“We can meet halfway.” She named a deli I knew of and we agreed to meet there in an hour.
I took a quick shower and drove there, thinking about the possibilities this opened up. I could bring Brooklyn to the club for lunch sometime since we didn’t open til evening. She could cook with the chef and made something fancy. We could get all you can eat pancakes at the diner near my place. I’d need to get a better place so she could have her own room when she visited me. We could paint it together.
I could introduce her to Viv and we could all spend time together. The thought of the two most important people in my life getting closer made me emotional. Viv would know more about what a nine-year-old girl liked, too. We’d go places together.
This was beyond my wildest dreams. I was on cloud nine when I walked into the deli and slid into a booth across from Cori.
“Hey,” she said, smiling.
“Hey. How’s it going?”
“Pretty good.”
A server came by for our orders and once he was gone, I waited for Cori to take the lead in the conversation. I wanted her to think me seeing more of Brooklyn was her idea, even if it was also mine.
“So,” she said, fiddling with her paper straw wrapper. “I sometimes wonder if I should have come to visit you. Written letters. You know, tried.”
My brows shot up with surprise. “Tried? I was in prison, Cori. You did the right thing making a clean break from me.”
“I don’t know.” She shrugged. “I had it really bad for you, Kane. You were always so dark and mysterious. Kind of angry at the world. But there was something more there, and I saw it when we were together.”
I’d been high every time we were together. I couldn’t remember a single encounter. But I didn’t think it would be wise to tell her that.
“I fucked things up so bad,” I said. “Getting this second chance with Brooklyn means everything to me.”
“So you believe in second chances?” Her eyes were hopeful when they met mine.
“I didn’t used to,” I admitted. “But my girlfriend has made me believe in things I never did before.”
“I didn’t know you had a girlfriend. You’ve never mentioned her.”
“Yeah. Vivian. I’ve never brought her up because I wanted to keep the focus on Brooklyn at first. I like spending our time together talking about her life, you know?”
Cori nodded. “She’s so happy you’re coming around. And I am, too.”
Her gaze flicked to mine for just a second and I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. I was kind of fucking clueless about women’s subtle signals, but I didn’t like the feeling I had right now.
“So . . .” I cleared my throat. “Is there anything I can do to help with Brooklyn?”
“You’ve already done a lot. I used the back child support money for the down payment on our house. I never could have afforded it without that.”
“It was nothing,” I said. “I can’t ever thank you enough for always giving her a happy, stable home. You’ve done a great job with her.”
She smiled. “Thank you. I’m crazy proud of her.”
“I don’t just mean money, though. I mean like . . . taking care of her while you’re at work or just taking her out to dinner in your neighborhood so you can have a break.”
“Oh.” Cori frowned slightly. “You don’t like hanging out with both of us?”
Shit. This conversation was like a minefield.
“No, it’s not that,” I said. “It’s just . . . being a single parent for so long . . . you’ve never had much time for you. To do adult stuff, like date. When’s the last time you went out?”
“You’re asking because . . . you want to watch Brooklyn while I go out?”
“Sure, yeah.”
Cori shook her head. “I’m always working or with Brooklyn. I don’t exactly have men clamoring at my doorstep.”
“So go out and try. You’re pretty and smart and . . . all that shit.” I ran a hand over my short hair.
“You still think I’m pretty?”