“I thought we were doing all that tomorrow and Monday?” Autumn asked and Benji’s ears perked up. She hadn’t told him about this.

“Monday is my office, tomorrow is the apartment. I’m gonna get a head start since you guys are taking my daughter.”

“So instead of going out with Benji, you’re gonna pack?” her mother deadpanned and even Angie made a face.

“Bye, guys,” she said, turning on her heel. “Be good, Angie. Love you. Come on, Benji,” she called over her shoulder and Autumn set him with a look.

“Take her out.”

“Yeah, to Chuck E. Cheese!” Angie said then and Benji chuckled.

“See you guys later. Good game, Angie.”

“Thanks! But really, she loves Chuck E. Cheese,” she stressed and Benji had to fight his grin as he ran off to catch up with Lucy. She was almost to the truck when he finally fell into step with her.

“Apparently, you like Chuck E. Cheese. You didn’t tell me that.”

She cut him a sideways glance. “I hate that place.”

“Angie thinks otherwise.”

She just shook her head as he reached for the handle to open the door. “They’re all insane.”

Stepping in front of her before she could get in, he held his arms out. “Time to cash in that rain check. Bring it in.”

Sucking in a deep breath, she shook her head. “Not now.”

But he wasn’t taking no for an answer. Wrapping his arms around her, pulling her to him, he kissed the top of her head. Thankfully, she didn’t fight him. “Yes, now,” he whispered against her hair, and when her arms came around his waist, his eyes fell shut.

Nuzzling her nose in his chest, she drew in a deep breath and then let it out, holding him tightly. “Dealing with Rick just sucks ass,” she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut, and he nodded.

“He’s a dick, for sure.”

Pulling back, she looked up at him and nodded. “I’m just so tired.”

He smiled. He was tired too, but he would gladly be tired for the rest of his days if he got to spend every night like he had last night with her. “Me too.”

He cupped her face, and she leaned into his hand as she closed her eyes. When she opened her eyes, he found them swimming in tears as her little lip wobbled a bit. “I’m sorry you had to deal with all that.”

“You don’t apologize for that fucker, Lucy.”

She paused, looking up at him. “You’re right. I’m sorry I snapped at you for just doing what a man who cares for someone would do.” His heart fluttered as his lips curved. He held her gaze as she cleared her throat. “It just really hard with him, and I’m not used to someone wanting to stand up for me against him.”

“Well, get used to it, baby. I’m not going anywhere.”

She let out a long breath, shaking her head. “That’s the thing, Benji. You can’t. He will use it against me.”

Benji gave her an incredulous look. “How in the world can he use me standing up for you against you? I don’t understand. You don’t matter to him. The only thing that should matter is Angie and her best interests.”

When her lip started to tremble harder, he took her by her hips and a tear rolled down her cheek. Reaching up, he wiped her face free. “Don’t cry, baby. Please.”

But the tears kept coming. “He wants to go week on/week off with me. Where I would get her one week, he would get her the next, and so on. Angie can’t do that. She needs stability. With her ADHD, she needs the consistency, the reassurance of permanency. She loves her school, they honor her 504 Plan, and we are comfortable there. He isn’t in her school district. And I know he won’t drive her, he’ll try to get me to drive her to his school district.”

“That’s stupid, though. It’s not ideal for Angie.”

“It doesn’t matter. He’s doing this to hurt me. I know he is because he doesn’t care at all about what Angie needs. He says that I used the ADHD as a shield, something to keep her in my clutches, when that’s not it. I want her to have a daddy, someone who loves her and whom she can trust. But I told him I don’t want her in dance, that she feels like she’s being ignored., And he said he feels they can be better parents, and Benji—” Her voice broke and he took her in his arms, his heart shattering in his chest as she sobbed. Holding him tightly, she pressed her face to his chest, clenching his shirt in her fist. “I can’t do that. I can’t go week to week. If it would benefit her, then, yes, I could understand and I would deal. But it won’t. She comes home from his house and it takes a day or two to get her back to who she is. Happy and carefree. She is better with me, I know it, and he makes me question that.”

“Lucy, don’t you dare,” he said roughly against her temple. “That won’t happen. He won’t get her, there is no way. He’s a dick—anyone can see that.”

“Yes, I know. But he has the family—the wife, the daughter, a steady job. It makes me so nervous. He’s looking for anything, and it scares me. It scares me so damn bad,” she said, her body shaking as her words were muffled. He leaned in to hear her as she whispered, “He wanted me to keep River away from her. I refused and now he’s added you.” Pausing to sniff hard, she looked up at him and shook her head. “She would be devastated if I told her she couldn’t see you.”