A/N: Sorry for the long delay between chapters. I have all these ideas in my head, but it's hard getting them typed up. Another thing about the story, I've decided to change Roman's daughter's name in the story. I just felt weird writing about his real life daughter. I'll probably change Galina's name, too for privacy. I mean I get that I'm writing about real-life people, but she's a kid. It's not a big deal I know, but apparently there some rule about writing about real life people. It's not fair with the whole Wrestling genre since they are real people playing characters on TV. I am planning on continuing to use the real names of the wrestlers in my story. They are adults and in the public eye, so maybe it's not so bad? lol Sorry I spent too much explaining the name change. Anyway I hope you enjoy. Please remember to review! Pardon the errors.
A Day at the Zoo
The next morning, Skye snuggled her face into pillow releasing a soft moan as the suns ray warmed her face, rousing herself from her deep slumber.
Rolling onto her back, she rubbed her eyes and looked over to Joe's side of the bed and found the space empty. She raised herself to her elbows and looked across the room toward the bathroom where she heard the shower running.
Glancing over at the alarm clock, she noted that it was barely past eight. Releasing a soft yawn, she climbed out of bed and slipped on her jeans, deciding to keep his t-shirt on for the time being simply because she liked the smell of him.
She wandered out of his bedroom toward the kitchen, but paused just outside Lexi's bedroom. Biting her bottom lip, she quietly pushed opened the door and found the little girl still sleeping soundly under her floral comforter.
Skye reclosed the door and continued her trek to the kitchen to see if there was anything in the cupboards or fridge that she could mix together into something edible for breakfast. She found all the ingredients that she would need to make pancakes, so went in search of a skillet and mixing bowls.
Minutes later, she was mixing the pancake mix in a bowl when a movement near the hallway catches her attention. Her eyes darted in that direction in time for a tiny head to peek around the wall.
Her movements halted at the sight of the little girl and she felt her heartbeat quicken.
As the little girl stared at her, Skye swallowed and tried not to let her discomfort seem too evident. "Hello there," she greeted softly. "You must be Lexi." Biting her bottom lip, she continued, "We met last night. I'm, uh, Skye – your daddy's...friend." When the little girl didn't respond or make any move forward, Skye tried to remain cool, calm, and collected. She's just a little girl. Don't be a wuss. "So, I thought I'd make you and your dad some breakfast. Do you – do you like pancakes?"
She managed to get a small nod from the girl.
"Great," she responded with a small, relieved smile. "Uh would you like to help me?"
Lexi's eyes seemed to brighten. "Can I," she asked softly.
"Sure," Skye answered, relaxing a bit. "Why don't we scoot that chair over here?"
When a dining room chair had been placed in front of the stove, Skye helped Lexi hop atop then reached for the mixing bowl with shaky hands.
After a long, hot shower, Joe got dressed and exited the bathroom hoping to find his beautiful bed companion still fast asleep. However, he found Skye and her clothes gone. Certainly she wouldn't leave without telling him. A feeling of dread filled him.
The feeling didn't last when his nose caught the scent of pancakes being cooked which made him smile and headed for the door.
As he entered the hallway, he took quick note that Lexi's bedroom door was open and his daughter was absent from her bed, so that only meant one thing.
When he reached the end of the hall, he paused a moment to glance around the corner upon hearing his little girl's tiny giggles.
His eyes caught the two of them at the stove with Skye standing behind Lexi with her hand over Lexi's as she helped her flip a pancake over. The little girl squealed, "I did it!"
"Yeah," Skye agreed with a small smile. Even though the smile was genuine, Joe could tell that there was still a little anxiety behind it, but at least she was trying.
With a huge grin, Joe stepped out and commented, "Something smells good."
"Look, Daddy," Lexi stated proudly as she poked at the pancake with the spatula. "I help."
"I can see that," Joe remarked, rounding the counter to join the two of them at the stove. He placed a quick kiss atop Lexi's messy hair before taking stance behind Skye who remained quiet upon his arrival. "Morning," he greeted and softly pressed a kiss against her jawline.
"Morning," she whispered in return.
"Sleep well," he asked curiously as he placed a hand upon her hip. In all honestly, it had been the best sleep that he has had in a very long time.
