“That didn’t go as I was expecting.”

She snorted. “Oh, yeah? What did you think would happen, Dad?”

“That they would take turns beating my face in while we ate a three-course meal.” That made her laugh and I was rewarded when she wrapped her arms around my waist and hugged me tight. I couldn’t resist kissing the top of her head again. “Everything you said in there was justified, sweetheart. I know I’m the one to blame for missing out on so much of your life. But that stops now. I want to be a part of your life as much as you will let me.”

Mieke lifted her head and I saw one tear finally spill down her cheek. “You think I blame you?” I shrugged, not sure how to answer her, not without crying like a fucking baby. She sighed and shook her head. “Dad, I don’t blame you. I don’t blame Mom, either. Okay, so I’m not exactly a hundred percent happy with either of you about it, but I don’t really blame anyone. You two were young and you both made some bad decisions…” An odd expression crossed her face and she laughed at herself. “I sound like my guidance counselor right now.”

“No, you sound like an adult. I don’t think I like that.” I lifted my hand and wiped away her tear with my thumb. “I don’t want to miss out on anything else, Mieke. Will you give me a chance to be a part of your life? Let me make up for some of the past?”

Another tear spilled over her bottom lashes and she gave me a wobbly smile. “Yeah, Dad. I’d like that.”

“Z…” Both our heads turned at the sound of Devlin’s voice. I lifted a brow at my best friend, not sure what to expect from him after what had just gone down in the restaurant. He’d remained completely quiet throughout the entire thing and I had no idea what he’d been thinking.

“Hey,” I greeted, tightening my hold on my daughter. I knew he wasn’t a danger to her physically, but after what had just happened inside, I wanted to shield her from the possible emotional pain that anyone else could load onto her small shoulders.

Devlin grinned and turned his gaze to the girl in my arms. “Natalie told me all about you this morning. Mieke, right?” He held out his hand and after a slight hesitation she shook it. “I’m Devlin Cutter. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mieke.”

“Yeah, you too.”

He lifted his phone in his other hand and shook it back and forth at her. “I have this great pizza place on speed dial that makes the best pizza in the world. Want to order a couple and go back to your dad’s place? I can call my kid and you two can get to know each other too.”

“She doesn’t eat pizza,” I hurried to tell the taller rocker.

“Who doesn’t eat pizza?” he grumbled.

“It’s a lactose thing,” I explained and Mieke grinned up at me, obviously happy that I had remembered.

“Okay, new plan. I’ll order pizzas for us and pasta for the lovely lady. Then call my wife to let her know I’ll be late getting home followed by a call to the Thorntons to tell my kid to get his ass over to your place.” Dev rolled his aquamarine eyes at Mieke, still grinning. “If he asks nice enough, he might get to bring Lucy.”

My apartment was crowded with people, pizza boxes and the biggest takeout container of spaghetti I’d ever seen. Thankfully Natalie had gotten someone from the housekeeping service in to clean up my apartment while I was out with Mieke all afternoon. She’d even had the fridge stocked with drinks and groceries.

We were all in the living room now, the huge flat-screen on mute as we all talked and got to know my daughter better. Natalie had decided she felt up to having dinner with us, something that rarely happened since she was having blood pressure issues with her pregnancy. She’d brought her sister, Jenna, with her. I was happy to see Jenna and Mieke getting along so well. It was nice to see that the other teenager had accepted my kid so quickly.

The two girls sat on the long couch with Jenna to Mieke’s left and Lucy Thornton and Harris to her right. Apparently Harris hadn’t had to ask nicely to bring his best friend. Lucy had batted her big dark eyes at her father and he’d caved within seconds. Typical. Jesse Thornton loved his adopted daughter just as much as his biological sons—maybe even more, because she was his baby girl.

It made me hope to have that kind of relationship with Mieke one day —to share the bond and love that Jesse and Lucy did so seamlessly with my little girl.

Fuck, I had to quit calling her a little girl. She was sixteen, looked even older. My Mieke was nearly a grown woman. Motherfucker, I’d missed out on so much I’d never get back and that didn’t sit well with my already fucked-up head.

The other kids were letting Mieke do most of the talking, and I was happy to hear her stories about growing up with a country music star like her uncle Noah. The country music scene wasn’t nearly as hardcore as our rocker world. Mostly it was more family orientated and every summer she would go on tour along with her cousins, Ben and Audrey.

The way she talked about her cousins, aunt and uncle, I could tell that she loved them. They had been there for her when she and her mother had needed their support the most, and I couldn’t even imagine how I was going to ever repay Noah for helping Annabelle take care of Mieke over the years. I doubted Hallmark made a card that said, “Thanks for playing daddy to my kid while I was off playing rock star.”

It was nearing nine thirty when my doorbell rang. No one moved until it had hit the fourteenth ring, every one of them knowing it would put me off for the rest of the night if I didn’t hear it fourteen times. Leaving my guests to finish their meal and conversation, I stood and answered the door.

Opening it up, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of Annabelle standing on the other side. Not only was my heart happy to see her, but my body instantly reacted at just the sight of her, and I shifted from one foot to the other to relieve some of the tightness in my jeans. “Hi,” she greeted quietly.

I shot a glance over my shoulder, saw that Mieke was lost in whatever she was telling the entranced people around her, and then stepped out of the apartment, leaving the door only slightly ajar so I could get back in. “Hi.” I lifted a hand, needing to touch some part of her to remind myself that she was real, that she was actually standing there in front of me.

I caught hold of her fingers and she stiffened for a second before seeming to force herself to relax. Her hand was so soft, so delicate. I wanted it stroking over my chest, over my thighs and wrapping around my aching cock.

“How did it go today? Did you and Mieke get along well?”

“We had a great time. I think she likes it here.” I grimaced, knowing I had to tell her the rest. “I had Natalie set up a dinner with just the guys. Everyone but Devlin tried to put the blame on you.” I watched as her jaw clenched and she lowered her eyes, not allowing me to see what she was feeling.

“Before I could set them straight, Mieke tore them a new one.” That had Annabelle’s head snapping up and I grinned. “Even Wroth. She’s got guts, I’ll give her that. But then again, look at her mother.” I tightened my hold on her hand. “You did a great job raising her, Anna. She’s an amazing kid.”

Annabelle swallowed hard once, twice, and then cleared her throat. “I saw that you had guests, so I don’t want to interrupt. Natalie messaged me earlier and said that she’d gotten your spare room sorted for Mieke. I don’t mind her staying with you while we’re in town, but we’ll be leaving the day after tomorrow.”

The thought of her leaving didn’t bother me as much as it might have before, because I wasn’t going to sit around in California while they went back to Tennessee without me. I’d be on the same flight with them, camped out in their front yard if I had to. I needed to be with them, but there were also things that I needed to do in Tennessee. First was to visit my baby daughter’s grave and tell her how sorry I was for not being there to hold her. And second, win back what I’d thrown away all those years ago when I’d left without Annabelle Cassidy.