17. Open Your Eyes

17

OPEN YOUR EYES

“ T hanks for bringing this over last minute,” Mel said to him later that day after work.

He had plans to go to dinner at Sloane’s and now he’d be running late. She’d told him not to worry when he said he’d explain later.

“I don’t want Tiffani to not be able to sleep,” he said.

“Daddy,” Tiffani screamed as she ran down the stairs at the front of Mel’s house. “Thank you for bringing Stanley. I can’t sleep without him. I thought he was in my bag.”

He handed over the floppy-eared bunny that had been his daughter’s bedmate since she was a year old.

He’d wanted to get one for each house when he and Mel split, but she’d said Tiffani would know the difference.

“You’re welcome. We wouldn’t want you to not be able to sleep.”

Tiffani launched herself at him. “Thank you, Daddy.”

That was the second “Daddy” out of her mouth. She rarely called him that anymore. He lifted his eyebrow and looked at his daughter and then his ex to see if something happened he should know .

Mel rolled her eyes at him. “You can take Stanley to your room and tuck him in,” she said to Tiffani who went running up the stairs.

“She’s too old to need a stuffed animal in bed with her.”

Dane looked past Mel to see a man standing in the hallway. “Ethan, I’m assuming?” he asked and moved past his ex to see the new boyfriend for the first time.

He was here and he was going to damn well meet the guy that his daughter was dropping tidbits of information about.

That statement alone pissed him off and he rarely felt that way about much in life.

“That’s me,” Ethan said. The new boyfriend measured him up. He tried not to grin over the fact he was a few inches taller and probably had some more muscle on him.

“Nice to meet you,” he said, shaking hands. Ethan seemed stunned by that.

“The same,” Ethan said, grinning.

Dane leaned in close. “In the future, let me parent my child the way I see fit without comments from you. If she wants to sleep with ten stuffed bunnies until she’s twenty it’s no concern of yours.”

He stepped back and turned away before Ethan could say another word.

“Can we talk for a minute?” Mel asked him.

He assumed by the look on his ex’s face it had to do with what he’d just said to her new boyfriend. He hadn’t lowered his voice so Mel didn’t hear but so that Tiffani couldn’t, though his daughter was upstairs.

“Sure,” he said. “Outside.”

He turned and went to the front porch and she shut the door behind them. “Ethan was only joking.”

“I don’t care,” he said. “He can keep his jokes to himself. She’s seven. Kids believe what they want to believe and don’t know the difference. You know as well as I do she just made a spectacle of coming to see me at the door. There is a reason for it.”

“She’s at a tough age,” Mel said. “She wants to be with you when she’s here. Or she wants to be with me nonstop when she’s here. She isn’t giving me time to breathe.”

“Why am I hearing this now? And you’ve got four days without the kids to breathe. How much more do you want?” It’s not like married couples had that luxury.

One he didn’t even like having.

Though now that he had a girlfriend, he did find it nice to not worry or stress he was taking time away from them or sending them to a sitter.

Maybe Mel was doing that, but the kids hadn’t said a word and he wouldn’t ask.

“It’s not that,” Mel argued. “I do see Ethan when I don’t have the kids.”

“But he’s here today and you do have them tonight,” he said. “And that is your choice. We’ve talked before about the fact I’d like to meet any man you introduce to the kids, but I’ve never held you to it.”

She pursed her lips. “It’s only been two. And you met Ian.”

“I did,” he said. “Before the kids. That was fine. I helped you when Ian met the kids too.”

She let out a sigh. “You did. But I don’t need you to help me introduce someone to the kids. It’s not like I did it right away.”

“Not that I’m aware of,” he said. Since she did it this time without forewarning him. Did he know about Ethan? He did, for about a week. Then the kids met the guy and he was left answering questions he didn’t want to deal with. “ But I do know they are talking about him and not in a good light.”

“You told me. He is only kidding with them. He’s not over often, but when he is the kids want my attention nonstop. We try to do things as a family, but he’s not used to the kids.”

He ground his teeth. He didn’t need to hear that some other man was doing things with his kids as a family. “Mel.”

“You know what I mean. I try to include everyone. I wanted the kids to warm up to him. It’s just they don’t get Ethan’s sense of humor.”

“I’m going to guess he doesn’t have kids since you said he’s not used to them?”

“No,” Mel said. “He’s uncomfortable around them. He wants them to like him and maybe he’s trying too hard. I told him to relax.”

“I can appreciate all that. Maybe he should start by not criticizing a seven-year-old though.”

“I’ll talk to him about it,” Mel said, sighing. “He’s been wanting to meet you.”

“It’s the first you’ve said it.”

“I thought maybe you could talk to the kids for me.”

“Now you want me to do it?” he asked. “When they’ve already formed an opinion?”

“I’m sorry. I’m trying to keep them in mind.”

“I’ll talk to them the next time I see them. What am I supposed to tell them? That he’s a great guy when they know I just met him?”

“I handled it wrong. I get it. There was a reason we did things differently with Ian. I guess I thought they were so accepting of him that it wouldn’t be a problem.”

Dane snorted. “They are kids. They’ve had three men in their life now with their mother. Tiffani still sleeps with a bunny and Tyler with a cat. You think they can understand why Mommy has another man in their life who wants her attention when they are around? Give me a break and open your eyes.”