"Yeah," she answered, leaning back against him. "You're a total bed hog, by the way." She flashed him a teasing smile after the comment.
He snorted, "Whatever." He playfully pinched her sides and she chuckled lightly then helped Lexi transfer the finished pancake to the plateful nearby.
"I think we're ready to eat these things," Skye announced as she turned off the burner while Joe helped Lexi hop off the chair.
"Go to your bathroom and wash your hands, sweet pea," Joe told his daughter, who nodded and quickly hurried to the hallway. He turned around to find Skye grabbing plates from the cupboards. "You don't seem so nervous around her this morning."
"Well," she began with a slight laugh. "You were occupied, so it gave us a moment to get over the whole awkward greeting thing."
"When I stepped out of the bathroom and didn't see you or your stuff, I thought maybe you had..."
"Run away," she supplied as she walked over to set the table. He responded with a nod as he walked to the fridge to grab some orange juice. "The thought might have crossed my mind especially when I poked my head into her bedroom, but like I told you last night. I'm going to try really hard not to get freaked out. If you're curious, I'd rate myself at about 5 on the freak-out scale."
"You will tell me, right," he inquired as he brought the juice and three glasses over, setting them at each plate. "If you ever feel like this is too much for you, you'll tell me? I don't want you to feel like you can't talk to me about things like this."
She nodded, "I'll tell you."
"Promise me," he requested, reaching for her hand. "I'm in this, too." He pulled her to him by grabbing her by her waist. "I can't change who I am, but I want to make this work with you. I'd be disappointed if I couldn't try, you know?"
She nodded. "I promise," she whispered, leaning up to place a soft peck to his lips then pulled away much to his dismay when she heard the sound of footsteps hurrying down the hall.
"Slow down," Joe called out to his daughter. When Skye giggled, he gave her a look, "What?"
"You sounded so like a dad just now." She backed away when Lexi appeared.
"Well," he began before scooping up his daughter who squealed. He tapped Lexi's forehead with index finger where Skye could see a faint scar at the hairline. "Tell Skye how you got that scar?"
"I was runnin'," the little girl answered, sheepishly.
"Yeah, and ran smack into the doorframe and required about eight stitches. It scared the living you-know-what out of me." He placed a quick kiss to his daughter's forehead before plopping her down in a chair. "Her mother hasn't let me hear the end of it either."
Soon the three of them were digging into the mountain of pancakes and enjoying the morning. As she sat back completely stuffed from eating her fourth pancake, Skye watched the father and daughter talking. He was great with her and that was very evident by the way they interacted.
Joe's brown eyes lifted, catching her and he grinned, "So, what are your plans this afternoon?" She had been quiet for most of the meal, so he wanted to at least get her to open up around his daughter.
"Oh," she responded with a soft laugh. "I haven't really thought about it. My flight doesn't leave till Sunday afternoon then I'm off to the next arena."
"Well, we were planning on visiting the zoo today," he informed her, smiling over at his Lexi who nodded excitedly beside him. "Lex, would you like Skye to join us?"
"I don't want to impose," Skye began glancing anxiously between them. "I don't want to ruin any plans..."
"First, you wouldn't be ruining anything. We're inviting you," he argued playfully. His eyes moved over to his daughter, "Right, sweetie?"
"Uh huh," the little girl agreed, nodding her head.
"So, what do you say," Joe asked, glancing back over to Skye.
"Okay," she answered simply, casting an uncertain look toward his daughter who was too busy licking her fingers free from syrup.
"Great," Joe responded, his smile widening.
"Daddy," Lexi spoke up. "Can I go watch some cartoons?"
"Sure, go ahead," he told her and she hopped off her chair, heading for the living room.
"Are you sure," Skye asked immediately once Lexi was enthralled with Dora the Explorer. "I mean this is your time with her. I don't want you to have to sacrifice that time for me especially since I just showed up out of the blue and disrupted your weekend with her."
He gave her a reassuring look. "Maybe I want to spend time with you, too," he pointed out. "I don't get to see you as much either. Plus, it'll give you both some time to get to know each other. I mean it can only help you get more comfortable with being around her."
Her eyes searched his a moment, before finally nodding her head. "Okay," she relented simply.
"Good," he affirmed. "We were planning on leaving around noon."
