Page 170 of Fighting Chance

I’m burning this chat history

KIERAN

come on sunshine

you and I both know you like it when I talk dirty

I’m nervous.

Beyond fucking nervous.

No, it isn’t an eloquent enough word to describe the way my heart’s pounding against my rib cage, screaming at me that I’m an idiot and went too far.

Wiping my sweaty palms on the back of my jeans, I look out the second-floor window—for the millionth time—to check if Layla’s car is in the driveway yet.

“Lil?” Emmy asks beside me.

Her sweet little voice and the nickname she picked up from Bella makes the erratic pounding of my heart cease, just for a beat, and then it resumes its pathetic attempt to eradicate itself from my body.

Nodding, I chew on my thumbnail before ripping it from my mouth. “Yep! Lil is on her way over, munchkin.”

She nods up at me like I just gave the most important order of her life. Running to her bedroom, which has the best view of the driveway, she grabs her retriever and climbs up into the recliner I slept in during her first three weeks here. Her eyes never leave the window, even though I’m pretty sure she’s only tall enough to see the sky.

My lips twitch. “You’re my best friend, you know that, right?” Bending, I place a kiss on her forehead, soaking up the smile she gives me. “Don’t tell Uncle Grayson that though. He’ll have a heart attack.”

She giggles as if I’m the funniest man in the world, even though I don’t think she has a clue what a heart attack is.

Sitting beside her, I wait, not realizing I was holding my breath until it rushes from me as Layla pulls into the driveway. And sure enough, Emmy doesn’t notice because all she can see at best are the tops of the trees.

Snorting to myself, I lift her onto my lap and point. “There’s Layla.”

She gasps. “Lil!”

She wiggles to be let down and the second those little feet hit the carpet she’s off, running down the hall to greet the nanny she’s fallen head over heels in love with.

The nickname she started saying for Layla only happened this weekend. Surprised the shit out of me, and is probably about to make her cry.

I can hear small squeals and laughter as I make my way down the hall, and as my eyes lock on the room that made me the nervous wreck I am, panic flares in my chest fast and swift, almost toppling me to the floor.

Jesus fucking Christ I’m screwed.

Forcing myself to take a deep breath, I round the top of the landing, finding Emmy in Layla’s arms, and sure enough, there are tears rolling down her cheeks.

She lifts those icy blue eyes to me, the ones that haunt my dreams, and whispers, “Have you heard?”

I smile down at them, my two favorite girls. “She’s been saying it all weekend.”

Layla gasps. “And you didn’t tell me?”

“Why ruin the moment?” I shrug. “It’s more precious in person.”

“You’re right, this was the best surprise.” Layla squeezes Emmy a little tighter, not letting up until she grunts.

“Don’t squish her,” I drawl.

“She’s just so damn cute.”

Emmy points upstairs and something flares in Layla’s gaze. Turning back to me, she cocks her hip. “Right, care to tell me what you two got up to this weekend and why you won’t walk down the stairs?”