Chapter 11

"I'll be down in a few minutes," Cat says after I kiss the back of her head. I leave her in the bathroom to get dressed.

It's the morning after I returned from looking for Whisper. Surprisingly, Cat didn't have a nightmare last night. I expected her to because of the stress of me being gone most of the night. She slept like the dead, never moving an inch from the position we fell asleep in.

When I walk into the kitchen, I'm surprised to find Peggy and Jacob still here. Peggy is frying bacon and eggs at the stove, if my nose is correct. Jacob is sitting at the table reading a newspaper. Their appearance makes me laugh, because they look like a typical married couple from an old movie.

I never had this growing up. Every foster home I lived in had shitty parents who weren't the loving type. I was with the Clark's, the last foster family, for six months before "Daddy Clark"—yes, that's what Mr. Clark required all the foster kids to call him—started looking at me leeringly. It was fucking gross, and I knew if I stayed, it wouldn't be long before those looks turned into touches. At that point, I had grown into an angry kid and just wanted to be left alone because of all the shit I'd gone through in the system.

In the dead of night and with a hundred bucks stolen from Mrs. Clark's purse, I left out my bedroom window.

"Morning, honey," Peggy says, pulling me from my thoughts. "Breakfast should be ready soon. Grab a cup of coffee and take a seat."

I walk over to the coffee pot and grab two mugs from the cabinet above it. "I really appreciate you staying with Cat," I tell them. "I figured the two of you would be gone by now."

As she takes the bacon from the frying pan, she replies, "You never have to thank us for staying with Cat. She's our baby." She dumps the eggs into a glass serving dish. "And we heard you come in late last night. I figured you'd appreciate waking up to some bacon and eggs."

Peggy, always the caretaker.

"That's nice of you. Thank you." I pour coffee into both mugs and add the right amount of creamer and sugar. "And speaking of Cat, there's—"

I'm cut off by the sweet, innocent voice of Presley. "Hey."

Our eyes turn to the doorway to see the little girl standing there wearing a purple jumpsuit and pigtails. It takes Peggy and Jacob a second to recognize her, and while their expressions hold surprise for a moment, they both offer her a soft smile.

"Hey, Presley," Peggy says, walking to her as she wipes her hands on the towel hanging over her shoulder. Taking the girl in her arms, she holds her tightly for a moment. She lets her go and takes a step back. "My, my, don't you look pretty today?"

Presley beams at the compliment. "Thanks, Mrs. G."

"Like I told you last time, there's no need to call me Mrs. G. It's Peggy."

Presley giggles and flashes her dimples. "I'll try to remember."

Jacob and Peggy have been here a few times when Presley has visited. When Peggy first saw the little girl, she captured her heart. She claims it's because she reminds her of Cat when she was a child. Even I can admit that Presley has something about her that draws people in. She brings out the protective instincts of everyone she meets.

"Hey there, Presley," Jacob says, his newspaper now lying on the table before him. "We haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been hiding?"

"I was here last week. I just haven't felt like visiting as much."

I share a look with Peggy and Jacob before I turn to Presley. "Is everything okay?"

"Yep," she chirps, her pigtails bouncing as she skips over to the counter to steal some bacon. She munches on it while answering. "Sometimes I don't feel like going out."

"Well, it's a pleasure to see you," Peggy comments.

"I like seeing you too. You and Jacob remind me of my parents."

"We do?" Peggy asks, keeping an eye on Presley as she grabs plates from the cabinet. "How so?"

Presley's shoulder lifts. "I don't know. You're just motherly and fatherly like my mom and dad. And you make the best eggs like her."

A smile pulls at Peggy's lips.

Presley casually walks to the two mugs sitting on the counter and picks up the one I made for Cat. Before she can bring it to her lips, I stop her by gently taking it away.

"You know better than that, Presley," I tell her, my lips twitching. It's not the first time she's tried sneaking a cup of coffee. "Besides, that's Cat's cup, and we both know how she is when she doesn't get her caffeine."

Her lips drop into a fake pout, and I have to force back a laugh.

"You're mean."

It's my turn to shrug. "Call it what you want, but you're still not getting any."

"Fine," she grumbles.

"Will you be joining us for breakfast?" Peggy asks Presley.

