A/N Happy Read a Book Day! That's only too perfect for us readers, isn't it? It's also Barbie Doll Day, which kind of goes with baby girls (depending on the girl) so that ties in as well. Yesterday was apparently International Bacon Day and I didn't know. Darn it.
Do you know what I did yesterday? I watched college football! It's back, baby! The season has begun and much to my utter joy and surprise, my Noles looked pretty darn good last night. Yes, it was against a team I'd never heard of, but last year they looked like crap against those too, even though they won. I'm much more excited for this season than I expected, which is a pleasant surprise. And we already had an epic ending (sorry to my Cornhusker girls, brutal loss in a hell of a game) which is one of my favorite things about football. So exciting. I wish you and your faves luck this year, and GO NOLES!
Fantasy drafts continue! One tonight and one tomorrow and I'll finally be done for the season! That will sadden me, as I appear to be a draft addict, but as addictions go, it's not too awful. And I'm thrilled to start the NFL season in just 4 days. Also, I'm thrilled that I may not have to hear the words deflategate for the near future. That's all I'll say about that! On to more important things!
Well, we made it. A year and 52 chapters later, this story is wrapping up. I know, lots of you aren't anxious for that, and neither is a part of me. Letting these guys go is just as hard for me, I can assure you. But it is time. They've gotten to where I wanted them to when I pictured this story, and way beyond it, if I'm being honest. I never imagined 52 chapters when I got to writing. Maybe about half that. But I'm glad they had more to say, and that all of you came along for the ride with us.
I'm not done, with these guys or various other E&B's that I have in my head just waiting to come out and play. And before any of you throw the word "trilogy" at me, let me remind you that I rarely ever say never, but as of this time, I'm not planning on it. I love these guys, and I love this look ahead so much, but not having had kids, the day to day of child raising is not my forte. Giving you bits and pieces, I can definitely do :) But I can't imagine doing more than that. Hopefully you enjoy what I have given you, which includes a couple of things that happened when I was Dani's age. There's something so great about Daddys and daughters.
I'll stop talking, and leave the thank you's for down below. Happy reading!
Getting Blitzed Epilogue
The first thing I noticed when I pushed open the door to my house was that it was far too quiet. My house was many things, but quiet was not one of them.
"Where is everyone?" I called.
Padding steps were soon heard, and I smiled when Rainbow came around the corner. She was reliable as always. Being nearly eighteen years old, she wasn't as spry as she used to be, but she was still doing pretty damn great all things considered. Instead of launching herself at me, she planted herself at my feet so I'd pick her up. As soon as I did, she cuddled into my shoulder.
"Did we all abandon you, Rainbow? Don't blame me. I'm actually home early for once."
Coach Klein had let us out of practice an hour early because he'd been so pleased with our performance. That shit would never have happened if Coach Coughlin hadn't retired. No way, no how. But time marched on, for all of us.
Football was weird this year. Sammy had retired two years back, and Paul had signed a big free-agent contract with Minnesota years ago and finished his career there. Brady'd torn his ACL four years prior and had opted to retire rather than rehab. Colin had been my last original teammate left, and he'd retired this past offseason. I got along with my younger teammates, but our lives were completely different. It was kind of like back when I'd first joined the Giants sixteen years ago. I'd been going home alone to call Reed Girl while my teammates went out and partied. At least now I came home to Reed Girl. There was still nowhere else I'd rather be.
"Is that you, Daddy?"
Immediately my parental antenna went up. Since the teenage years had hit, I was only Daddy when she was in trouble or wanted something. I wasn't sure which was worse.
I raised an eyebrow as Dani came down the stairs. She was tall, measuring in at just over 5'10", and her long auburn hair fell in waves down her back. She was in tiny shorts that showed way too much leg and a tank top that showed way too much other stuff. It seemed like only yesterday she'd been smiling up at me from her crib, and now she was practically a fully grown woman. Where had the time gone? I didn't like it.
"Who else would it be? Where are your mother and brothers?"
She shrugged. "Mom took Ethan with her to that talent-show thing."
Oh, that was right. Some of the kids from the music program were putting on a recital tonight. Ethan had gone because he was Reed Girl's mini-me, physically and musically. My son had had an ear for music right from the start, banging on his own little black piano early on before working his way up to the big one. Reed Girl swore he had more talent than she did. She'd know better than I would. All I knew was that my son was talented as hell, just like his mom. She was already gathering information on Julliard. I wasn't ready to deal with that. He was only thirteen.
"And AJ?"
She rolled her eyes. "Practice, of course."
I grinned at that. If Ethan was Reed Girl's mini-me, then Adam Joseph Cullen was mine. At seven, he was already showing flashes of the Cullen arm out on the football field. He was an exact miniature version of me, though judging by the rest of my kids, he wouldn't be mini-anything for long. Ethan was already taller than Reed Girl, and Dani had shot past her a couple of years ago.
"And what is it you're up to?" I asked, because she was looking entirely too innocent for my liking, smiling sweetly at me.
"I was just waiting for my favorite father in the whole wide world to get home so we could spend some quality time together."
Riiiiiight. I sighed and put Rainbow down. "What did you do now?"
She glared at me. "What makes you think I did anything?"
I had to laugh at that. "Seriously? You ask me that after you got your mother and me hauled down to the principal's office last week?"
She put her hands on her hips. "How is what I did wrong? It's inhumane that they expect us to cut into those poor frogs! What have they ever done to me? And it's not like I'm going to eat one. Those frogs died for nothing. All I did was stage a peaceful protest."
"The frogs were already dead, so it's not like you saved any. And I'm not sure how putting them in your teacher's car equals a peaceful protest." But I couldn't hold back my smile. Truth be told, I'd kind of been proud of her for taking a stand, even if her bio grade was probably going to suffer. My daughter had her standards, and I couldn't fault her for them. Dani Cullen was a force to be reckoned with, not surprisingly. She was too much like me for my own good.
"It's not like I wasn't punished." Her lips formed a pout. "I'm missing a whole month's worth of games."
It had been a stiff punishment, for sure, both for Dani and her volleyball team. She was their best player by far. Colleges were already sniffing around, sending her scholarship information. That shit didn't bare thinking about either. They wanted to take her away from me. I couldn't stand the idea that she'd be in college in just a few short years.
"Well, I guess that'll teach you to participate in civil disobedience during the sports season." I smirked at her. "You should always wait until after to get in trouble." That was totally what I did. Mostly. And really, I was too invaluable to suspend.
"Are you giving me permission?" she asked, matching my smirk with one of her own.
"Heck,no!" Reed Girl would have my balls.
"Tell you what. I won't tell Mom you said that, and you'll take me to the mall. I need a new outfit."
Christ. How could she possibly need more clothes? And why in the hell would she ask me to take her?
"You have a closetful of clothes. And shopping for them is your mother's domain, not mine." I bought sports jerseys, and that was it.
"I can't wear anything he's already seen! And Mom's not here to take me shopping."
He? Did she say he? My palms started to sweat.
"What do you mean, he?" I asked. Shit, did my voice get higher on that word? Yes, I think it did.
And then, my daughter gave me the sweetest smile she had in her arsenal and looked at me with big green eyes, batting her lashes innocently. My back immediately went up.
"Before you say no-"
"No," I interrupted. No good words came after the start of those four, especially when there was a "he" involved.
"Daddy!" She threw up her hands. "You didn't even let me tell you!"
"Tell me or ask me?" I asked, narrowing my eyes at her. If she thought she could get away with telling me any damn thing that she was doing with a "he," she had another think coming.
Dani reined in her temper. She got that control from her mother. I wasn't about to admire it right now, though.
