16. Try not to Scratch

SIXTEEN

Iusually tried to pick Lily up early enough that Del could get herself ready for the day without also having to take care of our daughter. It was becoming increasingly more difficult not to tell her I was working on the house. Holly had almost let it slip multiple times, but I'd been there to deflect. God knows how many times she'd come close without me around to distract from it.

Lily and I had just arrived at the new house, and I was unbuckling her seat when my phone started to ring. Del's pretty face lit up the screen. It was the picture Peter took after that last game in Buffalo. She had her arms wrapped around my neck and her big cheesy grin spread across her face from ear to ear. I wasn't even looking at the camera, totally mesmerized by her.

"Miss me already?" I asked after swiping to answer. "You could have just told me to stay."

"Cute. No." She let out a long, defeated sigh. "My car won't start. I think the battery is dead or something. There's like no noise happening when I turn the key, but Mom and Ned already left for the day. I don't have a car to get to work."

I turned and saw Del's mom walking in the front door carrying pillows. It was a whole family affair. Del just didn't know that.

"I can call Thomas to come get me if you're busy."

"No, I can take you to work. No big deal. We're on our way."

"Are you sure? I don't want to take away your time with Lil."

"Yeah, we'll just have family time instead. See you in ten."

Del was waiting on the front porch step when we pulled up, clothed in sleek, black dress pants paired with a crisp white shirt tucked in with a black blazer on top. She looked gorgeous in anything but this professional Delilah was a look I didn't get to see often. Hot. She looked bossy, and it was a total turn on.

I made to get out but she beat me to it, opening the passenger door and hauling herself up. It was a sight to see: her all buttoned up and perfectly pressed in my dusty truck with me in torn jeans and a cut off. I doubted she even noticed what I was wearing this morning with the way she handed Lily off and immediately started biting her nails. I pulled her hand away and kissed the top of it. She just smiled shyly and spouted off a list of things I needed to take with me so Lily wouldn't be upset later.

When her seatbelt was clicked in place I shifted into reverse and headed toward the highway.

"Big day today?"

Del's cheeks were always a little flushed but I could tell she was more red faced than normal because the few strands she left out of her bun were starting to curl up at the ends. Not that I would tell her. She despised her wavy hair, especially in the summer when the humidity in Iowa shot sky high. I used to point out how cute she looked when she complained about it, but I stopped when I noticed it made her insecure and fidget with her curls more.

"The biggest. One of my authors is in town, and I wanted to be early to grab breakfast so we could have a spread when she got there. Now I'm going to be late and not have enough time to have it delivered. "

I was nothing if not a problem solver. I managed to drop Del off in record time and grab everything she needed while she set up what she could at the office. She was waiting in the lobby to help carry when I arrived with all the goods.

"I could have gotten everything up there."

"Yeah, but you have Lily. I didn't know if she'd be fussy already and I thought you might need help." She took two grocery bags from my arm that was currently holding all five because I needed a free hand for Lil in case I needed to squish her cheeks or something.

We passed the front desk and I stopped, finding Dean leaning against it checking his watch repeatedly. It was satisfying that he didn't even look good. His shirt was freshly pressed and his dress pants had a hard line down each leg, but the skin beneath his eyes was dark like he hadn't slept in a year. I would have thought an uppity fucker like him would wear makeup or something to cover it up.

"You didn't tell me your office was in his building." I glared at the sorry fucker but spoke directly to Del. I didn't have any interest in hearing what he had to say.

Del didn't stop walking as she made her way to the elevator. "Well it's not his building. It's his dad's. Frank is an honest businessman, and we have a great working relationship." She pushed the up button and turned while we waited for the doors to open. "It just made sense to continue it after the new company president was appointed. How are you dealing with the demotion Dean?" She faked a wince. "Tough break about them finding you screwing multiple employees on camera."

Dean started to walk toward Del with his pointer finger extended. "I knew that was you, you little whore."

I stepped in front of him and blocked his path. It wasn't difficult when I had a good six inches on him and was twice as wide.

"Watch your mouth and back the fuck up."