Glancing at her watch, Skye took note that it was nearly ten thirty. "Well, I guess I better head back to the hotel and get ready."
"What hotel and we'll come by and pick you up," he inquired.
"The Courtyard off of Creighton," she answered and he nodded, recognizing the place.
"We'll pick you up at 12:15," he confirmed.
"Sounds good," she replied, standing to begin cleaning off the table.
He jumped to his feet and stopped her, "I got this."
She gave him an impressed look before nodding. "Well, okay, I guess I'll head on."
"Let me walk you out," he offered, tossing a look over at his daughter making sure that she still in enthralled with her television show.
After grabbing her purse, the two stepped out and Skye giggled when he pulled her against his chest the moment they were alone so that he could press his lips to hers. She settled into the kiss for a few moments before pulling away. "You shouldn't start something that you can't finish," she pointed out, slyly.
"Tonight, I will finish it," he promised, grinning naughtily. When she raised a curious brow, he explained, "It's my ex's parent's anniversary tomorrow and she and Lexi are heading over to Tallahassee to visit her family. I'm taking Lex back home around five, so they can head on that way before it gets too late."
With a seductive smile, she played with the bottom of his t-shirt. "So, that means that will have the place to ourselves and I can show you what I bought."
"Woman," he warned. "You can't keep talking like that in front me and expect me to maintain my sanity."
"Fair enough," she murmured, leaning into his firm chest. "Thanks for letting me stay the night – gotta be the best sleep that I've had in a long time."
"Same here," he agreed, his hands rubbing their way up and down her back. "I hope that my bed-hogging wasn't too much of an annoyance."
"Not at all," she stated, shaking her head. "In fact, I kind of liked having my big, strong man lying so close to me, holding me. I felt safe and protected."
His face softened as small grin appears. "I do protect what's mine."
"Don't I know it," she remarked with a soft laugh.
"I hope that doesn't bother you," he stated with a small bow of his head.
"It's sweet," she assured, causing his head to rise then added teasingly, "It's not pig-headed or obsessive at all." When he snorted, she smirked and leaned up to kiss him again. "I should probably get going."
"If you must," he responded before addressing the fact that she was still wearing his t-shirt. "Are you planning on stealing that one, too?"
"Damn straight," she answered with a wide grin. "See you soon." She accepted his hug and final kiss before turning and heading for the stairs.
After arriving at her hotel, she stepped into elevator just as her cellphone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, noticing her brother's name flashing across the screen. Swiping her thumb across the screen, she pressed it to her ear. "Hey, bro."
"How's Pensacola," he questioned.
"Good," she answered simply.
"That's all," he asked, laughing. "I would have thought you'd be more on cloud nine."
"I am," she chuckled. "I just have something that I need to fill you in on, that's all."
"Uh oh," he commented when tone seemed to change. "Do I need to hop on a plane?"
With sigh, she quickly said, "No, Phil, but just brace yourself for what I'm about to tell you."
"Shit, you're pregnant, aren't you?"
Her eyes widen as she choked out, "No! It's kind of hard to get pregnant when you haven't done the deed in a while."
"TMI," he remarked with a groan. "Then what the hell is it?"
Stepping onto her floor, she walked the remaining way to her hotel room. "Let me get inside my room first."
"You're at a hotel? That can't be a good sign."
"Shut up," she muttered, shaking her head. She entered her room, closing the door behind her then headed for her bed. Once she was situated comfortably, she released a breath. "Joe has a daughter."
There was silence on the other end.
"Phil," she questioned, unsurely.
"That son of bitch," he seethed.
"Calm down," she ordered.
"He has a fucking daughter and you're just finding this out?"
"He wasn't sure how to tell me. He was scared, okay?"
"Scared my ass..."
"Honestly, Phil, I can't blame him too much okay? He's been burnt in the past too. Yeah, he should have told me sooner, but he was just trying to make sure that I wasn't going to run."
She heard her brother release a sigh. "Did you?"
"Yeah," she whispered. "I went to his apartment and there she was. I panicked and just took off. Hours later, I realized that I needed to at least hear him out so I went back."
"So, what's she like?"
"She's three," she stated with a laugh. "I mean I don't have a whole lot experience around kids, but we're going to the zoo later, so I guess we'll find out."
