36. Bronson

brONSON

"Can I drive?"Stormi asked.

At six, my daughter was itching to try anything. "One day, Muffin, but you're not quite there yet."

She let out an exaggerated huff, making me chuckle.

Lake had gone to lunch with the ladies and while I was a bit paranoid not being by her side, I knew she was in good hands. Not only did she have all the ladies surrounding her, but Lyric and Paxton were on guard duty. She also had her necklace on so it felt like added protection if anything should go wrong.

A shiver raced down my spine at the thought but I shook it off. I needed to think positive. I also needed to give my Stormi my undivided attention because she and I were having father-daughter time.

It was a bittersweet moment full of past memories and new ones in the making.

I never really imagined I could bring myself to take the Camaro my dad and I had built out of storage. But my girls changed my life. They made me see things differently and I found myself embracing all my emotions.

I'd brought the car to my childhood home and parked it in the garage a week before. And there Stormi and I were, together, making it sparkle as bright as the smile she had on her face.

"This is the coolest car. I'm just going to pretend to drive," she said as she slipped behind the wheel into the driver's seat.

I was taken back in time to when my father and I worked together just as my daughter and I were now. The joy on her face was exactly the way I felt when I was a child. And then I remembered the best part. Him taking me for a drive.

"What do you say we go for a drive?"

She bounced in the seat and her eyes lit up.

"Only I'll be the one driving."

The pout that formed on her face was adorable. "Aww, Dad."

Shit, she sounded like me at her age.

"Aww, Muffin," I replied, teasing her.

She got out of the car and came around to the other side. "Fine, at least we get to go out in the car."

"Get in back and we'll go to the house and put your booster in this car." I opened the back door. "What do you say I take my girl out to lunch?"

Giving me a thumbs up and a megawatt smile, she climbed into the back. "Sounds good to me, but mom thinks she's your girl." I could hear the teasing tone in her voice.

"You're both my girls," I told her before shutting the door.

Opening the big roll-up garage door, I let my gaze scan my surroundings. Even though it was a cold January day, the scene before me was beautiful. In my opinion, it was magical all year round on the lake.

Once I got the car pulled out, I closed the garage up and got back in the Camaro. I glanced in the mirror at my beautiful angel, so full of life, and my heart beat with love.

She was mine.

"Dad, are we going? I'm starving and I can't wait to ride in your car."

I grinned at her in the mirror. "You bet, Muffin. But you know what?"

"What?"

I twisted around in my seat to look at her. "This isn't just my car."

Her little face scrunched up. "It's not?"

"Nope, it's our car."

Those big brown eyes of hers widened. "You mean it's mine too?"

"You bet it is."

With her small hand closed in a fist, she threw her arm in the air in victory. "That's awesome. I have a car, I have a car!" she chanted.

I pointed at her. "But you still can't drive until you're older."

"That's okay. I have a car, I have a car!" she began again.

Shaking my head at my silly girl, I turned back in my seat and started the car.

And we were off.

"Yay!" Stormi yelled.

My dad would have loved every second of this. He had loved Lake like a daughter and he would have loved Stormi too. I didn't remember my mother like I did my father, but they loved each other like Lake and I did.

And they loved me just like I did the little girl who sat in the backseat.