Defiance and dedication.., p.18
Defiance and Dedication (Untouchable Book 9), page 18
The calls from outside, the sound of children laughing. Kelly and Hank's voices taking on a sterner note of parenthood all washed over me, but the second Frankie spotted the photo on the mantle her whole expression changed.
I said nothing as she stared at the picture of her and Hank from graduation. He'd had it framed and put it somewhere prominent. Lifting her hand, I kissed her fingers. Her dad loved her. Maybe now it would really sink in.
She was blinking back tears and trying to wipe them away when Hurricane Chloe arrived and thank fuck, I was inoculated against childhood cuteness, or this little doll with all of Rachel's daring and every bit of Frankie's charm would have snookered me good.
Thank Trina I was over that.
Chloe wasted no time in throwing herself at Frankie for a hug. If there was going to be even a brief moment of shyness, it didn't appear. In fact, I don't think Frankie got a word in edgewise as Chloe immediately told her everything about her day, but she was so open and unabashed in her affection. There was a ferocity to it, too. Like she was determined to make sure Frankie liked her and that was all there was to it.
Damn did that take me back to when Frankie decided to adopt Jake into our group. Then later he brought in Bubba and Frankie took to him. When Archie showed up, she saw something in him long before the rest of us.
If I had to guess, I would almost say loneliness called to loneliness. I wasn't the only one watching Frankie and Chloe, a pair of boys, one far more open and the other suspicious eyed us from the other side of the sofa. They hadn't ventured closer. Hank and Kelly lingered, but they were giving the kids time to adjust.
"Chloe," Hank said finally. "Breathe."
"I am breathing," Chloe declared with a huff. "But I suppose it's okay if Frankie wants to say something."
Frankie burst out laughing and I grinned. The younger of the boys also smiled and he marched over and with all the care and concern of a brother for his sister, gave Chloe a shove to the side before offering his hand. "I'm Craig. I'm much more polite."
"Oh, I can see that," Frankie said, humoring him as Chloe huffed and glared.
"It's two versus two now," Chloe told her twin. "And the girls win cause Frankie's lots older than either of you."
"Ahem," Frankie said in a tone that wasn't quite as playful but also wasn't quite scolding either. "There will be no picking of sides, nor will I be dragged into a battle where I have no history or understanding of the rules."
Alec snorted. "Told you she wasn't going to want to be on your side."
Frankie flicked her attention to Alec. "I didn't say that, either. Don't assume you know something when you haven't introduced yourself. I'm Frankie."
"You know who I am," Alec said his tone bored and put upon, but there was something in his eyes. His heart might be on his sleeve, but he was watchful and wary. Frankie's arrival in the family had definitely tossed a stone in and he didn't know what the changes were going to be.
"Alec," Kelly reprimanded. "Manners."
So far, they'd stayed out of it but only so far.
"Sorry, Mom," he said in a genuine tone before he walked over, feet dragging to where Frankie sat. But she stood up and I had to hide my own smile. Alec was going to be a tough nut to crack, but she was going to start it by treating him the way she wanted to be treated.
Fuck, I loved this girl so goddamn much. She did the same thing when Trina was in a rage.
The kid stuck his hand out. "I'm Alec Jackson."
"I'm Frankie Curtis. It's very nice to meet you." She shook his hand with all due solemnity. "I've never had brothers or a sister before, so this is all kind of new to me. Since you've been the oldest for a while now, do you think you could help me out? At least until I get some experience."
Alec frowned. "Help you out, how?"
"Well, I don't know yet. But Chloe said she'd teach me all about being a sister. So, I figured you can teach me all about being the oldest, though—that might still have to be your job since I don't live here."
Craig cracked up and Chloe made a face but Alec gave a grudging nod. "I'm still the oldest boy."
"Yes, you are."
Alec transferred his look from Frankie to me. "So, you're my sister's boyfriend?"
Oh, this should be delightful. "That would be me," I told him and stood up to shake his hand. He followed my progress until I kind of towered over him. I felt almost bad about it. Almost. "I'm Cooper, friends call me Coop."