"I've already asked Mom, and she more or less said yes."
More or less my ass. "Was it more, or was it less?"
"She said that she would talk to you for me."
Of course she did. Reed Girl could talk me into just about anything. It was fucking wrong just how whipped I was.
"Then why are you talking to me instead?"
"Because I realized I didn't have anything to wear, and Mom's not here to take me shopping."
I pinched the bridge of my nose, making her sigh and cross her arms over her chest.
"Why, exactly, do you need a new outfit right this instant?"
I was very, very scared that I knew the answer to that question, but I was damn well going to make her say it. Though, maybe if I went up and locked myself in my room, we could avoid this conversation and she could stay my sweet, innocent baby girl. Yeah, that was a better option.
Before I could enact my hiding plan, my daughter took a deep breath and looked me dead in the eye. "Because I have a date tomorrow night."
Even though I knew this day was coming, even though I'd dreaded it every day since I'd heard the words, "It's a girl," I still wasn't prepared for it. I shook my head in automatic denial of the words, and Dani grabbed my hand.
"Please, Daddy! I've had a crush on Seth for ages now, and I finally got him to ask me out! Mom's met him and his family! We're just going to the movies, which I do all the time with my friends. It'll just be with a boy."
What did that mean; she finally got him to ask her out? Damn it, she was a crafty stalker, just like her mother. And now she had a date. With a boy. My mind flashed back fourteen years to the first time I'd seen my daughter with a boy. Reed Girl had taken her to those Mommy and Me classes, and I'd dropped in during a practice break to see them.
"Hey, Champ." Reed Girl greeted me with a kiss.
"Hi, baby." I glanced around the room, seeing all the kids gathered around and clapping their hands as the teacher-type sang a song. "Where's my girl?"
Reed Girl laughed and took my hand, leading me over to where Dani sat. She was in a little purple jumper thing, with her hair up in tiny pigtails. She looked cute as hell.
"Dada!" Dani gave me her version of a wave when she saw me, opening and closing her little hand.
"Hi, Princess." I scooped her up and gave her a kiss while she giggled and shrieked.
"Dada, pay!"
I grinned as I put her down, holding her steady for a few seconds as she got her feet under her. She'd been walking for a few months now, but it still made me nervous when I first put her down. She toddled over to the toys and plopped down in front of the trucks. That was my girl, playing with trucks and balls.
"She loves it here," Reed Girl said, slipping an arm around me. "And it's good to get her socializing with other kids." She put her other hand over her still-flat belly.
I linked our fingers together. We'd gotten the news just the other day that we were expecting our second child. Sooner than originally planned, of course, but that was typical of us. I couldn't fucking wait. We weren't telling anyone yet, but I knew they'd all be thrilled.
"Yeah, she's got about seven months to get used to it," I whispered, kissing Reed Girl's cheek.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a little boy reach out and take the truck that Dani had been playing with away from her.
"Hey!" I started to step toward the little thief, but Reed Girl pulled me back.
"Just a minute," she murmured.
I watched as Dani stared at the kid for a few seconds, likely working out what had just happened. Then she grinned and took another truck, gleefully bashing it into the one the kid had stolen. They started smacking them back and forth, having a fine time with it.
"What's she doing?" I demanded. She should have smacked the kid with the truck. I kind of wanted to.
"She's playing. That's Jared. He's her friend."
Oh, hell no. "But he's a boy."
Reed Girl laughed. "Are you saying she can't have any boy friends?"
"I most certainly am. She's not allowed to have a boyfriend until she's thirty. Or I'm dead. Whatever comes first." I might be dead by then if boys were already coming around. And if I did die, I'd damn well come back and haunt whatever motherfucker thought he could touch my daughter.
"They're just babies, Edward. They're having fun." Reed Girl grinned. "Jared does like to take toys from her, though. He's totally flirting."
I glared at her. "That's not funny. They should call the class Mommy and Me and the Little Handsy Pervert."
Reed Girl burst into gales of laughter. Seriously. The whole place was staring at us. One of these moms, or dads, probably belonged to Jared the Jerkoff. I should find out who birthed that little asshole and give them a talking to.
Like she knew what I was thinking, Reed Girl tightened her grip on me, even though she was laughing her ass off. "Don't. Do you know what your daughter did when he took her toy last week?"
"Sat there like she just did?" I asked. Seriously. We were going to have to work on Dani's self-defense skills. She could totally kick that kid's ass when I got done with her.
"She bit him."
I gaped at my wife. "She what?"
"She bit him. Our daughter doesn't take shit when she doesn't want to."
Huh. How about that? I had to admit, I was kind of proud. But I was still keeping my eye on that little toy-stealing shit. Maybe I could have Chelsea come by and intimidate his ass. It would be less awful than if I did it, since she was still a kid. Right?
"Whatever you're thinking, don't. She's doing great."
Dani took one of those plastic ring things and waved it around, accidentally-but probably on purpose, since she was my kid-whacking that Jared kid in the head. Okay, so she could handle herself pretty well. I was still going to teach her some stuff, though.
"Hello? Earth to Dad! Can I go or not?"
I focused in on my daughter. There wasn't remotely a hint of a baby in her face anymore. She was fucking gorgeous, just like her mother. It was no surprise that boys were already sniffing around her. That didn't mean I was ready, though.
"You can't. You're grounded, aren't you?" She wasn't, but maybe she'd think that she was, over the frog thing. And really, we should have grounded her, even if that shit was hilarious.
"No, I'm not." She put her hands on her hips. "You decided that detention and sitting from volleyball for a month was enough of a punishment."
"Well, I was wrong. You're grounded. Ask me again next week." I had an away game and could say no from Philly. Maybe that was it; I could ground her on weeks I was home and avoid her for away games.
"I'm not grounded! You said I shouldn't be, and don't think I didn't see you smile when you heard what I did! You were proud of me."
Damn it. Yes, I was, sort of. This parenting shit was hard. Shit that Edward, the man, found funny, Edward, the dad, couldn't. Or maybe shouldn't. But I still did. And she'd caught my ass.
"I heard you telling Uncle Emmett about it and laughing over stuff you guys used to do."
Well, hell. That wasn't good. But it gave me an out.
"You shouldn't eavesdrop. You're grounded."
My daughter flashed me a smirk, exactly like my own. "Well, then, I guess I'll spend the evening that I should be out on my date telling Mom about that time you and the school nurse-"
Jesus Fucking Christ, she'd heard that story? I was going to kill my fucking brother.
"No need for that," I hurried to interrupt.
Unbelievable. My daughter was blackmailing me. It would be impressive if it weren't so damn annoying.
"So, I'll go get ready for the mall, then." She stood on tiptoes to give me a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks, Daddy. I love you."
While my daughter darted upstairs to change-thank fuck, because we weren't going to the mall with her dressed in so little-I tried to figure out where it had all gotten away from me. Then I got my phone out.
"Hi, Champ."
Even after all these years, hearing her voice made me smile. "Hello, Reed Girl."
"I should be home in about an hour. We've got five more performances to go."
"I won't be here. Apparently I'm taking our daughter to the mall for a new outfit." I waited, but she didn't say anything. "For her date."
Reed Girl let out a little sigh on the other end of the line. "I told her to wait so we could talk to you together."
Yeah, like I needed them double-teaming my ass. I'd already had it handed to me by just one of them.
"Well, apparently she has nothing to wear, so it's an emergency and we have to go to the mall right now."
My wife huffed out a laugh. "She convinced you all on her own?"
"She blackmailed my ass," I admitted. "I tried to ground her for the frog thing, but she turned it around on me. My brother, by the way, is a dead man."