Mel’s jaw dropped.

He’d never talked to her like this before. Not the words or the tone.

He wasn’t even sure where it was coming from other than he knew it needed to be said.

“I didn’t realize you felt that way.”

“Now you do.” The door opened behind them and Tyler was standing there.

“Dad, are you taking us back home?”

“No, bud. Tiffani forgot Stanley and I had to bring him back. He was lonely without her.”

“Just like Felix is without me too,” Tyler said.

“That’s right,” he said, his voice softer. “Why don’t you go back in and maybe you can play a board game with your mother, sister and Ethan. Wouldn’t that be fun?”

“I think so, but Ethan doesn’t like board games.”

He cleared his throat and looked at Mel. “Maybe if you told him why you and Tiffani like them so much and that it’s nice to share time with each other, he’d give it a shot.”

Tyler shrugged. “I’d rather play them with you.”

“We can do that when you go back to my house. I promise.”

“Okay,” Tyler said.

“Give Dad and me a few more minutes, please,” Mel said to Tyler. Their son shut the door and his ex looked back at him. “Thank you.”

“That wasn’t so hard was it?” he asked. “Maybe next time you’ll put a bit more thought into how to handle things with them. I’m sure Tiffani will tell me how it went. ”

He turned and walked off the porch, got in his SUV and then drove to his girlfriend’s house.

For being late he made a quick stop at a bakery, grabbed a few monster cookies and then went on his way.

He got to Sloane’s at six thirty. He didn’t knock. She’d told him he didn’t have to.

He opened the front door and walked to the back toward the kitchen. She was pulling out a pitcher of iced tea and filling a glass.

“Here you go,” she said.

“Thank you.” He took a sip. “Sorry, I’m late.”

“No worries,” she said. “I was running late too so it gave me time to not rush so much. I know you can be held up at work.”

“It wasn’t work,” he said. There was no reason to not tell her.

“Oh,” she said. “Everything okay with the kids?”

The fact she went right there next just warmed his heart.

He set his glass down and pulled her close for a hug. “It is. Or hopefully will be. Tiffani left Stanley at my house.”

“I’m not sure who Stanley is, but I’m going to guess a stuffed animal?”

“Yes,” he said. “Her bunny. Felix is Tyler’s cat. They bring them back and forth. It’s a common comfort for them. I could have said she’d be fine without it.”

“Never,” she said. “She’d have a bad night and you would feel guilty. Then even more guilty because you were with me when you should have brought that to your daughter.”

He gave her a light kiss on the lips. “I’m not sure how you can understand that about me, but yes.”

“I’m not sure how I can either, but I guess I’ve been so uncomfortable for most of my life that I believe every little bit we need to help we should get.”

“Yes,” he said. “It’s not a big deal. My guess is she was throwing a fit over it. Ethan was there.”

“Mel’s boyfriend?” she asked.

“Yes.” He told Sloane what happened with Tiffani’s actions and Ethan’s words.

“That’s not his business,” she said. “Good for you for standing up for your daughter.”

“I normally wouldn’t have done that. I would have talked to Mel about it and not made a scene with Ethan.”

“Telling him nicely but firmly to stay out of the parenting of your kids isn’t making a scene. It’s setting boundaries that clearly need to be set.”

“I thought Mel and I had those boundaries, but maybe not.”

“Were you mad that she didn’t have you meet Ethan before the kids?” she asked.

“I wasn’t happy. But the kids didn’t appear to be upset over it. I found out about him first and then Mel talked to them about Ethan for one week. Then I guess he just showed up one night. Said he got the nights confused. I’m starting to think that isn’t the case. That maybe he pushed the issue, but I don’t know.”

“Ouch,” she said. “That is Mel’s problem, but it seems to me he is the insecure one there.”

“Most likely.”

“Will you talk to the kids about it?” she asked.

“I will in a few days.” He told her what he said about the board games too.

“See,” she said. “You’re the good guy. Just like your sister said. ”

He let out a sigh. “That was today, huh? Do I want to know how it went?”

“It was today and I think it was great,” she said. “Chloe cares a great deal for you.”

“I’m sure she made me out to be a pushover.”

“No,” she said, running her hand over his cheek. “She made you out to be exactly who you are. A man who puts those he loves first and foremost. One that has no problem standing up for loved ones either when the time warrants it. Just like today.”

He dipped his head down and gave her another kiss. “You have no idea how much I needed to hear that. There was part of me that felt like an ass when I said all of that to Mel and she was stunned by it.”

“Not me,” she said. “We can’t all be nice every day of the week. Nor should we be. It’s not fair to anyone.” Her hands moved to his shoulders. “And it causes stress and tension. I could give you a freebie tonight with a happy ending.”

He burst out laughing. “Here I brought cookies for being late and you’re going to reward me with that.”

“It’s not a reward for you,” she said smiling. “It’s a little fantasy of mine that I’d never do in my business, but here I can do what I want. If you’re game?”

“More than game,” he said.

“Then dinner can wait,” she said. “Take me to my room.”

He picked her up and carried her to her room.

If he felt like a knight in shining armor today, he was keeping that silly thought to himself.

But he had to admit it was a good feeling to have.