Huddle Up Read Online Free

possum then sprung up and pulled her daughter into a tickle-filled hug. The sound of her little girl’s laughter made all the struggles and sacrifices worth it.
    “Mommy, you’re silly. Why are you sleeping on the couch?”
    “Did you have a good time?” She may have only been next door but Angel missed her baby.
    “Yes!” A plastic pink tiara studded in clear rhinestones slid to the side of her head. “But I missed you. Where’s Lucy?”
    Angel smiled at the image her daughter made in her pajamas but righted the tiara to proper princess protocol. “She’s in your room.” Angel watched as her little princess skipped off, wondering when Billy left and when he’d return. Maybe he came to his senses and ran off. Better now than later. As long as he sent a check, she didn’t care. Liar.
    Angel curled up on the couch with the intention of catching five more minutes of sleep. Then Gabby’s scream filled the air. It was either Billy or a spider. As Angel sprung up she hoped for the latter.

Chapter 5

    I n the hallway Billy stood frozen in front of the pint-sized tiara-wearing banshee. Frozen in shock or terror he couldn’t say. Probably both. Seeing her smiling pictures was one thing but being confronted by the live screaming version was another. Should he pick her up? He moved to do so and the pitch of her scream reached a level that would shatter every glass in town.
    Angel’s footsteps pounded on the hardwood floor. “It’s okay, Gabby.” Reaching their daughter, she scooped her up in a hug.
    Sobs replaced the screaming. “Who’s that naked man, Mommy?”
    Feeling like a complete shit for terrifying his daughter, he wondered if he was even father material. If the past thirty seconds were anything to go by he’d say no. Not only did he fail to comfort Gabriela, he scared her. If she didn’t have nightmares before this moment she’d probably have them now.
    “He’s not naked, Gabby.” Angel’s intense gaze settled on his chest.
    Billy fumbled for his shirt even as he reveled in Angel’s appreciative stare, proving that she wasn’t immune to him. After waking from a restless sleep on the recliner he’d stripped off the suit jacket, tie and shirt so he could wash up before leaving for his flight home. What was Angel going to say? Would she lie for now? She’d fallen asleep before they had a chance to talk about how to tell Gabriela.
    “Sorry, she’s not used to having men in the apartment.”
    He pressed his lips together to keep from smiling. Happy not only for his daughter’s sake of not being confused by other ‘dads’, but that Angel didn’t have anyone special in her life. He reminded himself it didn’t mean she hadn’t found sex elsewhere and the smile he’d been fighting died on his lips. The thought of another man touching her brought out the beast in him.
    Angel stroked Gabriela’s hair. “Remember when I said your father didn’t know about you and I couldn’t find him?”
    She nodded into Angel’s rumpled blouse and mumbled, “You lost him.”
    “Not exactly lost, but I did find him.”
    Gabriela cautiously peeked out. God, she was adorable when she wasn’t screaming. Dark curls framed her chubby cheeks tinged with a rosy glow. Only the track of her tears marred her angelic face. But those tears he caused still watered in those blue eyes, ready to flow at a moments notice. Billy held his breath, waiting for his daughter—and she was his without a doubt—to pass judgment.
    Wiping a cheek with a closed fist she asked, “Why do you have hair like a girl?”
    Angel laughed.
    Billy searched for an explanation suitable for a child. He remembered Angel’s fingers threading through its length. Countless women had followed in the years since. His hair had earned him big endorsement deals. “The Mane” as it was dubbed, flowed from the bottom of his helmet making him a household name. That and his lightening speed down the field.
    His little girl, however, found him lacking.