"Do I even want to know what she has against you?"
"Probably, but I'm not telling, and whatever suit of armor I buy her at the mall should keep Dani silent for the time being." Where could I find a suit of armor anyway? I wanted Dani fully covered.
Reed Girl laughed. "That's okay. Emmett will tell me, if he hasn't already."
She probably did already know. And then I'd been blackmailed for nothing. Damn it.
"Are we really letting her do this?" I asked, hoping she'd say no and be the bad guy. Dani had been smart to ask me one on one, because I had a hell of a time saying no to her, even when I wanted to, like now.
"She has to grow up sometime, Edward. And it's just a movie. She's really hoping he'll ask her to homecoming after this, though."
Christ. Dances, too? "Are we chaperoning?"
Reed Girl laughed. "Don't you mean, am I chaperoning? I hadn't planned on it."
"What week is that?" If I had a home game, I was going to that fucking dance. Dancing lead to…all sorts of things that my daughter wouldn't be doing anytime soon.
"We'll talk about that later, Champ. But yes, I think we should let her go. At least she asked us. She could have played it off as going with her friends and then met the boy there, after all."
Well, fuck. Should I hire a PI to follow my daughter every time she went out with friends from here on out, in case she was really with a boy? I hadn't even thought of that shit.
"Reed Girl, if you want me to survive this whole dating thing, don't plant ideas of the things she could be doing in my mind. It's already going to bad places without your help."
My wife laughed. "Poor Champ. You'll get through it. I'll help you."
That had my interest. "Oh, yeah? And just how will you do that?"
"There are impressionable young ears around, so I'll let you use your imagination."
I grinned. "I happen to have a very good imagination, Reed Girl."
She let out a soft laugh. "I know that from experience, and I'm grateful for it every day."
Damn right she was. "How about we put the kids to bed early and you work on distracting me tonight?"
"Ew! That's gross, Dad! Stop flirting with Mom. We have to go."
Reed Girl laughed. "Busted! Go get Dani something cute to wear on her date. And I'll reward you handsomely tonight."
"Fine. But it better be good."
"It always is."
That was true. Thank fuck for that.
"See you in a little bit. I love you."
"Yeah. I love you, too."
I disconnected my phone and grinned at my daughter. "Are you ready?"
"I've been ready. You were the one hitting on Mom."
"I'll be doing that until the day I die. Let's go, kid." Best to get the torture over and done with.
Xoxoxoxoxo
"No."
"What's wrong with it? The skirt goes down to my knees."
First of all, it most certainly did not. She was holding that shit down lower so it looked like it would go down past her knees. Second of all, she wasn't wearing anything that gave anyone easy access.
"What about that thing?" I gestured to some overall like things. "Totally in this year."
Like I fucking knew. I was talking out my ass, and Dani knew it.
"I'm not wearing a jumpsuit, Dad."
"Why not? I think it's very attractive. He won't be able to take his eyes off you." But his hands would be off her. That was the important thing.
"Dad! I should have known better than to have you bring me shopping."
"Yes, you should have. Now get the jumpsuit in your size and we can go home."
"I'm not getting a jumpsuit!" She threw up her hands in frustration. It was pretty hilarious. She reminded me of her mother when she got all worked up. "What about jeans? Can I wear jeans?"
Now that was more like it. "Absolutely."
She strode over to check out the jeans while I leaned against the wall. Some of these dresses in here were pretty hot. Maybe I should send Reed Girl over to pick up a few. Yes, I was a hypocrite, but I didn't give a shit. Dani was fifteen; Reed Girl was thirty-seven. She was allowed to be sexy. And, three kids later, she still was, thank you very much. She had a few more curves, but they were in all the right places. Damn, I couldn't wait until later.
For some reason, my daughter had a whole stack of jeans in her hands rather than just one pair. I knew better than to question that shit, though. She'd been born a clotheshorse, thanks to the billion outfits my mom and Shorty had bought her.
I watched as she walked away from me, knowing it was only just beginning. I missed the days when she walked toward me, like I was her favorite person in the world to see.
"Edward! She's up!"
I ran into the living room, phone in hand, ready to capture the moment. So far, Dani had done nothing but tease us with the walking thing. She loved to pull herself up, but then she'd fall on her butt and laugh. Of course I recorded that shit as well, because it was cute as hell.
I didn't want to miss her first steps. I'd already missed out on her first crawl. Reed Girl had FaceTimed me, turning her phone so I could see Dani motoring across the floor. I'd been in Denver, so far away. It sucked that I missed it. But I wasn't going to miss this.
Dani stood next to the coffee table, where she'd obviously pulled herself up. "Dada!" She threw up her little hands, almost toppling over, but somehow she got her balance.
"That's right, baby. Daddy's here. You want to see Daddy? Come over to Daddy, Dani." I crouched down, phone out and recording, as my girl looked at the floor and then at me, almost like she was saying, you come here.
"Come to Daddy, Princess."
"Da? Mama?"
Reed Girl came up behind me and encouraged her to come over as well. "Come on, baby girl. Mama has your Da-toy. You want your Da-toy?"
I laughed. Reed Girl was bribing Dani to come to me with a miniature version of me. She loved her plush Daddy Doll, and called it her Da.
"Da!" Dani clapped, smiling her sweet baby grin, little teeth on display. She was the cutest kid ever, and that wasn't just my bias speaking.
"Come get your Da, Dani!"
Dani started to rock a little on her feet. This was totally it.
"Da! Bo!"
Yeah, even Rainbow had come in to see what was going on. She sat next to me as I coaxed Dani to come see us.
"Everything you want is right here, baby. Daddy, Mommy, Bo, and your Da. Come get us."
I was just about to tell Reed Girl to get out her tit, maybe enticing her with breast milk, even though she'd started to wean off that some, when Dani lifted her right foot and made a move forward.
"That's it, baby! Come to Mama!" Bella called, barely containing her excitement.
The left foot moved forward, ever so slowly. But Dani took that step, too. She got a few more in before she fell on her butt. She looked at us, wide eyed, and said "Ooh." She scooted on her butt a little, so Reed Girl walked over and got her back on her feet. Dani immediately let go of her hands and started stepping again. Rainbow went over to her and stood, watching as she took her steps, moving with her when she got past where Rainbow was. Every few steps, Dani would fall, but she finally made it all the way to me.
"Dada!"
"You did it, Princess." I gave her a big kiss before picking her up and swinging her around. "Daddy's so proud of you, Dani! You're such a big girl."
Once, I'd wanted her to grow up and get to walking and talking. I regretted that now, though. Okay, not all the time, but right now I could do with baby Dani instead of teenage Dani.
She emerged from the dressing room and handed me three pairs of jeans.
"I thought you need an outfit, as in one. Why do you need three pairs?" And why was I even bothering to ask that question? I knew better.
Sure enough, I got an eye roll. "Because I haven't picked out a top yet, so I don't know which pair to wear. And Aunt Alice said that I look awesome in all three, so I have to have them."
Fucking Shorty. She would encourage my daughter's shopping habits. Just for that, I was going to get her son, Julian, the ATV he'd been asking for since he was old enough to know what one was. He could probably drive one at eleven, right?
"You called Alice for advice?"
"Of course. You weren't going to tell me if my butt looked fat, were you?"
Jesus Fucking Christ. "No. And you're not remotely fat."
She was tall and lean, though she had some curves, much to my annoyance. Why couldn't she just stay a beanpole? I was totally okay with that.
"Thanks, Dad." She gave me a sweet smile. "Now, what do you think of this top?"
It was purple and had straps. "No." Too much skin would show.
Dani laughed. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that. Come on. Let's go to another store."