"Not this morning. I have to go home and do chores or else Mom might make me listen to one of her lectures." She shudders like it's the worst thing ever.

Peggy lets out a sputtered laugh, her eyes shining with mischief. "Well, I'm sure you want to avoid that at all costs."

Presley nods, her expression turning serious. "I do. I always feel so bad when I disappoint her and Dad."

Peggy's good-natured composure melts into sadness as she takes in the girl's words and her sudden change of expression.

"I can't imagine that happening often. I bet both of your parents are very proud of you."

"You really think so?" Presley looks at Peggy hopefully.

Peggy smiles and walks over to her. She takes her into her arms, and I barely make out what Peggy says. "I don't think so. I can pretty much guarantee it."

"Thanks, Peggy. I hate the thought of disappointing them." She kisses Peggy on the cheek before stepping back. "It's time for me to go. I'll see you next time."

Before she walks away, she comes to me and pulls out a rolled stack of papers from her back pocket and holds it out. Her latest story to Cat.

"Make sure Cat gets these."

The three of us watch her walk out of the kitchen, each deep in our own thoughts of the little girl. Sadness seeps into my veins, because as young and innocent as Presley is, she's been through more than any one person should ever go through. I want to hold onto her, protect her with all my might, but the only thing I can do is be there for her when she visits and hope she comes out on the other side as a whole person.

* * *

Several hours later,after saying goodbye to Cat's parents, we're snuggled up on the couch. My back is against the arm of the couch and Cat is on her side between my legs. Her long hair, which was pulled into a high ponytail when she first came into the kitchen earlier, is now down, lying over one of her shoulders.

Her cheeks are puffed out from the big smile on her face as she reads Presley's latest story. With a laugh, she sets the papers down on the coffee table.

"What's so funny?" I ask, twirling a lock of her hair between my fingers.

"Presley was helping her mom change her little brother's diaper and he peed on her. Of course, she freaked out, which was highly entertaining to her brother. While she was busy throwing off her top, her brother was on the changing table giggling his head off. Presley, the sweet big sister that she is, couldn't help but be charmed by his giggles, so she ended up in hysterics with him."

I chuckle. "That girl is something else."

"She really is. It's so cute how much she loves her baby brother."

"What do you want to do for your birthday?" I ask.

"It doesn't matter to me," she answers drowsily. "Just as long as I'm with you."

Crooking my finger under her chin, I tip her head back and look down at her with a smile. "There's nothing that would take me away from you on your birthday."

Leaning up, she returns my smile and presses her lips against mine. "You couldn't be a better husband," she murmurs against my lips. "I was blessed beyond measure the day I stepped into Slate."

I remember that day vividly.

I was getting ready to leave for the night, but I needed to speak with Silas first. While I was looking for him at the bar, I happened to glance at the dance floor. Right fucking there, with her hands sliding through her long, dark hair, her hips swaying to the soft beat of the music, wearing a short skirt barely covering her ass and a shirt that had slipped off one shoulder, was the woman I knew to the very depths of my soul, I would make mine. I didn't leave like I had planned to. I rooted my ass into a chair, and I watched her. For hours, I sat there and watched her and her friend, looking like they were having the time of their lives. I almost followed them when they left, but I resisted the urge to learn more about the woman who so completely captured my attention.

They returned a couple of weeks later. I had informed Kurt that I wanted to be informed as soon as she walked in the door, so I had more time to observe her. Once again, I sat in the shadows and watched my girl swing her hips while laughing with her friend. Twice I almost beat the fuck out of a couple of guys who dared approach her. Their faces were saved only because she didn't show much interest in them.

Later that night, things changed. That's when I saw an asshole spike her drink. After breaking his nose, I had Kurt throw him and his friend out of the club. That wasn't the end of it though. I found out who the guy was a week later, and he had an unpleasant ending. The pigs were happy though, as they fed on his corpse.

"You got that backward, baby," I say, switching my thoughts back to the present. "I was the one blessed that day."

She smiles against my lips. "You're too good for me."

That earns her a grunt. "You got that wrong as well. You're too good for me."

Cat would never know how true my statement is. With everything I've done in the past and everything I'm still doing, I will never be good enough for her.