"Don't worry," he told her, gently. "You'll be fine."
"What if she doesn't like me," she asked sheepishly.
"Don't talk like that, Gracie. Just be you. You got a kind heart, sis. I'm sure she will like you."
She sighed, "I hope so. I really want this to work with Joe."
"I know you do." She heard him sigh on the other line and this quickly got her attention.
"Phil, why'd you call?"
He cleared his throat, "Amy and I broke up."
"Why," she questioned immediately.
"Just the same old shit," he responded with a bitter chuckle.
"She wants you to put a ring on it," she answered, knowingly. She released a sigh. "Phil, you two have been doing this thing on and off for nearly two years now."
"You know that I don't see myself as the marrying kind of guy..."
"Why not," she shot back. "I mean you keep telling me that I deserve to be happy and I'll find that special guy to spend my life with. Why can't you have that too?"
"I ain't like you, Skye."
"Shut up with that shit, Phil. I'm not buying it," she told him forcefully. "Just say what you're feeling...you don't want to end up like our parents. They never had the best marriage – they just tolerated each other. I get it, we had horrible example of what marriage should look like, but look at Chase and Carol. They have a great relationship, so at least we have that hope for."
"I just don't, sis. I mean you know that I love Amy..."
"Maybe she's not the one that you're meant to be with," Skye stated gently.
He groaned, "Don't start with the when it's meant to be crap."
She rolled her eyes, "I'm not the hopeless romantic that you're painting me out to be. I'm just saying that maybe the reason you don't think about the whole marriage thing is because you haven't found the person that you can see yourself marrying. I mean it's hard to picture myself getting married, but I'd like to think that with the right person the idea may present itself eventually."
"Sounds hopelessly romantic to me," he teased.
"Shut up," she shot back. "Are you okay?"
"I'm upset, but I'm not exactly blubbering like a baby about it," he stated with a chuckle. "I'll be fine. Been here before, right?"
"Yeah," she answered, glancing down at her watch. "I have to get ready, but I'll call you later okay?"
"Stop worrying about me, Grace. That's my job."
"Your job is to protect from getting hurt," she corrected as she glanced at her upturn wrist at her tattoo – My brother's keeper. The moment that she turned eighteen, the two of them went and got the tattoos together just further symbolizing their strong bond. "I'm the one that's responsible for making sure that you don't do anything stupid, so my job is to worry."
"Whatever you say, Gracie," he laughed.
"Stop calling me that," she ordered. "I'll call you later."
"Fine. Have fun," he chirped.
She snorted, hanging up.
An hour or so later, Skye was putting the final touches to her make-up when she heard a knock at her hotel room door. Glancing at her reflection, she swallowed and slowly took a few cleansing breaths before reaching for her phone which rested on the vanity.
Moments later, she opened the door finding the father and daughter standing there.
"Hello there," she greeted, flashing a quick glance at the little girl dressed very cute in a flowery dress, covered with a jean jacket with tights underneath and slip on shoes. "I like your dress."
With a small nudge from her father, the little girl said, "Thank you."
Skye's eyes then went to her hair which was – not a huge disaster. With a knowing look towards Joe, she asked the girl. "Did your daddy fix your hair?"
"Uh huh," Lexi answered with a giggle.
Joe laughed slightly, "Well, she didn't want my usual ponytail, so I tried to do that French braid thing and..."
"Failed miserably," Skye teased, and she motioned them inside. "Lexi, would you like for me to fix your hair?"
The little girl nodded which caused her father to laugh again.
"Alright," Skye answered. "Why don't you go sit over in that chair while I grab a comb and some hairspray from the bathroom?" When the three year old went in that direction, Skye headed for the bathroom. She grabbed the two items along with a hand mirror and turned to find Joe standing at the door, blocking her only exit. "Yes," she questioned, smiling.
"Just wanted the opportunity to tell you that you look really beautiful," he stated with that smirk of his.
She glanced down at her attire which consisted of a black tank hidden under a gray Henley shirt with dark denim jeans, and charcoal gray, knee-high, suede boots. She also added a turquoise scarf to add a bit of color to the outfit. "Thanks, I try."
"I'm pretty sure you'd look good in just about anything," he commented with a sense of confidence in in his words. This made her smile just like he knew it would.