And, because I was a sucker, I bought her all three pairs of jeans. We headed back into the mall. I balked when I saw her eying Victoria's Secret.
"Absolutely not. Nothing you wear under your clothes is going to be seen by your date, so you can just wear what you already have."
Dani giggled. "Jeez, Dad. I wasn't even thinking about that for my date."
Sure she wasn't. It didn't matter. Unless they sold chastity belts instead of garter belts, she wasn't going near that store.
"After we go to Forever 21, can we stop at the food court for some dinner?"
I didn't see why not. It had been a long time since I'd had any alone time with my daughter. "Sure."
I fired off a text to Reed Girl, letting her know that shopping was taken longer than anticipated, of course, and that we were just going to eat here.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a group of boys heading our way. Older boys. Boys in college. I slipped my arm around Dani and pulled her into my side as they got closer.
"Dad. What are you doing?" she hissed. Clearly she'd seen them, too, since she had a smile on her face even as she tried to pull away from me.
"Just walking with my baby girl," I answered loudly, just as they walked past.
"Dad! You're so mortifying!" she told me when they got farther away.
I didn't care. I'd seen the way they were eying my girl. I may not have put the kibosh on her first date, but I was damn well making sure she didn't date older guys. Fuck that noise. It wasn't happening.
"Maybe, but you love me anyway."
"Sometimes."
I raised a brow at that. "Really? You say that before you've gotten your new shirt?"
She giggled before kissing my cheek. "Okay. All the time. Even when you're annoying."
I laughed and hugged her to me. "Same goes, kid. Same goes."
Xoxoxoxoxox
"I must say, when I ducked into this store, the last person I expected to find was Edward Cullen. Must be my lucky day. I'm a fan."
I glanced over at the flirtatious voice to my right. Some skinny blonde twenty-something was eying me like I was something to eat.
"It's one of the last places I thought I'd be as well," I told her. I glanced around for some sort of escape, but short of ducking into a rack of skimpy dresses, I really had nowhere to go. "Just waiting on my daughter."
"That's right. I've seen her on TV at your games. She's very pretty."
I smiled, ready to give my standard line about her taking after her mom, but a snippy voice behind me beat me to it.
"Thanks. I take after my mom." Dani slipped her arm around my waist from behind. "And we really need to get back to her. I like this one, Daddy."
And I was "Daddy" again. Fucking hilarious. She was totally glaring at the chick who'd been talking to me. She really was a perfect mix of her mom and me.
I eyed the green shirt she'd picked out. Since it looked like it would cover everything, I got it without protest. We made our way out of the store, blonde chick behind us watching us the whole way out.
"God, that's so annoying! Why do women always hit on you everywhere you go? You're obviously married." Dani shook her head. "Even my friends…" She trailed off when I raised my eyebrows. "Never mind."
I laughed, sliding my arm around her shoulders. This time, she let it stay there. "First of all, she wasn't hitting on me."
"Yet," Dani muttered, making me laugh harder.
"Yet. Second of all, your father is a good looking son of a bit-scuit. You should be used to it by now." We both knew I was a DILF. I thought it was pretty awesome.
Of course that got me an eye roll combined with a shake of the head. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."
"You do a good job of running them off, just like your mother and I do." I didn't let anyone hit on me, stopping that shit cold the instant a conversation started to turn that way.
"Yeah, well, someone has to."
We got to the food court and grabbed a couple cheesesteaks from Charley's. Once we were seated, I decided to do some digging.
"So, tell me about this kid you're going out with tomorrow night."
She finished chewing before answering me. "His name is Seth. He goes to my school. He's really cute and smart."
That told me exactly nothing. "Does he play any sports? What's he into? How old is he? What time will his parents be picking you up and bringing you back? What movie are you seeing? What's his last name and address?"
I might have asked that last one so I could give the information to Jeff, our team security guy. He had connections on the police force and could run the kid for me before he came over tomorrow. I'd ask Charlie to do it, but he'd probably have an aneurism at the thought of Dani going out on a date, just like I practically did.
"He plays soccer."
Pansy.
"He plays guitar."
Explains why Reed Girl signed off on him. It was a wonder she'd ended up with a jock when she totally had a thing for musicians.
"He's got a 4.6 GPA and is in line to be valedictorian."
Uh-huh. So he was smart. That meant he'd probably have 928302303 ways to try to get into my daughter's jeans. And…wait a minute.
"They don't name a valedictorian until senior year."
Dani wiggled a little in her seat, avoiding my eyes. "Well, he is one."
Fuck and no. "Did he skip several grades?"
"Not that I know of."
My ass she didn't know. "How old is he?"
"Seventeen."
Fucking hell. "And your mother knows this?"
"Yes, of course."
Of course she did. She wouldn't see anything wrong with that, because she'd never been a seventeen-year-old boy.
"Look, Dani-"
"You already said yes. Please, Daddy!" She was looking at me now, big green eyes beseeching me to let her keep her date. I could already feel myself giving in.
"Does he drive?"
"Yes."
Fuck that noise. "You can meet him at the theater, then. I'll take you."
"Then it's not like a real date! And I'll look like a little kid. Come on, Dad. We'll go straight there and come straight home. I'll give you the movie information so you can time us."
I relented, only because I had every intention of knowing exactly when the movie ended, since I'd be planted in the back of the theater spying on her. She'd only see me if she headed to the back row, which was not happening.
"If I let you do this, I want to meet him when he comes to pick you up."
Dani stood up and threw her arms around me. "Done!"
"You don't get to get huffy or roll your eyes when I interrogate him. If he doesn't answer my questions the way I like, he can go to the movies alone."
"Daddy," Dani said, shaking her head as she pulled back from me. "Don't you trust me?"
I took her pretty face in my hand. "You, I trust. Him? I don't know. And you're one of the most precious things in the world to me. I protect my family, baby. You have to give me that."
Her eyes got a little teary and she cuddled back into me. "I do. But you know that I know how to handle myself if anything gets out of hand. You and Auntie Rose saw to that."
I kissed her temple. "I know, baby. And don't be afraid to clock him if he gets handsy."
She laughed as she returned to her seat. "It's only a first date, Dad."
Yeah, well, I'd had plenty of first dates that got more than handsy. Fuck. The next few years were going to kill me.
"You don't know what teenage boys are like. Trust me, baby. I've been there." I debated saying more. God knew I didn't want to put thoughts of sex into her head. "You've clearly heard the stories."
Her eyes got really wide. "You were fifteen when the nurse-"
"No!" But I wasn't much older than that. "But he's not fifteen, is he?" Why couldn't he be fifteen, scrawny, and shorter than her? Maybe he still was shorter than her. I could hope. Then again, at fifteen, I was still doing all the stuff I didn't want her doing. Damn it.
"Okay, no, but he's really a nice guy, Dad. And he hasn't dated a lot because he's really focused on school. You'll like him if you give him a chance."
"He'll get one." And only one. If he did anything to upset my daughter, or me, he was done.
"That's all he'll need. You'll see. He's the perfect boyfriend."
Boyfriend? "It's only your first date! No need to jump the gun on the boyfriend thing." Let's just get through this one date and see how it goes. But probably one is enough. Then back to no dates. That was the plan.
Dani laughed. "We'll see. Why are you so anti-boyfriend? Chelsea has a boyfriend. She even lives with him."
She had to remind me? "First of all, Chelsea is twenty-five. Second, she's not my kid."
"Close enough," Dani muttered, digging back into her food.
Maybe so. She was family. We all were. "Chelsea also has her own place and her own job."
"She works for you."