A security guard stood from his seat behind the desk. "Miss Howard, do you need assistance?"

She looked from me to Dean and shook her head. "I appreciate it Larry, but we're done here. Dean just forgot his manners." She smiled and stepped around me giving a pointed look at Lily in the carrier secured to my chest. "Go Parker."

Dean smiled like he got satisfaction out of her telling me to leave it alone, but the joke was on him. She was leaving the situation by my side. I backed up into the elevator once it dinged open and pulled her in with me. I brought her hand to my lips, keeping eye contact with Dean as the doors closed.

"You're so hot when you're mean."

She slid her hand out of mine. "What are you talking about?"

"You told on him to his dad?"

Del smirked. "Not specifically. Frank is a nice guy. He was my boss before stepping back from the company to spend time with his wife—who also loved me, by the way. They were sad to find out Dean and I had split and wanted to know what happened. I merely suggested they check the cameras throughout the office." Her lips turned up in a full blown grin. "How was I supposed to know he'd be caught violating multiple company policies?" She leaned in and kissed the tip of Lily's nose and then rubbed hers against it. Lil reached out and held Del's face in her hands and it pulled at every emotion in my heart. I wanted that unspoken bond, but more than that, I adored the one they had.

Del turned her gaze on me, and I forgot what words were. Seeing her as a mom, giving our daughter unfiltered and unrestrained love was changing me. Changing the way I wanted her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Like what?" I croaked out.

"Like you want to put me in your pocket and keep me with you forever." Her voice was slightly breathless, like she said the words before thinking them over first. If she took the time to consider them I knew she'd have held them back. It was a rare gift when she spoke with her guard down.

"What if I do?" I pulled her to me and held her close, tucking her head under my chin and stroking my hand up and down her back. "You're going to be great today. Everything will be perfect and Lily and I can pick you up when you're ready to come home." Del didn't say anything, just stayed relaxed in my arms until the elevator chimed and the doors opened on the eighth floor.

We sorted out all the food, and I was able to help Del get ready with thirty minutes to spare. The set up was decadent and exactly what Del wanted to welcome her client. I stuck around just long enough for Thomas to arrive, handed Lily to him, and excused myself quickly to go to the bathroom before the drive home.

I did not, however, need to use the restroom. I knew the newspaper offices were on the sixth and seventh levels. Dean previously worked on the seventh, but I was assuming he would be down with the entry level editors now. I guessed right when I saw him leaning against a door frame chatting up a blonde intern who was probably barely legal. What a sleazebag.

His eyes widened when he saw me striding right for him. He glanced around clearly looking for security but finding none.

"This your office?" I gestured to the one behind him.

"What's it to you, jock?" he sneered.

"Let's have a chat." I let myself in and gestured for him to take a seat. When he did, I closed the door behind me. Thankfully it wasn't one of those offices made of glass walls. The only window had a set of blinds that I promptly closed.

He shifted in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"

"I want you to choose your words carefully the next time you so much as look at my woman."

Dean just laughed, "Your woman huh? I didn't see a ring on her finger and from what I've heard you just got home. I wouldn't get too comfortable. You never know when she'll leave you and get knocked up with another man's baby all in the same day."

He did know Lily was mine. I walked around his desk and grabbed him by the shirt collar, hopefully wrinkling the shit out of it. "If you ever talk about my family like that again I'll make sure you have a hard time walking for the rest of your life."

"Big talk for a guy Del thinks wouldn't hurt a fly." His face started to turn white as I tightened my hold on his top button. Though it didn't deter the slimy fuck from digging the hole deeper. "If you think she's going to stay with a little boy who didn't even go to college, you're in for a rude awakening, punk. Did you ever think maybe there was a reason she didn't want anything more with you when she had multiple opportunities?"

I didn't let an ounce of what I was feeling cross my face. "Well, we all know why she wants nothing to do with you, asshole. Stay the fuck away from Del." I flung the door to his office open and spoke loud enough for the people nearby to hear, "Yeah I don't know man, you should definitely see a doctor about that. You don't want to let it spread more than it already has, yikes. Try not to scratch!"