8. Big Daddy

CHAPTER 8

Big Daddy

I already know how things with Matilda’s dad will go. At first, he’ll be intimidated by my size and worry I’ll hurt his daughter—never fuckin’ happening. Then he’ll be pissed that I was in prison, and finally, he’ll attempt to put his foot down once he finds out I’m four years older than him.

Nothing will work, though.

There’s nothing in this world that’ll convince me to walk away from Matilda. She’s my endgame.

“Calm down, baby girl. Everything is going to be fine.” I brush the hair near her ear to the side and lean down to kiss the shell of it. And that’s how the man finds us when he opens the front door.

“Jesus,” he curses, causing Matilda to stiffen and my ire to ramp up. Nobody’s going to make her feel uncomfortable—least of all, this man. “Your mother is here,” he mutters, pinching the bridge of his nose before pushing us back so he can step outside and close the door.

His eyes size me and the way I stand next to Matilda up, my body slightly protecting hers before he moves to stare at his daughter.

“Why is she here?” Matilda’s horrified whisper brings every beastly instinct I have barreling forward.

“Because she couldn’t get a rise out of you yesterday. You know how she is.” His gaze moves back to meet mine again. Even given my size, he’s only a few inches shorter and far more beefed up than I’d have imagined for someone in real estate.

“Dad, this is Joshua Stergen; Joshua, this is my dad, Coltrain Vine.” I shake his hand and get the feeling that my assessment of how the man would react to me is wildly inaccurate. That or his ex-wife put a damper on his treatment of me.

“Nice to meet you, sir.” Matilda curls into my side when she hears a woman yelling from the house.

“This was not how I wanted this evening to go. However, I have two questions for you, Josh.” I indicate for him to continue. “Are you going to break her heart?”

“Not a fuckin’ chance.”

“You plan to marry her before you knock her up?” Matilda chokes at the comment, and I notice his eyes narrow. “Alright, you plan to marry her before she begins to show, then?”

“First chance I get.” Matilda gasps quietly, and I feel her gaze on me.

“Good. Welcome to the family. Don’t hold this wicked bitch against my girl, or we’ll have problems.” With that, Coltrain walks inside, where he begins fighting with the woman beyond the door.

“You mean that?” Matilda stands in front of me, her eyes pleading with me to tell her it’s true.

Picking her up, she doesn’t hesitate to wrap her legs around my waist and arms around my neck. “You bet I do. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, baby girl, and I have every intention of giving you the life we deserve together. As my wife, the mother of my children, my sweet baby girl. Daddy loves you like crazy.” Kissing her before she can respond, I show her just how much my words mean, and she gives it right back.

We hear, “What do you mean behave!” screeched just as the door is flung open again. “Dear God! I knew sending you here would turn you into-”

“Watch what you say next, lady.” I growl out the warning as Matilda slowly slides down my body.

“Excuse me?” She sounds like a snake with the way she hisses.

“Hello, Mother.” Matilda turns. I don’t like how she looks down and clasps her hands in front of her body like a scolded schoolgirl. “This is Joshua Stergen.” Her timid tone pisses me off further. What the fuck has this woman done to my girl?

“The trucker,” she spits out.

“Mother,” Matilda grouses. How she ever came from this vapid bitch is beyond me.

“Trucker, ex-con, attempted murderer, whatever you want to call me, it won’t stop me from marrying my woman.” From the expression on her face, she wasn’t expecting me to say that.

“Coltrain!” Her screech makes me wince.

“She’s a grown woman, Brenda,” he chastises, shrugging and turning his back on the older woman before waving us inside. “Grill’s going; how do you like your steak, Josh?” Matilda remains in a state of shock at her mother’s appearance, but I refuse to allow her to be intimidated any longer.

“Rare,” I call out to him. With a hand on her back, I guide her around the still-stunned pose of Brenda, leaning down to whisper, “Don’t worry, baby girl, Daddy will always take care of you.”

Halting in the middle of the front room, Matilda reaches up to pull my face down to hers. “I know you will, Daddy.” Brenda’s outraged gasp gets ignored as I slant my lips over my woman’s, claiming her in the best way I know how without getting arrested for public indecency.

“Daddy!” The screeching begins again.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Brenda, shut the fuck up.”

Matilda pulls away with a smile tugging at her lips. “He’s never spoken to her like that before,” she whispers for my ears only as the two parents get into it. “Mother?” Matilda’s eyes hold a secret.

“What?” Brenda snaps at her only child, shooting daggers her way.

“He’s forty-two.”

“Jesus Christ.” Coltrain drops his head back, looking up at the sky like he’s hoping lightning will strike him down.

I think Brenda’s jaw hits the floor.

“And I call him Big Daddy all the time because it’s his road name. Everyone calls him that.” I wrap an arm around my bratty woman as she hides in my chest while laughing because her mother looks about ready to stroke out.

“You. Called. Him. Daddy,” Brenda grunts with a stomp of her foot.

“Yes, I did.” Matilda grins, proud of shocking everyone in the room.

“I can’t be hearing this.” Coltrain meets my stare, and I recognize a kindred soul when I see one. He wants his own little girl but has likely stuffed the urge down because of the age of his daughter and this sadistic cunt of an ex. “I’m grilling and drinking,” he says, more to himself, and walks away again.

“Matilda,” Brenda barks, and years of hearing that tone have likely conditioned her, so when she snaps to attention at my side, I growl. “You will tell this…this…this beast to leave right now, or we’ll never speak again.” A smirk tilts the woman’s lips because she thinks she’s won.

“Okay,” Matilda shrugs, pulling out of my embrace to lace our fingers together and pull me along to the deck where Coltrain is chugging his third beer since making his exit.

With a look over her shoulder, she tells Brenda, “Leave now.”

The woman shrieks even more, spitting out curses and threats, but we ignore her as she throws her fit. Shutting the French doors behind us, Coltrain hands me a beer and a grape soda for Matilda. I pop the top before handing it to her. I imagine that’s something her father’s always done for her. Allowing me to do it is even more telling about my assumptions of the man.

“I’m okay with Big Daddy,” he finally says. “But please, for the sanity of my mind and health of my heart, leave the Daddy stuff at home.” Matilda giggles, but I meet his gaze and give a nod of understanding.