Yeah, she did. She'd graduated with an MBA in business administration and a degree in accounting. She'd been on the board of the Cullen Foundation for several years, and upon her graduation, she'd taken over Danny's Dream. She was running the entire operation of her brother's camp and doing a brilliant job of it.
"She does, but I can't tell her who to date." I wanted to, but I couldn't. The fact that she was living with one of my tight ends drove me a bit nuts, to be honest. But he was smart enough not to engage in any locker-room talk when I was around. He knew I'd kick his ass.
"She said you threatened this one jerk who wouldn't leave her alone."
I smiled at the memory. Trevor hadn't wanted to take no for an answer, and then he'd spread rumors about her at school. She'd been about sixteen at the time. Sammy and I had enjoyed paying him a little visit. "I didn't lay a hand on him." I pointed at her. "But I will on this Seth kid if he tries anything that I don't like."
"Yeah, yeah. You're going to love him. Just wait and see."
Right. That wasn't happening. But I might let him live, if he kept his hands to himself.
Xoxoxoxoxox
"Hey, baby." I kissed Reed Girl hello when we got home.
"Hi, yourself." She brushed her fingers through my hair. "How was shopping?"
This time it was me with the eye roll. "Total nightmare."
"Poor baby." She kissed me again while Dani snorted walking past us.
"It wasn't that bad. Except for the lady who tried to hit on him in Forever 21."
Reed Girl raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Did you handle it?"
"Of course," our daughter replied. "I'm going to go up and try on my outfit. Do you want to see?"
She'd managed to wrangle a few pairs of shoes out of me before we'd left the mall, as well. The kid was a total operator.
My wife smiled. "I'll be right up."
Dani darted past us and up the stairs with her load of shopping bags.
"Where are the boys?" I asked, though piano music started up as soon as I finished the word. "Well, that answers that."
"Ethan wanted to get in a little practice time before bed. And AJ had some math problems to solve. He's in the kitchen." She put her arms around me. "How are you doing with this whole date thing?"
I sighed and pulled her closer. "I hate it."
"I know. But Seth really is a great kid. I think you'd like him, under other circumstances."
I laughed. She knew me well. This kid could be perfect, and I still wouldn't like him. "He drives."
Reed Girl smiled up at me. She was so fucking beautiful. "I know."
"That means they'll be alone in a car. It probably has a backseat. I don't like it."
"It's her first date, Edward. She's not going to climb into the backseat with a boy on her first date." She shook her head. "You know your daughter, Champ. She's not going to be persuaded to do anything she doesn't want to do."
I knew that Dani was strong-willed. God knew that. But still. "She's my baby."
My wife smiled. "She'll always be your baby."
"Mom!"
"And she'll always be loud as hell when she wants to be," Reed Girl said with a laugh after Dani bellowed down the stairs. "I'll go check out her outfit and talk to her a little bit about boys and dating. Okay?"
I blew out a breath. Realistically, it was all I could ask for. I couldn't lock her up in the house. Reed Girl had rejected my tower plans long ago. "Okay. I'll go check on the boys."
"You do that. Hustle AJ along to bed. And Ethan can play for another half hour tops. He's got school tomorrow." She kissed me again. "I'll meet you upstairs for that retail therapy I promised."
Hell yes. I squeezed her sexy ass as she headed away. I went into the living room, newly determined to get the boys to bed on time.
AJ was bent over the kitchen table, scowling down at his math homework. I grinned when he tugged on his hair, making it stick up, just like mine did.
"Got a problem with the problems, buddy?"
"Why do I need to know how much ninety-seven minus thirty-eight is? Isn't that what we have calculators for?"
I bit back a laugh. The kid was too much like me for his own good. "Well, think about it, bud. When you're out on the football field, and you're on the thirty-eight yard line, how are you going to know how many yards you need to score a touchdown? You don't have a calculator down the field."
He frowned for a second before his green eyes brightened and he grinned at me. "The announcer will say!"
Ha! Fucking smart-ass. I loved him. "Nah, he'll announce the distance to first down. Nice try, though." I ruffled his hair. "Why don't you try thinking of it increments of ten?"
"What does that mean?" he asked.
Right, too big of a word. "How many first downs would it take you to get from the thirty-eight yard line to the goal line?"
"Oh." His face cleared and he started counting on his fingers. "A little over six."
"Exactly. But you need to get to the ninety-seven, which is the three yard line."
"So just under six," he said after a few moments.
"Six tens is what?"
He used his pencil and added it all up. "Sixty."
"Okay, but it's one less than that, because we don't need six first downs."
"Fifty-nine!" he announced, looking proud of himself. I'd seen that face several times on the field. It mirrored mine when I watched him, I was sure.
"That's right. I made it a little bit more complicated than it needed to be, but I wanted you to understand why you need math. Everybody uses it, even quarterbacks."
I showed him the real way to solve the problem, because giving the teacher a paragraph about football yards probably wasn't going to cut it. He did the next one by himself.
"Two more, and then you're done. Shower and then bed, okay, bud?"
"Okay, Dad. Thanks!"
I gave him another hair ruffle because I couldn't resist his crooked grin. He was growing up too fast as well. Why couldn't my kids stay little until I was tired of them? Then again, I probably never would be tired of them for too long. There were days, though… Oh yeah, there were days.
I headed over to the piano, where Ethan's fingers were gliding over the keys. He didn't even have any sheet music in front of him; he was doing it all from memory.
"How are you, maestro?"
Dark eyes flashed over to me as I slid onto the piano bench next to him. "I'm good."
How many years had I spent parked in this very spot, next to my wife or one of my kids? I'd been treated to countless concerts. Dani had loved to make up her own little songs, often adding words that didn't have any rhyme or reason. I had tons of videos. She was cute as hell. She would still play from time to time, but it had never been her passion. Not like it was Ethan's.
He'd taken to the piano like he'd been born to it. As soon as he was toddling, he'd toddled over to his little baby piano and banged away. Reed Girl had put him on the big piano before he could truly reach the keys from a standing position. She'd gotten him a guitar when he'd been about AJ's age, and he'd mastered that as well.
AJ could play a few songs, but he didn't have the discipline or interest to do much more than that. He wanted to be out with the guys, throwing the football. We indulged our kids' interests, as long as they gave various things a try.
"How was the show?"
He shrugged. "It was fine. There's a few kids with some talent, I guess. Mom wants me to work with this one girl."
I noticed that his cheeks got a little pink. "Oh yeah? Is she cute?"
"Dad!"
I'd been hearing that exasperated Dad a lot today. My kids were all different, but they could all invoke that frustrated tone at the drop of a hat.
"Maybe," he muttered, avoiding my eyes as he banged away.
Huh. How about that? I mean, he was thirteen. Of course he was going to start noticing girls. Was I happy about that? Kind of. And I knew that made me a giant hypocrite, since Dani dating had me breaking out in a cold sweat, but I admitted the double standard. She was my girl.
"Well, it seems to me that if you were to give her some tutoring, you two could probably get to know each other better."
His eyes, so like his mother's, looked over at me. "Yeah?"
"Sure. The music thing gives you an in." I nudged his shoulder. "Girls like it when you take an interest in the same things they do."
"But what will we talk about?"
I didn't know how I'd gotten a sweet, shy kid. His mom was sweet, but there wasn't a shy bone in her body. Thank fuck for that, or we probably wouldn't have met the way we did, and that would be a travesty.
"Music, movies, school, TV shows. All the sh-stuff that you kids are into. Find out what she likes and talk about that. And listen to her when she talks. Girls like that."
His brown hair flopped over into his eyes. I brushed it back. "And get a haircut."
He laughed. "Okay. I'll tell Mom I'll do it."
"Good." I stood, ready to head upstairs to my wife.
