He grinned. "I am. There is some in the fridge if you want some."

She grinned, leaning into him, batting her lashes. "Can I have yours?"

He laughed. "Are you serious? Get your own."

"But yours tastes better," she whined, leaning into him more, nuzzling her nose into his jaw. "Please."

Letting out a sigh as his fork dropped, he pushed the plate to her. "You suck."

She giggled, taking the plate and the fork. "You rock. Thank you."

Leaning up for a kiss, she pressed one to the side of his face before going around the counter. "One day, I'll learn to say no to you."

Her eyes widened. "Oh, I hope not," she said with a wink, reaching for the door.

Taking a bite, she was almost out the door when he said, "Hey, want me to get Angie? So you can leave from here for practice? Or do you have it?"

She paused, thinking for a second as she chewed. She had a lot to do, but she didn't want to put him out. "If you can get her, that would make life so much easier."

He grinned, looking up as he placed a slice of potpie on his plate. "Well, I do like making your life easier, so I'll get her."

"Are you sure? No big deal?"

"No big deal," he promised, his eyes locking with hers. "I like picking her up. She's a hoot."

"She's something," she said around a bite. "Okay, I'll run by the house and get her stuff when I head to the warehouse. You are a lifesaver. Thank you."

"Anytime. Did Rick get back to you? Are you meeting him tonight, or is he coming up to the rink?"

She let out a frustrated breath, shaking her head as her heart pounded with anger. Rick never did this, never ignored her, and it was driving her insane. Communication, even if it was rude, was better than this silent crap he was pulling. "Not yet. I'm gonna call him in about an hour during his lunch break."

Benji rolled his eyes as he placed his plate in the microwave. "I don't know if I want you going alone if you have to drop her off. Maybe I can try to go. What time?"

She smiled sweetly. "Six thirty, you'll be at the rink."

"Shit. Yeah."

"Benji, I've been meeting this man for four years. I'm good. I promise."

He shot her a look as he leaned on his forearms on the counter. "That was before you had a boyfriend who refused to let you be disrespected."

Oh, heart. Yeah, I know you can't be still.

Shutting the door, she came to the counter as he watched, his lips curved before she leaned over and pressed her nose to his. "And while I love that my boyfriend wants me to be treated right and not disrespected, I can handle Rick Hart, believe me. But, thank you. For being you and for caring about me."

Moving his nose against hers playfully, he smiled. "Wow, are you feeling okay? Did you hear what you said? 'Cause I heard you actually like that I want to help and be there for you."

Meeting his gaze with a dry look, she rolled her eyes as the buzzer sounded from the microwave. "Way to go, ruin the moment."

When she tried to pull away, his hand came to the back of her head, holding her in place as he grinned widely at her. "Where are you going?"

"I've got to work, and since my boyfriend likes to tease me, I'm going back to my office. With my food."

"You mean my food," he corrected and she grinned as he kissed her nose. "And also, have I told you I really like when you say boyfriend? It gives me this little girlie feeling in my gut."

Grinning as she pulled back, she nodded. "Well, you are the girl, so it makes sense." As he glared, she shot him a wink before turning to go to the door. "See ya, hot stuff."

"I'll text you when I have Angie."

"Sounds good. Thanks again," she said, heading out the back door, but then she paused before shutting it. "And don't worry about Rick. I can handle him."

Looking back at her from the microwave, he shook his head. "It isn't that I don't think you can handle him, babe. It's that you shouldn't have to. That is what makes me mad and makes me want to tear him to pieces. You don't deserve that shit."

She smiled. "I know."

He nodded slowly, taking a bite of his pie. "Go to work before I take you upstairs."

She feigned shock before shaking her head. "Oh, no way, I'll never leave!"

"That's the point," he called as she shut the glass-paneled door. Holding his gaze, she turned her lips up as she waved and he grinned back. She headed for her office, not even wanting to go. She'd much rather go upstairs with Benji, lie with him, but she had things to do and she was sure he did too. With a little pep in her step as she inhaled her potpie, she closed the distance between his house and her office and realized she was smiling. For no damn reason but that Benji just made her happy.