"Huh." Alec eyed me. "You're too big to beat up, but as a brother, I'm supposed to threaten my sister's boyfriends."
Only years of delivering similar threats kept me from laughing aloud. Hank groaned, but Craig laughed. "Exactly," he crowed. "Dad said we can't ever let boys near Chloe."
"Wait, what?" Chloe demanded. "Boys are gross."
"Hank," Kelly scolded and I caught Frankie covering her mouth with her hands as if to try and contain the laughter.
"Tell you what Alec, one big brother to another—you're doing it right. One warning is all they get. I promise, I've got a few friends who will help you out if I cause Frankie any problems."
"Really?" Alec looked intrigued and Kelly groaned.
"Enough threats. All of you. We're enjoying a good family weekend, not learning how to beat up other people." The exasperated note in her voice was filled with rough affection.
Behind her back, Hank looked pointedly at me and then down to Alec and I just gave him a thumbs up. His expression went angelic when Kelly shot a look at him. Chloe grabbed Frankie's hand and declared she wanted to show her her room and Alec nodded then informed me, I could see his.
It was entertaining as hell. The best part was all of Frankie's fears and anxieties evaporated with the banter and the kids just being themselves. She was good with kids. I could have told her that. I'd watched her with my sister and Jake's for years. Hank tracked her going upstairs with Chloe and if there was a way to take a picture of his expression and send it to her later, I would have.
He looked so damn proud.
The evening pretty much turned into a mini party. After the stew, which was freaking delicious, we opened the cupcakes that Jeremy had sent up and the kids were definitely wowed. So was I, holy hell, he needed to make these more often. They were huge and had the perfect frosting to cake ratio. It wasn't long before the kids had to go to bed and I'd remembered to send a couple of messages to the guys about how well things were going, but Frankie would want to talk to them before sleep.
Instead, she surprised me when she murmured, "I need to go and talk to Hank. Do you mind running interference here?"
The accident. I glanced at her. "You okay on your own?"
"Yeah," she said slowly. "I am. What's more, I owe him this much." Her lips brushed mine and behind us Chloe made a gagging noise. Then Craig joined in. I couldn't help it. I pulled Frankie closer and deepened the kiss until Alec let out his own gag of complaint. "Mean," she teased.
"But fun," I retorted, then winked at her. She squeezed my arm and then headed over to Hank. He snagged a jacket from by the door and then the two of them stepped out. A part of me wanted to follow, back her up, but the more I saw of Hank the more I liked him.
"Upstairs," Kelly was ordering. "Pajamas, faces washed, teeth brushed. We have a long day tomorrow."
"Can Frankie sleep in my room?" Chloe asked, but I didn't catch the answer as Kelly shepherded them upstairs. I'd been doing dishes. Most of them were rinsed and loaded into the dishwasher, so I grabbed my drink and found a place to sit in the living room. I wasn't going up until Frankie was back in the house.
Pulling open the text I kept for just the guys, I filled them in on the day and added some pics I'd been able to snap. The relief in their responses echoed my own. We liked Hank. We liked how he cared about her.
I glanced up at the photo of Hank and Frankie at graduation again. He was the kind of dad she deserved. If he was the kind of dad I thought he was, she was about to get in trouble for keeping him in the dark about the accident, then forgiven because they were still feeling their way through this relationship.
With that in mind, I leaned back and glanced around for the remote. Hopefully, they had some good stations to watch, not that I cared much. I was just waiting for my girl, in her dad's house where her baby brothers had threatened me.
I grinned. Jake and I would have to give them some lessons for when Chloe hit dating age.
That would be fun.
Chapter Twenty-One
True Confessions
Frankie
It was dark outside, but there were street lamps, and porch lights on elsewhere. The cooler air brushed against my face. It felt a little like November back in Texas instead of the end of September. Hank had snagged an extra jacket for me, and I pulled it on as we started walking. I didn't really have a destination in mind, but telling him what happened was long past due.
We saw someone out walking their dog. The cul-de-sac connected to another residential street. The houses were all different styles. And while I was delaying the inevitable, Hank was being sweet in allowing me to do it. Folding my arms, I blew out a breath.
