Page 27 of Sleigh My Heart

He watched as she skipped and kicked at the snow. Her friends ran up to her. Was this what parenthood was? Getting attached then masking the pain of your heart tearing apart as they move on?

Just as he put the truck in gear, she reached the double doors. She turned, a wide smile on her face, and waved to him.

Nick waved back. Then she was gone. Swallowed up by the building and the other students.

Suck it up. She’s only eight. He’d been doing this full-time parenting thing for almost a year, and he still didn’t know what he was doing most of the time. One minute, she was his cute little baby. The next, she was an independent girl with friends and opinions, and he had no idea how to be her dad and mom. Lord help him when she got her female stuff.

Shit. That could be as soon as two years.

His gut clenched. Nick couldn’t think about that. Not yet.

On his drive across town, he shoved all thoughts of grown-up Ava aside and focused on the bigger issue at the moment… the sleigh. Or who killed Staniski? And where was Garmen?

His gut tightened. Cliff could be as dead as Jonny… or?

No, he wouldn’t make assumptions. When he got to work, he’d see if he could talk HR into giving him Jonny and Cliff’s files, including the pre-employment background checks. If not, he had friends who could dig up anything. Maybe not as fast, but it was an option.

The walkways were quiet. The mall didn’t open for another hour. He rounded the corner to the hallway leading to his office and stopped.

“Morning.” Michelle leaned against his door, a phone in her hand.

“Hey.” Yesterday ended with an awkward moment when Ava ran up to him. Would Michelle act like she hadn’t run away, or would they talk about it? No talk, please. He waited for a sign.

She pushed off the wall. “I have some info about Staniski.”

Ignore it is.

“First…”

Fuck. Here comes the awkwardness.

“Sorry. I was surprised by your daughter. My only excuse is it had been a long day.”

He nodded. “I hadn’t planned on introducing you to her.” Well, shit. He could see the question circling in Mickey’s eyes. “…at that time.”

She tipped her chin up. “I get it. You don’t need to share your personal life with me. It’s not like I shared any offspring with you.”

“Do you?”

“What?”

“Have offspring?”

She dropped her gaze.

An uncomfortable itch settled between his shoulder blades.

“Nope.” She kicked the paver with her toe. “Oh… Kay. Enough personal chat before my coffee. About the case.”

That was his Mickey. Choke down the personal stuff, then on to business. He always admired her for that.

He moved past her and unlocked the door. A few escaped hairs fluttered in the breeze. Nick flexed his fingers. Don’t do it. She was here about the case, not because she missed him.

A few more strands slipped from her braid.

No touching. He shoved his hands in his pockets and shouldered open the door.

The moment he walked into the office the other day and saw Mickey talking to his father, it pulled deep in his chest.