It was odd, having someone who cared about her enough not to want her to be disrespected by anyone. Of course, her family didn't want that, but they were supposed to feel that way. She was their blood, but Benji had no ties to her. No reason other than he wanted to, and that just filled her with all kinds of feelings. To have someone want to be there. To offer to help and know they weren't put out by it. That they genuinely wanted to provide assistance, to make things easier, was really nice. And man, he loved Angie. He was just...he was just perfect and, God, that scared her to the core.

Because nobody that good existed.

Or at least, they didn't for Lucy.

It was sad, but she was just waiting. She knew it would happen, that moment when it would be too much-dealing with Rick, dealing with the fact that she had a kid and that Angie came first-and Benji would say to hell with it. A part of her wasn't even sure she was worth it. She was snarky, she was bitchy, but then, with him, she wasn't. Or at least, she wasn't that bad, mostly. But she knew he would run the other way sooner rather than later. For that reason, she was sure, she was hiding her heart. That was the main reason she held back from moving in with him even when it made so much sense and felt right. No, she had to be careful. Because as much as she wanted this to be forever, she was pretty sure it was only temporary.

And that made her smile disappear.

Pushing aside her worries because she needed to work, she headed through her office that was completely set up and beautiful. Benji had done an excellent job, and as Rayne sat behind her desk, a grin on her face as she worked, Lucy felt complete. She always wanted somewhere for her office that would feel like home. The little guesthouse that was now her office was home. It felt right. Just as Benji did. But she couldn't think of that right now.

No, she had work to do.

And she had to call Rick in an hour.

Deciding she really didn't want to do that, she tried to text him one more time.

Lucy: Are you meeting me at the rink to get Angie? She'll be done by six thirty.

To her surprise, he actually answered.

Rick: That's fine.

That's fine?

Nothing was ever fine with Rick.

As uneasiness filled her stomach, she considered texting him back. But what would that do? Nothing. It would be a waste of time, or worse, it would turn into a fight. Instead, she put her phone to the side, grabbed her scissors out of the wrong drawer, though it did make her smile, and got to work.

But the uneasiness never went away.

Especially when he got to the rink twenty minutes before he was supposed to. Her day was going so well; she had gotten a lot of work done, and Benji had hung with Angie before practice while she finished up. She hadn't even worried. She knew Angie was good, and watching Benji say good-bye, promising he would see her before he left on Monday, did things to Lucy's heart. It was a good day with the promise of a great night with his game and then having a late dinner with Jayden and Baylor.

She was excited, but one glance at Rick's face and she knew he was about to ruin her day.

He came toward her, and she held her breath as she tucked her hands into her pockets, her breath quickening as she tried to act unaffected. When he sat down, he leaned on his legs, looking out at the ice. Exhaling a breath while he shook his head, he didn't look at her as he said, "This really is a dumb sport. She's a girl-she needs to do girl shit."

Biting her top lip, she clenched her fists as she watched Angie shoot, making the goal. Shea tapped her on the head and she beamed before going to the back of the line. "She loves it. Whatever makes her happy, makes me happy."

"Whatever," he said, leaning back, his eyes still on the ice. "My lawyer contacted your dad."

"I know."

"Your dad, ever so nicely, told him to fuck off."

Nerves ate her alive as she nodded. "I know."

His neck started to get red but she didn't care. She wasn't going to just agree to something she knew would jeopardize Angie. "I feel we should do the smart thing and settle things out of court," he said.

"There is nothing to settle. Things are good the way they are."

He finally looked at her, his brown eyes blazing as he glared. "I want more time with my daughter. Maybe then you won't subject her to these men who do nothing but put thoughts in her head."

She looked away, her face scrunching up. "You have two weekends a month to spend time with her. And who are these men?"

"Any man you bring around her. She's starting to get mouthy, telling me to leave her alone, ignoring me and shit. That's not right. I want more time with her so she knows who to respect. Why won't you just give her to me?"

"Because I don't believe you really want her. To make sure she knows who to respect? Rick, she is the most respectful, sweetest kid I know. Yeah, she's wacky, but she's very respectful."

"She's insane. Always bouncing around and being so damn loud."

"Because she has ADHD. She can't help it!"

He rolled his eyes. "There you go. With your shield of made-up diagnosis...ses," he bit back and she glared.

