. Her daughter still had yet to say anything which is why she knew her daughter was hurting. She knew it was too much for her. Aubree was a daddy's girl whether he realized it or not. She lay her daughter down on her bed.
"Do you want to call Daddy?" Ashlee asked.
Aubree nodded. She knelt on her bed while Ashlee dialed the phone number she knew too well and waited for him to pick up.
"What?" he growled into the phone.
"Your daughter wants to say goodnight," she replied, putting him on speakerphone.
"Daddy," Aubree said.
"Hey princess," his tone softened.
"I miss you."
"I'll come see you in the morning, just like I promised."
"Pinky swear."
"Pinky swear."
"Ok, night daddy."
"Sweet dreams baby girl."
Ashlee didn't bother to say anything to him, just ended the phone call. She tucked her daughter into bed and kissed both her cheeks and her forehead. Then she turned out the light on her way out the door. She sat on the couch with the dog next to her. The phone went off.
(HL) we need to talk
(AS) about?
(HL) us
(AS) there is no us
(HL) bullshit
(AS) I told you I don't deal with cheaters. I'm done
(HL) it was a blowjob
(AS) still cheatin in my book. Going to bed, night
At the clubhouse, Happy stared at his phone. He had never met a girl who didn't just melt at him deciding to be with them. He was shocked that Ashlee could cast that away without a second glance. He allowed the croweater that was trying to rub up on him to pull him from his jeans. While the girl sucked him off, he leaned back against the couch, wondering just how he ended up in this mess. He had gone through a lot and he shouldn't have been so stupid. He looked at the girl who was blowing him and his daughter's face popped into his head. He blinked a few times, trying to rid himself of the image and it wasn't working so he pulled the girl up and shook his head.
"Minds not right, get moving," he said.
The girl nodded. She scurried away from him. He grabbed a bottle of whiskey and headed back to his dorm room. He spent the rest of his night locked away, drinking until he passed out on the bed.