Page 70 of Protecting Addison
“Just that no matter how much you think a father and daughter should have a relationship, sometimes the best thing is to walk away.”
He seemed to be talking in riddles, and it annoyed Addison. “Right.”
Dude sighed. “I’m not saying this very well. Just trust your instincts. If they tell you that something is off, it probably is. Maybe Vogel actually had good reasons for staying away from his daughter for the first twelve years of her life. But why come back now? Why does he want to be in her lifenowwhen he didn’t before?”
“I don’t know,” Addison said softly.
They heard a vehicle enter the lot, going a little too fast for the turn.
“He’s here,” she said unnecessarily.
Dude stepped toward her, took her arm again and backed her up a dozen or so steps, so they weren’t standing in the middle of the parking lot.
Glancing pointedly at her arm, Addison said wryly, “You’re very protective.”
“You have no idea,” he said, before giving a chin lift to the man walking toward them.
Brady looked good that morning. He had on a pair of jeans, a polo shirt, and his hair looked as if it actually had some sort of product taming it. As he got closer, Addison could also smell whatever cologne he was wearing. The difference between him and Dude couldn’t be more obvious. Both men wore jeans, but Dude’s T-shirt and black combat boots, messy hair, and smell of fresh soap seemed more…real…natural. Manly.
“Hey, Addison,” Brady said as he approached. “Who’s the dude?”
Addison couldn’t help but laugh at that. “Actually, his nameisDude. He’s a friend of my husband’s.”
“Dude? Really? That’s your name?”
“Yes,” he said, crossing his arms over his chest and staring stonily at Brady.
Addison was saved from the awkward moment by Artem, Borysko, and Yana running toward them.
“Oh, I didn’t know you were bringing all the kids,” Brady said. She knew Ellory had told him about her brothers and sister in some of the texts they’d exchanged. “Do they speak English?” he asked, right before the kids reached them.
His ignorant question irritated Addison. “Of course they do. They’re still learning, but they’ve come an amazingly long way since arriving in the US. Artem, Borysko, Yana, this is Brady, Ellory’s biological father.”
She’d explained to the kids what biological meant, but for some reason felt the need to keep tacking that on when she talked to anyone about Brady.
“Hello,” Brady said in an obnoxiously loud voice. “How. Are. You? I’ve. Heard. A. Lot. About. You.”
Addison stared at her ex. “Why are you talking like that? They’re right here, they can hear you just fine. And you don’t have to speak so slow either. They understand you.”
“Oh. Right.”
Artem took a step toward Brady and held out his hand. “I am Artem. Brother of Ellory, Yana, and Borysko. It is nice to meet you.”
Brady looked down at Artem’s hand. It was dirty and a little orange from the rust on the monkey bars, where he’d been playing. Instead of taking his hand, Brady simply nodded. “Hi,” he said.
Artem stood there for a moment, clearly a little confused, only dropping his arm when Dude put a hand on his little shoulder and gently pulled him backward.
“I am Borysko.”
“My name Yana.”
Addison couldn’t help but smile. The kids were on their best behavior, and they were so cute, formally introducing themselves as politely as they’d been taught.
“Right.” Brady turned his head to look for Ellory. She and Remi were still sitting on the bench near the building. They were watching them but hadn’t made a move to come over yet.
Just then, Yana said something to her brothers in Ukrainian. Artem answered her in the same language.
“I thought you said they spoke English,” Brady said with a frown.
