Huck
I’d been listening to Buzz prattle on about hockey stats for more than ten minutes and I was about to lose my mind when Daisy finally walked back outside.
I rose to my feet trying my best to form so kind of neutral expression on my face, when I really wanted to grin like a fuckin’ schoolboy and wrap my arms around her.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
She smiled and nodded. "Cash wanted to apologize. Everything’s great."
"Good."
"Are you done eating? I don’t an to rush you, but I thought you might want to et everyone else." She nodded toward the door. "There’s also pie inside."
"Did Maisie make the pie?" Buzz asked.
Daisy laughed. "Yeah, buddy, Maisie made the pie. Several pies, actually."
I’d never seen a man move so fast.
"I take it this Maisie person makes good pies," I said as I gathered my trash.
"Maisie is Hatch’s wife." Daisy grinned. "And ’good pies?’ That’s basically the understatent of the year."
I dumped my trash in the can by the door and said, "Load up, then."
"Co on." She led back inside, and over to the table where the pies were already being picked through. Hatch was standing with a gorgeous blonde, practically groping her as she tried to set more pastries out. I could only assu this was Maisie.
"Hatch, love, I swear to god, I’m going to brain you if you don’t stop," she warned in a sweet British accent.
He laughed, kissing the back of her neck as a tiny, blonde toddler ca running up to him. "Pop Pop!"
"Hey, Tenley girl," he cooed, picking her up and holding her close.
"Oh my god, Daisy, there you are!"
"Hi, Poppy, have you been here the whole ti?" Daisy asked as she hugged a young woman who looked quite a bit like Maisie.
"Um, yes. I’ve been stuck in the back with the kids because Tenley was having a ltdown."
Daisy nodded toward Hatch and Tenley. "Looks like she’s happy now."
"That’s because she got what she wanted," Poppy said. "Pop Pop was the only cure."
Daisy laughed. "Sorry, honey. Sotis you just want Hatch."
She sighed. "Apparently."
"Poppy, this is Huck."
"Oh, I’m so sorry for being rude." She held her hand out to . "It’s nice to et you. I belong to Devon. I’m also Hatch and Maisie’s daughter. Um... my hubby’s around here sowhere. Oh, there! Devon!"
She waved her husband over and that was pretty much where my mory lapsed as far as nas went. This club was big and every single person in it adored Daisy. A couple of the younger guys, a little too much for my liking.
At this point, Teagan had rejoined us, and Daisy had handed a plate loaded with four different slices of pie.
She blushed. "You don’t have to eat them all."
"I was gonna ask for five, but if you insist on underfeeding ..."
She let out a quiet snort. "Oh, I see how it is."
I grinned, starting with the chocolate. "Fuck, this is unbelievable."
Daisy smiled. "Told ya."
Daisy’s mom walked over to us. I’d had the chance to et her earlier and it was obvious where Daisy had gotten her good looks from. "Baby, are you staying or heading ho?"
"Well, Harm drove , so..."
"I can drive you ho," I offered.
Mrs. Carver shook her head. "I’m sorry, honey, but you have not been vetted."
"Mom," Daisy hissed, frowning at her.
"Baby girl, if Huck’s gonna be part of this, then he’s gonna be part of it. And there’s no way in hell your Dad’s going to let you out of his sight unless he knows where you are."
"One day, I’m going to move to Scotland," she threatened.
"We’ve already got a Chapter in London, honey, which isn’t that far from Scotland. And don’t think Hatch won’t open one there if he needs to. He’ll open one wherever any of you girls go. You can run but you can’t hide, and you know it."
"It’s all good," I said, wanting to deescalate the situation. "Run the background checks. I’ve got nothing to hide. I’ll drive you ho another ti."
"No, wait," Daisy said. "Give a few. This is ridiculous."
Daisy
Dad wasn’t in the great room, so I made my way down the hall and found him in his office. I knocked on the door, pushing it open before he bid entry.
He was sitting at his desk, his laptop open and he smiled at as I walked in. "Hey, Ducky."
"Huck has offered to drive ho and Mom seems to think you’re going to stop him from doing that because he hasn’t been ’vetted.’" I crossed my arms and leaned in. "But that’s ridiculous, right?"
"No, baby girl, she’s absolutely right... under—"
"Are you high?" I scowled. "Every single brother in the room knows who Huck is. I didn’t even know he played hockey when I invited him. Lord almighty, Buzz was practically offering to carry his baby twenty minutes into talking to him. Why do they even call him Huck the Puck, anyway?"
"Because you give him three inches and he’ll find a place for that puck. He’s a goalie’s worst nightmare. His accuracy is dead-on. His scoring ratio is off the charts."
"It’s weird that you know that."
"It’s not weird, Ducky. We’ve been watching this kid since he played in college for Minnesota. He was a star back then, and we knew he’d be a star in the pros. We also predicted the Hurricanes would make him an offer he couldn’t refuse. He’s the best fuckin’ rookie that’s to hit the ice in twenty years, so the fact he had that knee injury was a goddamn tragedy."
"Well, it’s exactly why it proves my point!"
Dad leaned back in his chair and smiled.
"What?"
He raised an eyebrow. "Are you done?"
"Are you going to let be an adult and go ho with whover I please?"
"If it’s Huck? Yes," he said.
I wrinkled my nose. "You already did a background check, didn’t you?"
"Sure did." He linked his fingers and slid them behind his head. "Huckleberry Granville Wilton is cleared to date my daughter."
I dropped my head back and growled at the ceiling, "Sotis I want to murder people." I t my dad’s eyes. "And it’s because of you."
"Thank you." He grinned. "That ans I’m doing my job."
"I can’t believe I have to ask my daddy permission to have a man drive ho," I murmured. "It’s stupid."
"I know, baby."
"I’m moving to Scotland," I threatened again.
"I’ll talk to Hatch about opening a Chapter there."
I let out a frustrated squeal. "Timbuktu, then."
"You hate the heat, Ducky."
"Timbukthree, then."
"I’d venture a guess it’s even hotter there."
"I’ll learn to like it," I sassed.
"Then I’m sure sothing can be arranged."
I threw my hands in the air. "I’m not going to Timbuktu."
He rose to his feet. "I know, baby girl."
"Are you ever going to unlock the chastity belt?"
Dad moved out from behind his desk with a gentle smile and pulled into his arms. "One day, when you have a little girl who takes your whole heart, Daisy, you’ll understand the need to protect her from all the evils in the world."
I dropped my head to his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist. "This is why I can’t stay mad at you."
"I know." He chuckled, kissing the top of my head. "It’s my superpower."
"Okay, I’m going to go now before Huck gets fed up and leaves without ."
Dad lifted my face... like, my whole face. Gently, of course, but he didn’t fuck around when he wanted to get his point across. "If he gets fed up with you, for any reason, he’s not the man for you. Got it?"
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, Daddy, I got it."
"Co on, I’ll walk you out."
I followed him back out to the great room where Huck and I said our goodbyes and headed out to his truck.
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