"I have a client that it is some major need of some a good hair style."
"Hey, I'm a man. I'm not supposed to be good at stuff like that," he defended with a deep chuckle.
"Whatever you say," she laughed and went to move past him, but his body blocked her path. "Are you going to let me by, big guy?"
"Sure, but first, I'd like to greet you a bit more properly."
"Your daughter is within earshot," she reminded.
"Don't worry, I wasn't going to ravish you," he pointed out, jokingly. "Though," he began, his eyes growing serious. "I would very much love to...I think that a small kiss would hold me over till tonight."
Skye felt her body seem to heat up at the words which caused her bite her bottom lip in anticipation.
"May I," he questioned her, obviously wanting to fulfil his small need. When he gained her permission from her quick nod, he slowly closed the distance and captured her lips in a sweet, yet intoxicating kiss. It amazed her that just such a momentary kiss could cause all these intense feelings ignite within her.
He pulled away and moved his body so that she could pass through the door.
Releasing a slight chuckle, Skye approached where Lexi was sitting. "Okay, let's get this hair done. How would you like your hair, young lady?"
The girl's dark eyes studied her hair a moment before requesting, "I want mine like yours."
Nodding, Skye smiled, "Okay, one fishtail braid coming up."
While Skye tended to his daughter's hair, Joe walked over to sit on the foot of the bed to watch.
As she raked her finger through the little girl's thick brown hair, Skye glanced his way, "She obviously got the glorious hair gene from you – I am of course immensely jealous. I never had hair this long at three years old."
It took a few minutes before she finished with the girl's hair. Once she spritzed it with some hairspray, she reached for the mirror. "All done, what do you think?"
"Pretty," Lexi answered, smiling widely and turned to her daddy.
"Very pretty," he confirmed, standing. "Now are we finally ready to go see some animals?"
"Yep," the little girl answered, hopping off the chair and skipping toward the door.
Thirty minutes later, the three of them walked through the entrance of the Gulf Breeze zoo.
"Where should we head to first," Joe asked Lexi, whose mouth was a jar and her eyes wide as she scanned the area around her.
"How about we head start with the petting zoo area," Skye suggested, glancing at nearby sign pointing the way.
The little girl nodded quickly, grabbing her father's hand tugging him in that direction. Smiling, Skye followed and the adventure began.
Nearly twenty minutes later, the trio walked away from the petting zoo area after having fun feeding various farm animals that had been present. Skye found it rather hard to walk away from the pygmy goat that she had bonded with during their time in that area.
The next destination was the giraffe exhibit where they were given the opportunity to feed the tall creatures.
As she stood back and watched Lexi, in her father's arms, feeding a giraffe from the cup of feed, Skye just had to capture the moment on her phone. It was just too cute not to.
Joe glanced her way and motioned her over with his head. "Get over here and experience this with us."
With a small smile and bow of her head, she walked over and took some feed from the cup and lifted her hand up for the giraffe before them to take. She giggled softly when it's rather long tongue darted out and swiped the food from her palm.
"He likes you," Lexi voiced in delight.
"I like him, too." Skye glanced at Joe who was grinning at her. "What?"
"Nothing," he stated with a shrug as Lexi continued feeding the animal.
She chuckled, "Whatever you say, Anoa'i."
When the giraffe had eaten its way to the bottom of Lexi's feed cup, Joe spoke up, "I think he's licked it clean, sweet pea. Are you ready to see some more animals?"
The little girl nodded and he lowered her back to the ground. She rushed over to Skye and grabbed her hand, "Come on, Skye. Let's go see tigers!"
The woman, whose hand she was tugging, stared at her at loss for words. "Uh okay," she managed to utter as she followed the young child.
Tossing the empty cup into a nearby trashcan, Joe strolled after them with an even bigger smile upon his face.
After about another hour visiting with all the other animals, Lexi spoke up from atop her Joe's shoulders. "I have to go potty, Daddy."
Joe glanced around their surrounding before locating a nearby restroom. "Okay, let's make a quick pit stop before we head over to train ride." He lifted her off his shoulders and placed her on the ground. He glanced at Skye. "We'll just be a minute."
"I want Skye to take me," Lexi said as she squinted up at Joe.