"Hey, Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you, maybe…could I work out with you sometime soon?"
Somehow I managed to contain my grin. He was getting into his appearance for the first time ever. I fucking loved it. "Yeah. If you want to get up early, I could take you in with me on Saturday, show you some stuff."
His sweet smile flashed. "Okay. Sounds good."
I couldn't resist giving him a hair ruffle of his own. "Yeah, it does. Head upstairs in about fifteen minutes, okay? Do you have all your homework done?"
"Yeah."
"Good. We'll be in to say good night in a bit, okay?"
"Okay."
I checked over AJ's math homework and sent him up to get cleaned up. Ethan headed up right after. I started to follow, when my phone buzzed.
What's this crap about Dani going on a date? Do you know what kind of shit that's going to start down here? Forbid it!
Asshole. Just who did my brother think he was, telling me to forbid my kid to do anything?
What Dani does or does not do isn't up to you, dickhead. And you're part of the reason she's going in the first place.
What Dani does, Emma and Erin want to do. They're almost fourteen. If Dani dates at fifteen, they'll expect to be able to. I'M NOT READY!
I laughed. At least I wasn't alone in the sea of teenage hormones and denial.
Neither am I, moron. But she's growing up, despite my best efforts. And somehow, she knew the school nurse story and used that shit against me when I tried to say no. I wonder how that happened.
I waited for the answer on that one.
Fuck. She overheard me and Jasper talking about it on the island over the summer. He told the story about the gym teacher and the nurse getting caught in the locker room at his school, so I mentioned the nurse thing. I didn't know she heard!
Fucking prick.
Maybe you should keep your stories PG from now on. You wouldn't want me slipping in front of your kids, now would you? And God knows your stories are about ten times worse than mine. Lily's into dancing. I could tell her about you and the drill-team chick.
DON'T YOU DARE! She's only ten, Edward. That's not fucking cool. I'm sorry, okay?
Yeah. Just keep your big fucking mouth shut from now on.
Fine. I can't believe it's started, though. They aren't old enough to date. They're just babies.
He was preaching to the choir.
And you only have one daughter. I have three. THREE, Edward!
I laughed. Karma was a bitch, and Emmett had gotten his. His twin daughters were younger versions of Blondie. Some of the guys at Florida State saw pictures and asked Emmett if they were eighteen. He'd hit the roof over that one. Fucking hilarious.
I wish you luck, man.
Yeah. You, too. Dick.
I slid my phone back into my jeans. Emmett's fears made me feel a little better. At least I wasn't alone. Tomorrow was going to be a trying day. Reed Girl was going to have to work hard to take my mind off of it. Somehow, I knew she'd manage. My wife rocked.
Xoxoxoxoxox
My phone rang on the way to practice in the morning, and I laughed when I saw that it was Jasper. Should have known. Everyone else had weighed in. Mom had called and had a Skype session fashion show with Dani and Reed Girl last night. Charlie had texted, asking if I still had the gun he'd given me and if I needed any pointers. My Dad had just laughed and wished me luck. Ass.
"Shouldn't you be ruining young minds?" I demanded instead of saying hello when I answered.
He laughed over the line. "I've got a little time, and I figured I'd check on your not-so-young one instead."
I winced at the reminder. I was thirty-seven. When in the hell had that happened? "Fuck you."
"I would have said yes if you'd suggested that about twenty years ago." He burst out laughing at my shocked silence. "That shit never gets old. But seriously, how are you holding up?"
"How do you think I'm holding up? I want to pack the whole family up and ship them to some remote cabin in Alaska for the next decade or so."
Jasper laughed again. "Bullshit. You still aren't used to these winters. No way in hell you'd brave Alaska."
That was true. "Fine, then I'll buy us our own island."
"Can't argue with that plan. I wish this weren't an off-year for that trip."
So true. Every few years or so, we rented out the big house down on the island that Reed Girl and I had one to for our honeymoon, the whole gang, Chelsea, along with Sammy, Emily, and their two daughters, Colin, Kim, and their two sons, Brady and Sarah, and Paul and Leah and their son and daughter. Pretty soon, we'd have to get more than the big house. Kids were getting older and not wanting to double up-and in some cases, not being allowed to. Colin's kid, Christopher, had a crush on Dani-unrequited, thank God. And Emmett swore that he'd seen Julian eying Lily, even though they were still in that asexual stage. But not for long.
"Yeah, well, not an option."
"I know. So, did you want me to come over, help you scare the shit out of this kid?"
I laughed. He knew me well. As did my wife. She'd already threatened my balls if I even thought of calling my boys over to intimidate the kid. I didn't see why we couldn't have an impromptu poker night featuring two former NFL linemen and a wide receiver who was still pretty fucking built, along with my awesome physique.
"Reed Girl says I'm intimidating enough on my own, even though I wanted backup."
He chuckled. "Well, if you change your mind, I could just happen to drop in. Maybe Wife could kick me out."
I snorted. "She'd never buy that, since Shorty would call and bitch about you." Reed Girl had been thrilled when Jasper got a job in the city after he'd gotten his masters. They were only about an hour away, and we saw each other often. It was surprisingly pretty great.
Emmett and Blondie had remained in Tallahassee, where he was now the defensive coordinator for the Noles, having worked his way up the chain the past fifteen years. Blondie taught, and the girls loved it there. Mom and Dad had a place up here and one in Tally. Since Dad retired, they spent half the year here and half in Florida, spoiling the hell out of their grandchildren in each place.
"True. I'm here if you want to talk."
I knew that. "Appreciated. Though, don't you get tired of listening to people all day long?"
Jasper was the head of guidance for one of the school districts, roving from school to school. How he did that shit was beyond me, but the vast majority of the kids loved him.
"I never get tired of listening to you, Cullen."
I snorted at the girly voice he used. "Ass. Just know that it'll be you in a few years."
"Fuck off. Fiona's only six. And Mandy is four. I have a decade, at least."
"You keep telling yourself that. I'm pretty sure I had several decades left just yesterday, but no. It's here, and it sucks."
"I don't know why I called to cheer you up. It's only depressed me."
I couldn't help but laugh. "And yet, oddly, it's lifted my spirits. Thanks, Jas."
"I hate you."
"No, you don't. See you after the game on Sunday?"
"Of course. Call me if you need an ear."
"Will do. Bye."
We disconnected, and I shook my head. Who'd have thought that Jasper would end up being one of my best friends in the world? He'd sure come a long way since college. I guess we both had.
Xoxoxoxox
"Would you stop pacing? You'd think you were the one going out on their first date," Reed Girl said, laughing as I did another turn around the dining room. I was peering out the windows, looking for this kid. I wanted to see what he looked like, what his car was like, and how big the backseat was.
"I can't help it. What if he doesn't show up?" Much as I dreaded the idea of my baby going out on her first date, I truly hated the idea that she might get her heart broken. I was pretty sure getting blown off before the first date would do a number on her self-esteem.
"He's not late. He's supposed to be here in ten minutes."
Whatever. When I said was going to be somewhere at six, I was there by five forty-five at the latest. The kid was already failing to impress me. Strike one. Well, more like strike sixty, if I was being honest. I had a whole host of reasons I hated him. He was older, he drove, he was going out with my daughter, he was older…you get the idea.
"You talked to her, right? About respecting herself and her body and not letting him anywhere near the fun zones?" I'd wanted to say that stuff the night before, but I knew I couldn't get through the conversation without losing my mind. That was why Reed Girl took the sex talk.
"That's funny coming from you, who's all about the fun zones," my wife said drily.