"Whatever it is," Hank offered. "I'm sure it's not as bad as you're making it out to be."
A smile touched my lips as I glanced at him. The night softened his profile, but there was a warmth to him that I never wanted to lose. "I want to begin by apologizing," I said finally. Somewhere a nightbird let out a call and another answered it. "I—was in an accident a few weeks ago. Instead of calling you, the guys didn't think of it and after, when I should have, I didn't want to worry you."
A faint hitch in his step was the only thing that betrayed his surprise. "How bad of an accident?"
"I was driving back from Long Island where Archie and I had spent the weekend with my grandparents. Archie had left early with Edward—and before you get angry that he left me there to drive back on my own..." Because frankly I'd had enough of that from Jake. Fear and anger went hand in hand, I understood that. I just didn't want Hank to blame Archie as well. "I told Archie to go, he and Edward—well they're working on their relationship. At least I hope they are and I was going to drive Archie's Ferrari back to the city myself. I was excited, but the brakes went out and I managed to not hurt anyone else."
Hank had stopped walking and his hands were deep in his pockets. Facing him, I bit my lip. He wasn't looking at me, but upward at the sky. "How bad was the accident?"
"I cracked a couple of ribs. Burned my face from the airbag deploying. Had a concussion."
A single nod. "Hospitalized?"
"Overnight."
"Follow ups?"
"All clear now. I mean my ribs twinge a little but not my first rodeo with bad ribs." Which I probably shouldn't have said, because Hank jerked his gaze from the sky to me.
Fuck.
"It's a long story," I admitted. "But I am very sorry no one called, especially that I didn't. I'm still getting used to having a parent that even cares much less someone as cool as you for a dad."
Dragging a hand from his pocket, he ran it over his face and then looked at me. Really looked, as though he were trying to see everything despite the fact we'd stopped somewhere between two lights and shadows surrounded us. "Will you tell me? I hate the idea that you went through any of that alone. But will you tell me all of it that you can?"
I hesitated.
"Maddy didn't..."
"Hit me?" I shrugged. "Sometimes. But I wouldn't have called it abuse, others might have. Her abuses were more mental and emotional. She has manipulation and emotional blackmail down."
He grunted a sound.
"And I can tell you. Some of it isn't so pretty, but I don't want you to think it's all horrible too."
"I'd like that."
Really, it wasn't all that bad. Hank offered me his arm, and I threaded mine through it. We walked for the next hour and I trusted him to know where we were going. I told him about finding out the guys had made me untouchable at school. He seemed to find that part amusing, at least in so far as it meant guys left me alone. Ha ha. But the lonely summer in between, the fact I'd wanted to go up to Harvard on a college exploration trip but Maddy's constant absences and then expenses on my car made it impossible.
I skimmed some details, but we talked about how the guys all decided to date me and the fun. Then the not so fun break-up with Ian, but spoiler-alert, we made it through that. Then came homecoming and when I described the mum the guys had made for me, he laughed. He'd never heard of the homecoming mums like we did them in Texas. I found pictures on my phone to show him and his expression cracked me up.
We'd made it back to the house, but rather than go inside, we settled on the porch swing as I detailed the rest of homecoming. From the arrival at the dance to the roofie'd drink to Mitch's attack, not that I remembered the actual incident, only what I learned about it later. His jaw tightened and his teeth ground, but he didn't interrupt.
The guys staying with me, helping me, and looking after me earned another dour look. I was pretty sure because Maddy hadn't been around. By the time I got to the part that Maddy had basically moved out and the guys moved in, he just nodded.
The Halloween attack earned another long sigh, but I had to laugh a little at that one. Particularly because I broke Sharon's nose and while I probably shouldn't take such glee in that, no lie, I did.
It was closing in on midnight by the time we got to the part where Edward told me he was my dad because Maddy had lied to him and brought him all the way up to where we were now. At one point, Kelly had come out with coffee and mugs for us, then kissed Hank on the head before she said she was going to bed. Coop sent me a text that said he was heading up to our room and to take my time.
