Page 3 of Steele

My gaze narrowed. “Of course, I’ll go. What’s Donuts with Dad?”

She smiled wide, showing her front gap from her missing tooth. “You know, Donuts with Dad at my school. First, we go to the lunchroom, and we have donuts and milk. Then you get to come to my classroom and see the butterfly I made.” She leaned forward in her seat. “And you can talk to Miss Jaymi. She’s nice. And she likes bugs, too. At parent night she saved a spider from getting squished. She put him out the window.”

“A kindred spirit.”

Her head tilted. “What’s a kindred spirit?”

“Someone who loves the same things you love, like bugs. When was parent night?”

“Do you want to meet Taco?” She breezed right past my question. “We named him in class.” Her eyes were wide. “He’s a Mexican Red Knee tarantula. Remember when I went to Mexico with Mom, Mimi, and Papi. I didn’t see a tarantula, but I saw a bird with blue feathers. Taco eats crickets. I ate a cricket, too. But mine was covered in chocolate. Mom had to sign a note that said I could have one.” She flopped back in her chair. “It was gross. Caydee threw up.” She trailed her finger through the fog on her window.

“When is Donuts with Dad?”

She shrugged. “I don’t remember. Mom said you have to work so I wasn’t supposed to bug you because I’d make you feel bad. That’s why Ornery has to come.”

Feel bad? If she was keeping me from my kid, I was going to be fucking pissed. Nah, I’d already passed pissed. Pressure built in my gut and climbed into my chest. That Natalie would conspire to give an experience that should be mine to her fucking boyfriend had my blood simmering into a boil.

Parents night? Donuts with Dad? What else had she kept from me?

“Lili, I want you to always bug me.” Because apparently, I couldn’t trust Natalie to play fair. I understood she was bitter. I earned her loathing. But no fucking way was I letting her replace me when it came to Lili. Henri wasn’t her dad. I was.

The car came to a lurching stop in the driveway. Lili unlatched her seatbelt, jumped from the car, and ran up the path to the lighted porch. I reached her just as she twisted the handle and flung the door wide.

I followed her inside and closed the door. The familiar scents of what used to be my home hit hard. Natalie had a thing for scented candles, and she had a jungle of house plants in front of the living room windows.

“Hi, Lili. Did you have fun with your dad?”

The television was on in the kitchen, and Natalie stood at the sink. The front room, dining room, and kitchen were all part of the main area of the house. Pillar, short for caterpillar, because it was both a bug and had cat in the name, pounced down the six stairs to the left that led to the three upstairs bedrooms. Lili scooped her up and nuzzled her face into the cat’s soft fur.

Natalie dried her hands on a towel. “Thanks for taking her tonight.”

I ruffled Lili’s hair. “I need to talk with your mom. Take Pillar with you and go get ready for bed.”

“Don’t leave until you tell mom about Donuts with Dad.” She thundered up the stairs with the cat draped over her arms. “I didn’t bug him, Mom. Dad says he can go.” Her voice trailed off as she went to her room.

Once I was sure we were alone, I crossed the room and braced my arms against the edge of the kitchen island. “Explain to me why your lay is taking my little girl to a daddy daughter breakfast.”

Natalie dropped the dishtowel on the counter. “Because Henri wants to take her.”

“I don’t give a fuck what he wants.”

“Don’t start with me, Steele.”

“I’m trying really hard not to lose my shit, Nat. I’m her dad. You’re not pushing me out. Your boyfriend needs to stay in his lane.”

“You don’t get to decide. He’s here. He helps with her homework, he reads to her, and he coaches her soccer team. He’s putting in the work. He’s earned it.”

“Earned what? He fucks you for a couple months, moves into my house, and he gets my kid? Fuck that.” I slapped my chest. “She’s my kid. You don’t get to decide who her dad is going to be. You’re hurting her when you fuck with my relationship with her.”

She exhaled an exasperated sigh. “It’s not a big deal. It’s donuts.”

“Fuck you, Nat. You don’t get to dictate my place in her life. I don’t want a war with you, but you seem determined to fuck me over. That’s not happening. We both know this isn’t just donuts. What about parent night?”

“I couldn’t get a hold of you.” The flippant tone of her voice was throwing fuel on the fire. “It was a parent/teacher conference. She’s in first grade. It wasn’t a big deal.”

“You didn’t try.”

“Why would I? I tried for five years.”