I shot her a pleading look, and she came over and wrapped her arms around my waist. "Yes, I talked to her. I'm telling you, she's not ready for that yet, Edward. She's excited at the idea that he might hold her hand or put his arm around her, and wonders if she'll get her first kiss good night. She's not thinking about sex."
"All of that leads to sex." I should know.
"Eventually. But not tonight." Reed Girl leaned her head on my shoulder. "We've raised a smart young lady who knows how to handle herself. You don't need to worry."
Worrying was my job. I was good at worrying. "I still think you should let me send Ben, Caius, and Demetri to the theater."
How my wife had known that I was going to send some of my teammates to watch the stupid girly flick the kid was taking my daughter to was beyond me. She'd threatened them, and they'd caved like little bitches. Sammy'd laughed his ass off when I'd tried an end-around to him, letting me know that Bella had already had their wives issue their own threats. He'd be the one begging for help in a year or two. He wouldn't be laughing then. But I would be, damn it.
"No. This is a big deal for her, Edward. Don't ruin it."
Nothing could have deflated me like those words. "I don't want to ruin anything, Bella. I just want her to stay my little girl forever."
She brushed her fingers through my hair. "We can't stop her from growing up. All we can do is be there for her as she does." She smiled. "I can't wait for her to get home tonight."
"Me either," I told her. I'd like to fast-forward to that moment right now.
She laughed. "Shocker. What I can't wait for is to change into our pjs, lie on her bed, and hear everything about the date. I've already got the peanut butter cup ice cream."
I smiled in spite of myself. That hadn't changed from when Reed Girl was pregnant with Dani. They loved their chocolate and peanut butter ice cream and spent many nights curled up in bed, watching movies and chowing down just like that. It made me long for the younger years.
"Maybe I should plan something special for the two of us soon. We haven't done that in a while."
Reed Girl nodded. "Yeah, you could probably use a daddy-daughter date. Show her how you expect her to be treated by boys."
That wasn't a bad idea. Maybe on my bye week. Dani loved getting dressed up and going out to dinner with me. Would she still, now that she could date other boys?
"She'll love it," Reed Girl said, reading my mind in that eerie way she had.
"So would I."
I felt myself tensing as a red Mustang pulled into the drive. He just had to have a Mustang, didn't he?
"Here he is!" Reed Girl actually sounded excited. "Dani!"
"I'm coming!"
"She better not be," I muttered as Reed Girl elbowed me.
"Inappropriate!"
Like teenage boys weren't inappropriate? I sighed as the kid got out of the car. He was tall but not taller than me. And blond. Hell yes, maybe Rainbow would attack him. She still had a thing about blond dudes, thank you very much Jasper.
"Rainbow!" I called.
Reed Girl elbowed me again as the doorbell rang.
"What?"
"Do not try to get Rainbow to attack him."
"I can't control what she does," I said as she pulled me to the front door. I was pleased to see that Rainbow fell into step with us.
"Yes, you can," she reminded me. She put her hand on the doorknob and glared at me. "Behave. Both of you. Remember how important this to Dani."
"Fine." But I didn't smile as Reed Girl opened the door. I made damn sure the first glimpse of me that the kid got was icy quarterback Edward.
"Hi, Mrs. Cullen. Mr. Cullen."
Mr. Cullen? Gag me. Reed Girl gave me a subtle kick, so I reached out to shake the kid's hand. I might have squeezed it a little hard, but she wouldn't know.
"Hi, Seth. How are you parents?" my wife asked, all sweetness and smiles, like this happened every day. Then again, maybe if the kid thought it did, he'd feel intimidated and not all that special. Or maybe he'd think Dani was easy. Fuck. This dating shit sucked ass.
"They're good. Mom said to tell you thanks for the help with the bake sale."
Reed Girl shook her head. "No thanks necessary. Come on in."
Why'd he have to come in? I wanted to leave him rotting on the porch, preferably all night.
He stepped inside, and Rainbow sniffed at his toes. I gave her a silent order to pee on his shoes, but she didn't comply. Damn it. We were usually on the same wavelength. Reed Girl had probably given her a talking to as well.
"Great game last week, sir."
Now I was sir? How old did this little prick think I was?
I caught my wife's glare, so I nodded. "Thanks. Do you ever get to any games?"
"Oh yeah. We go a few times a year. Dad has all your Super Bowl DVDs."
I had to smile at that.
"Only the ones you won."
And just like that, the smile faded. Four trips to the big game, and I'd won three. Did he have to bring up the one I lost? Asshole.
"Well, he'll be buying another one this year," my wife said loyally, making me smile again.
Damn right. The last one had been an aberration. We were loaded this year, and I was going back.
"I hope so. We're die-hard fans."
I just bet he was. Was he using my daughter to get to me? I'd be forced to kill him if he did. We had a big backyard. I could totally bury him out there without anyone knowing.
"I heard you play soccer." I tried, but failed, to keep the disdain out of my voice, though I was sort of glad he wasn't a big linebacker or anything. He was tall and pretty muscular, but lean with it. Dani could take him down if she needed to, and I wouldn't break a sweat if I was forced to kick his ass for any reason.
"Yeah." He smiled. "I love sports. I have to say that our volleyball team is nowhere near as good without Dani."
I thawed a little when he said that, though I suspected he missed seeing her in those stupid short shorts she wore, rather than seeing her actual athletic awesomeness. I missed her games already. She was a star. She was a Cullen through and through.
"She'll be back pretty soon. Unfortunately, she had to learn to keep her hands away from where they don't belong."
His blue eyes got a little wide; because it was pretty clear I wasn't talking about frogs.
"Edward," Reed Girl warned, just as Dani appeared on the stairs.
"Hi, Seth!"
Damn it, she looked beautiful. Too damn beautiful. Her hair was curling down her back, wild with curls. The jeans she'd had to get were practically painted on. Why had I signed off on that shit? And her top showed that she was more woman than girl at this point. She didn't have that much chest, did she? Crap.
Seth gave a little gulp when he saw her. So, the boy wasn't blind, damn it. He could be, though, if he kept looking at my daughter that way.
"Hi, Dani. This is for you." He whipped a little daisy out of God knew where, and my daughter's cheeks got a little pink.
"Thank you. It's so pretty." She took it and took a little sniff before handing it off to Reed Girl. "Mom, will you put it in water for me?"
"Of course. That was very sweet of you, Seth."
Why they were acting like he'd brought her a dozen roses was beyond me. He probably picked the thing on the way over. Cheap ass.
"It's nowhere near as pretty as you."
I glared as I saw my daughter and wife both melt a little at his words. Couldn't they see what a schemer he was?
But he was right about one thing. My daughter was fucking gorgeous. Too fucking gorgeous.
"It's cold out. Why don't you put on a jacket?" I reached into the hall closet and got out her parka.
"It's not that cold, Edward." Reed Girl handed her a tiny little sweater that didn't cover shit. "Here, honey."
"So you're seeing the six forty showing of She's the One, with a running time of an hour and thirty-seven minutes?" I asked, letting it be known that I knew exactly what time the movie would be over. It took thirteen minutes to get to the theater. So you'll be back at eight thirty?"
"You forgot about previews, Dad," Dani reminded me drily, her green eyes shooting sparks at me.
"I'll have her home before nine, sir."
There was that sir shit again. I hated this kid. And just what did he need the extra thirty-okay, maybe fifteen with previews-minutes for anyway? I knew what a seventeen-year-old could do in fifteen minutes, and it wasn't pretty.
"That sounds great," Reed Girl said. "You guys have fun."
I was about to say "but not too much fun," when she stepped on my foot as she headed to the door. It was too soon. I wasn't done intimidating him yet.
"We will. See you later, Mom."
