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And hated even more that he was meeting with Marly’s sister-in-law, Regan. But he knew that was all confidential.

It had to have been since Marly hadn’t even known he had custody of Bella.

“I’m all talked out about the man,” he said. “Hell is welcome to him.”

Because there was no way an asshole like that would go anywhere else.

“It might not be your choice completely. Remember that. Bella only has you.”

“Don’t remind me,” he said. “But she has you too. And trust me, you’re a godsend and I appreciate every day that you help when most would say no way.”

Helping raise her ex’s child?

Jane Ryder was a saint.

“It’s not Bella’s fault she was born to two selfish pricks,” his mother whispered.

“Nope. And we can end this conversation too. I’ll only get worked up. What are you making so I don’t feel as if I was lying to Bella about you showing me what to do?”

His mother walked over and tapped his cheek. “You’re a good son, Colson. A good father too.”

“I’m her brother.”

“A great brother, but you’re really her father too, and she knows that. You just need to let yourself feel it also.”

“Yeah, well, single parenthood bites,” he said. “And finding a woman to take this on, and me? Hell, I don’t have the best luck with women alone, now this? It’s not even worth trying.”

“That’s when it normally happens.”

6

FEEL SO RECKLESS

The following week, Marly was marching into the courthouse as if she had ghosts on her heels.

Not that she was running late. Not even in a mood.

Just determined like always. To get in. To get ahead.

Prove she had what it took.

That she might be young for a DA, but she was going to make sure everyone knew they made the right choice electing her.

She put her bag in the bin, walked through the metal detector, her bag pushed through when it went off.

The officer working was someone she’d never met before. Older, maybe finishing his time here before he could hang up his hat. He barely looked up at her, just said, “Go back through, please.”

She stepped back, expecting it to not go off and having it be something in her bag.

Nope. It went off again.

She pulled the pockets inside out in her suit jacket. None on her straight skirt.

“Sorry, not sure what the problem is.”

“I’ve got it, John,” she heard.

Her head turned and there was the man who was taking up way too much of her thoughts after her conversation with her mother over a week ago.