He raised a brow. "And just like that I'm replaced, huh?" He chuckled and looked over at Skye who appeared surprised by the girl's request. "Do you mind?"
Blinking, Skye shook head, "Not at all."
Joe watched them head off to the ladies room. While the two were gone, his phone vibrated inside his pocket. He pulled it out seeing that it was his cousin, Jon. "Fatu," he greeted, once the phone was to his ear. "What's up man?"
"Nothing much just hanging out with my girl," his cousin answered. "What are you up to today?"
"Well, I'm currently at the zoo with Lex and Skye."
"Lex and Skye," Jon questioned, impressed. "So, you finally told her, huh?"
"Well, she found out yesterday. Luckily she was more shocked and scared than mad."
"Scared? What's she scared about? That girl has done so many Make-a-Wish requests that it would be a shocked that she'd be scared of your kid."
"It stems from some personal shit, man, and it's not my story to tell," Joe explained simply.
"Got it, say no more, man," Jon responded. "So, how's Skye doing? Has Lex gone easy on her?"
"Actually she's really taken with Skye. It's breaking Skye out of her shell a bit. In fact, it's a huge relief. I figured the moment that she found out she'd go running for the hills."
"Well, you got yourself a good one, man."
"Don't I know it," Joe agreed. "She's really special, Uce. I don't know what I possibly did to deserve this wonderful woman. I don't think I'd ever find someone like her."
"Dude," Jon commented with a knowing tone.
"What," Joe questioned, curiously.
"You sound like you love this girl."
Joe let out a soft chuckle, "It's way too soon to bring that word into this." He tried to not only convince his cousin of this, but himself as well. He thought back to just a half hour ago when Skye had caught him watching her as she fed the giraffe. He had felt something stir inside his chest when he took in her happy face.
"Deny it all you want, but you can't fool me. You love her. Who the hell cares how long it's been."
In his mind, he knew that his cousin was right. Joe released a deep sigh, "Damn it. I am in love with her." Shaking his head, he saw Skye and Lexi coming out of the bathroom hand in hand. "Look, I don't want to scare her off by saying those words to her too soon."
"Well, it's not something you should have to keep in," Jon pointed out. "Just get a feel of the situation before you go blurting them out."
"Yeah, easier said than done," Joe snorted. "I gotta go, man. Talk to you later." With a quick goodbye, he ended the call and smiled at the approaching pair. "All set?"
Both of them nodded and he took Lexi's other hand then the three of them headed for the train ride to view the rest of the zoo.
Joe tried his best not to think about just how in love he was with the woman that was holding his daughter's hand.
Hours later, Joe pulled his Tahoe up to park under the awning of The Courtyard hotel and the two adults climbed out to stand on the right side of the vehicle.
"Well," he began glancing through the back window at a conked out three year old in the backseat. "I think she had too much fun."
"Clearly," Skye agreed with a chuckle as leaned against the passenger door. "She's really a great kid."
"Yeah she's a keeper," Joe smiled.
"You're really a great dad, Joe," she told him, sincerely.
"Thank you," he responded in gratitude. "Did you have fun?"
"I did," she answered, smiling. "Thank you for inviting me."
"It's nothing. I'm glad that you could come."
"So, tonight," she began coyly.
"I thought maybe that I would cook for you," he told her.
She raised a brow, "Cook for me? So, Samoan men know how to cook?"
"We're the best cooks, baby girl. You just wait and see. Do you have any requests?"
"Anything edible," she stated simply. "I'll eat anything."
"Good, well, I was also thinking that you should probably pack up your stuff and check out of this place because I don't think you're going to be coming back after tonight."
"You seem awfully confident in yourself," she accused playfully. "I hope that you can back it up."
"You learn that there are other things that Samoan men are good at," he explained with a smirk. "So, how about you meet me at my place around seven?"
"Absolutely," she confirmed, stepping forward to lean up and press a kiss to his lips. "See you soon." She began walking away, but turned around and called out, "I'll be sure and wear my little surprise."
His eyes narrowed and called out, "You're cruel!"
She giggled wickedly, "It's just a few hours, big guy. "You'll manage." With a quick wave, she turned and disappeared into the hotel.
Smiling after her, Joe shook his head and walked back around to hop back into the driver seat.