I raised an eyebrow at Dani, and she sighed.
"See you, Dad."
"Yeah, you will. Drive safely. Both hands on the wheel." And none on my daughter.
"Yes, sir. I'll be careful."
"We know. Enjoy the movie." Reed Girl hip-checked me out of the way as she ushered them out the door, then body-blocked me from following behind them.
"What was that for?" I demanded as I watched Seth open the door for my daughter. He helped her in but didn't try to cop a feel. Good. I'd hate to have to kill him in my driveway. The blood might stain the cement.
"That was to keep you from saying whatever it was you so badly wanted to say." Reed Girl put her hands on her hips. "Did you have to be so disapproving?"
"I am disapproving! She's fifteen! He needs to know not to try anything. I didn't threaten him."
"Not with your words, no. But your demeanor said it all."
Damn it. I hated when Reed Girl was pissed at me. "I can't help it. I feel like I just got her, and I'm already losing her."
Reed Girl's glare softened a bit. "You're not losing her, Edward. You'll only do that if you act like an asshole to any boy she likes. That's what would drive her away."
Fuck. I hadn't thought of that. "Why does it have to be so complicated?"
She laughed. "Because dating is miserable, along with being exciting and exhilarating. She's just getting started, Edward. Seth's a good kid. I'm sure eventually one will come along who isn't so good, and you can scare him shitless to your heart's content."
I didn't know if I should look forward to that or not. Probably not. Yeah. No.
The Mustang drove off, and I fought everything I had in me that wanted to hop in my car and follow. She'd be back in three hours. I could survive that long.
"Come on, Champ. The boys are both sleeping over at friend's houses. We've got the house to ourselves for a few hours. How about we have our own date?"
I had to admit, as a way to take my mind off my daughter's, a date of our own was a pretty good idea.
"Yeah? What did you have in mind?" I reached for her ass, and she laughed and slapped my hand before grabbing it.
She tugged me into the living room. "Popcorn and a movie?"
I started to argue that we could do better than that, but she rubbed her belly. "I'm hungry."
Well, then. "Kick your feet up, baby, and I'll get it."
I microwaved the popcorn and came back in, laughing when I saw that she'd put in The Great Gatsby again. Some things never changed.
I handed her the bowl, sitting next to her and sliding my arm around her. She snuggled right into me, fitting perfectly like she always had.
"Tell me something. Unlike our daughter's date, which better not, does ours include a hot make-out session, followed by a quick bout of sex before curfew?"
Reed Girl chuckled. "Of course it does. Haven't you heard? I'm a sure thing."
"Thank fuck for that, baby."
We watched the movie for a few minutes, chowing down on the popcorn. Once we finished that, Reed Girl put her legs over my lap, scooting closer to me. I felt her eyes on me, rather than the movie, and looked at her.
"What's up?" I asked, brushing her hair off her shoulders.
"Do you think we're going to survive the teenage years?" she asked.
Damn. "I wasn't that bad, was I?"
She shook her head. "No, you were pretty good, all things considered."
"Well, if I can get through her first date, I can get through anything. We've only got twelve more years of teens, and the boys will be easier."
She laughed. "For you, maybe. I hate the idea of my boys growing up. And weaspeatehaew."
"What was that, baby?" She'd mumbled the hell out of whatever she'd said.
Teary brown eyes met mine, and she bit her lip before releasing it. "We might have a bit longer than that." Her hands went over her belly, and…holy shit!
"A baby? We're having a baby?"
She nodded, the tears spilling over, along with laughter spilling out of her.
Holy fuck! I scooped her up in my arms and swung her around. We'd talked about another child, decided to go off birth control a couple of years ago, and when nothing happened, we'd just assumed it wasn't in the cards. We certainly hadn't stopped having sex. We'd just stopped trying and buying pregnancy tests.
"So, you're happy?" she asked, smiling up at me.
"So happy." I kissed her hard before setting her down gently and kneeling in front of her. "Hello there, baby girl. You're never going to grow up and go on dates. You're going to stay my little princess forever, okay? We're making that vow right now. Just ask your mother. I keep them."
She laughed as she ran her fingers through my hair. I placed a kiss one her flat belly. "You don't know it's a girl."
Oh, yes, I did. My first baby girl was growing up, so I needed another who would love me best for the next fifteen years.
"I need to call Tiffany's."
Reed Girl laughed. "You have a little time, Champ. Let's wait until we know for sure to get your next 'Daddy's girl' charm, okay?"
Damn waiting. "Fine." I got back on the couch and pulled Reed Girl onto my lap.
"You know Dani never takes hers off, even when she's mad at you."
I guess I knew that. I hadn't thought about it.
"She wore it tonight?"
"Of course. She's always gonna be a daddy's girl."
"And so will this one." I put my hand over her belly. "We're really doing this all over again, huh?"
Her hand twined with mine. "We are. You up for it?"
Right now, I felt like I was up for anything. "I am."
"Good. Me, too."
I smirked. "Dani's gonna freak when she finds out."
Reed Girl laughed. "She's always wanted a sister. Though it could be a boy."
Nope. I had my sons. And I loved them. But I wanted a baby girl who would look at me like I'd hung the moon and cuddle into me and let me fix her boo-boos and teach her how to beat up boys. I wanted another fifteen years, at least, of being the love of her life.
"She'll say daddy first."
Reed Girl laughed. "Don't I know it? She's going to adore you, just like her big sister and I do."
I kissed her. "Well, one of you, anyway."
She shook her head. "Both of us."
"Even when I get overprotective?"
Reed Girl kissed me. "Especially then."
Rainbow hopped up next to us, no doubt wondering what we were so excited about.
"We're having a baby, Rainbow. You ready for this? I'm going to need you to get me through more sleepless nights and bottle feedings."
I got a head butt before she curled into my side.
"She's up for it, too. I love you, Champ."
"I love you, too, Reed Girl. We're doing this again."
We'd come full circle. Another sort-of-surprise baby, and this time, I wasn't scared. I was so ready. Bring it on.
A/N Bring it on! E&B's story never ends, which is the beauty of fanfiction. But they have come full circle. And as one child grows up a little bit, another is on the way. :) I think it's safe to say that Edward will get his baby girl. When doesn't that man get what he wants? It'd be infuriating if we didn't love him so!
And yes, Rainbow is still alive. There was a story on the news just last week that the oldest cat in the world (known) just turned 26. Now, you guys know Rainbow just as well as I do, she'd see that as a challenge if ever there was one. So, suffice it to say, she's got a lot more of her nine lives to go. And Edward needs her for late night feedings. I'd never kill her off. In my mind, they've had other pets over the years, and Rainbow has outlasted them all. That's just the way it is.
I have to thank Jenrar, who beta'd this bad boy through illness and all the other things that life throws at one over a year's time. She's definitely helped me to be a better writer and I've loved her commentary through the red corrections! Also, thanks to my friend Mary, who is the reason that Edward is a Giant. She didn't even get upset when I injured her beloved Eli fictionally. Best pre-reader ever. She found me when I was writing First, and has stuck with me through a lot of football and fun. I love them both, and thank them for the ears and guidance.
And of course, I have to thank you all again. It's hard to believe I've been in this fandom for this many years and still have so many awesome readers and friends who take the journey with me. It means more than I could ever express, and is definitely the reason I continue to tell the stories in my head. I appreciate and love each and every one of you.
Again, this isn't the end, for them or for me. Keep this on alert, because I already have the first outtake written. Get in your requests for other stuff you'd like to see, and I'll try to make it happen. And keep me on alert if you like, because I have more stories to tell :) Thank you all for the laughs, the tears, and the friendship along the way. See you soon!