"I'm not making up the diagnosis," she corrected. "It's the fucking truth. Maybe if you spent time with her, you'd realize what kind of kid she is. She tells me all she does is play with Nina when she's at your house. That you don't even really talk to her or deal with her, so I don't believe you. And if she disrespects you, it's because you don't have the time for her that is needed to establish boundaries."

"What?" he shouted. "You're gonna believe a seven-year-old over an adult?"

Lucy shot him a guarded look. "Believe my child who doesn't lie to me, who is a beautiful, God-loving child, over the man who cheated, lied, and smacked me around? Yeah, I think so."

He glared. "You are pathetic, you know that? You're just trying to keep her from me because you know she loves me more."

Lucy couldn't help it, she laughed, shaking her head. This dude was delusional. Looking at him, she held his heated gaze and her eyes pleaded. "Do you know how much I wish that were true? How I wished she loved going to your house? Spending time with you? How much I wish she didn't come home a different person because all you do is yell at her when she's there? I want you to have a relationship with her. I've wanted that, no matter what, because I know what it did for me as a child to have my parents both love me. But you care about Heidi and Nina more than you do Angie."

Her fairy-tale family ended when her dad cheated on her mom, but for a long time, Lucy loved the idea of love. Knew that she had two people behind her. Yeah, she was stubborn and did what she wanted. But she knew if she needed them, they were there. Both of them. All Angie had was Lucy...

And... Crap, was she really thinking this?

Benji.

Benji had been there more for Angie in the last three weeks than Rick had been in the last seven years.

She was going to hell for that thought.

Blistering with anger, he shook his head. "That's not true at all! I don't favor them."

"Really? Why didn't you say bye to Angie last weekend? She thought you weren't here, and that hurt her."

"That's a lie. She saw me."

"Apparently not. She asked me if you were here. I had to tell her you were because you didn't go see her."

He glared, his face flushing red as he spat out, "Because I was pissed at you."

"And because you are pissed at me, you hurt her? How does that make sense? Our issues are our issues. Don't let it bleed over to our child."

"Well, if you weren't such a bitch all the time, we wouldn't have that problem."

"Do you hear yourself? I shouldn't matter-"

"Well, when you're a shit mom and have your shit boyfriend try to cover for your crap, then, yeah, I'm gonna be mad."

"That's enough," she roared, her body breaking into a heat rash from the anger bubbling in her soul. "You will not talk to me like that. I am a good mother. I love our daughter, and she'll tell you that backward, sideways, and upside down. She loves me."

"Oh, yeah, mother of the year," he muttered, and she swore it was taking everything out of her not to beat his face.

But as she stared at the side of his head, she said, "Also, Benji has nothing to do with this. His concern is for our safety, the same way you wouldn't let anyone talk to Heidi the way you talk to me."

He scoffed. "Whatever, he's a wannabe daddy. Trying to steal my daughter."

"Are you serious? Benji would never. But, man, are you jealous, Rick? That I'm moving on? That Angie has a man to look up to?"

He scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself. I don't give two shits about you or him. And my daughter has someone. Me."

That was a lie and they both knew it. He wanted to control Lucy, he wanted her to be submissive to him, and he hated that she never was. Never would be. He was so far from a father figure for Angie, it was sad. In some fucked-up part of her, Lucy had thought maybe he could change. But the more nonsense that fell out of his mouth, the more she knew her baby daddy was a big, steamy pile of shit.

"See, I disagree. Because if you didn't care, you wouldn't worry so much about my personal life and would only worry about how our daughter feels."

"I don't, and I do only care about that."

"Then fix the problem. Make her feel welcome, and maybe I'll consider your request. Maybe we can make it a four-day weekend. But not until Angie is comfortable." She was trying to smooth things over. Trying to hold off because a custody battle was not what she wanted to get into with him. She wanted Angie to be happy. But the more and more she thought about it, the more she knew a custody battle was in her future. Because Rick was a lot of things, but he wasn't one to back down from a fight.

Glancing over at him, she found he was fuming, his fists clenched. For a second, she worried he was about to hit her. She could see it in his eyes, that hatred she had seen before. But he looked away, almost growling as he seethed. "She is comfortable. If she isn't, it's your fault."

"How?" she asked. "How in the world is that my fault?"