"I'm so used to doing things on my own," I said as I finished the last of my coffee. "That it really didn't occur to me to call you and I'm sorry about that. I want...I want this to work. I like your kids."
"You're one of my kids, too," Hank reminded me gruffly. "It's going to take you time to feel that, I know. But I do feel it already. I want you in our lives, I want to be a part of yours. So—all of you get a pass, but if anything like this happens again..."
"Hank," I murmured. "I really hope it doesn't." Mostly ‘cause I hadn't gotten around to the worst part and I tossed it back and forth in my head. Finally, I couldn't leave him to be blind-sided again. So, I told him about Maddy and my suspicions. The investigation. All of it. Even the fights with the guys, because I'd been relying on my own funds and resources.
To my surprise, he laughed a little and shook his head. "You know, when you mentioned you needed to talk to me in private, I got it into my head you were going to tell me you were pregnant."
It was my turn to gape at him.
His laughter deepened. "I almost wish you had."
"Bite your tongue," I retorted. "I am eighteen, Hank. I'm not ready to be a mom yet."
"You're more ready than you think, but you don't have to be and I'm glad you don't." He leaned back and shook his head. "Hell, Frankie...I am so sorry your mother is like this. More sorry that I didn't know, so I could have fought for you all those years ago. Sorrier still that I don't know what I can do to help you now."
"Believe it or not, the fact you want me here and want me around your kids and that you care, at all?" I didn't know if I could express this to him. "That means a lot more than I can possibly ever express to you. And I love the kids. Chloe's adorable, Alec is fierce and Craig—he reminds me of Coop. Easy going and quick to tease. He doesn't have to be first, he just has to be involved."
When he opened his arms and stretched one along the back of the swing, I took the invitation and leaned into the hug. He tucked his head atop mine and held me close. "You're family, Frankie. I'll tell you that every single day until you believe it."
Closing my eyes, I gave into the urge to hug him back. The fact he had that photo of us on the mantle with all the other family pictures around meant so damn much. There'd been a lot of phone camera shots tonight. Chloe and I had even indulged in some selfies that Craig photobombed. It was hilarious.
"Normally, I would think this goes without saying, but you're welcome here," Hank told me. "Anytime. You kids might have your own plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas, but if you don't—or even if you do and can only come up for a day. Please come up."
We hadn't even talked about that yet. Sitting up, I smiled at him. "I'll tell the guys and thank you. You guys are welcome to visit us in the city too, you know. Chloe was already asking about going to see musicals and those are definitely on my list of things I want to do. "
"No doubt."
Pushing my hair back behind my ears, I exhaled. "But for now, I want to keep some distance. While I don't have absolute proof she was involved, Maddy is unpredictable. I don't want her to attack you or the kids for some perceived slight."
"And I appreciate that," he said. "I don't want my family in any danger either, but my family includes you. So, I want to be in the loop and if that means I take the train down to see you for a bit, then I will. Deal?"
"Deal." My jaw popped as I yawned.
"And on that note, definitely time for you to get to bed, young lady. Birthday mornings start early, and Chloe and Craig won't want you to miss anything."
"As long as it involves coffee and food, count me in." On impulse, I kissed his cheek. "Thank you."
"For what?" He stood, following me and he took my empty mug with his own.
"For being a pretty cool dad."
"Well, that's high praise, so I'll thank you as well. For being an honest daughter. You'll get cool points the next time you don't cut me out of something I need to know."
I mock gasped and clasped my hands to my chest. "He shoots. He scores."
His chuckle followed me into the darkened house, and I hesitated on the stairs as he took care to lock the door and carrying mugs into the kitchen. He had his own routines. His whole family did and as much as I'd hated disappointing him with that confession about the accident, I was glad I'd told him.
Telling him about Mitch had been difficult too, but for different reasons. At least Mitch was in jail. When I could say that about Maddy, I'd feel better. I made my way upstairs and down the hall to the room Coop and I were sharing. Inside, I found him sprawled on the bed in his boxers. There was a movie playing on his laptop but it was turned down and he had his phone to his ear.
