Daddies' Girls
By Dottie
Copyright 2012
Chapter 2
Jade
"Jade, where's Calleigh?" my husband's strong voice reverberates through the house. I shake my head, he's worse than our 9 year-old.
I walk to the kitchen door, seeing him standing in front of side door leading out to the pool. "She went to band practice over at Aspen's." When he turns to look at her, her heart swells with love. "Nick, could you please not yell in the house? We're never going to get Michael to stop yelling if you don't."
He shrugs and rolls his eyes. "What's wrong with being loud?"
I walk over to him and say, "In appropriate moments, nothing. But not in the house, ok? Please?"
He nods, curling is arm around me and resting a hand on my barely protruding belly. "Do you know how sexy you are when you're pregnant?"
I blush and say, "Stop it, you aren't distracting me."
He leans down and nibbles on my neck. "Sure about that?"
I sigh and whisper, "That's dirty pool Mister."
He chuckles into my hair. "I have a surprise for you."
I shake my head. "After the last one, haven't you learned your lesson?"
His last surprise was letting our 14-year old get her belly button pierced. The argument they came up with is ‘All singers have their belly-button pierced' followed by ‘Reese has hers pierced'. I guess it's obvious that neither went over well with me.
He blushes and looks contrite. "I'm sorry, Jade. I really am. I just didn't think it mattered."
I sigh, laying my head on his shoulder. As frustrating as he is, I hate it when we fight. "You're not allowed to get pissed when guys are looking at her stomach."
He pulls back with a look of horror on his face. I chuckle and walk away as he's stammering, "But...but...that's not...NO!"
By the time he makes it to the kitchen I'm laughing my head off. He stands in the doorway watching me. I finally catch my breath and say, "You really didn't think it through, did you Nick?"
He sighs. "I just want to give her everything."
I walk over and put my hand on the side of his face. "I do too, Nick. But she has to be told ‘no' at some point."
He puts his forehead against mine and whispers, "I love you Jade. I'm sorry."
The phone ringing interrupts our tender moment. I answer it to hear Aspen saying, "You better come and get Calleigh," as AJ is in the background screaming, "Get out of my house, Jake! Get the fuck OUT of my house!"
Nick wanted to go get Calleigh. The way AJ was yelling, there's no WAY I'm turning Nick loose on Jake too, no matter what's happening. After making sure Michael and Cameron, our five year old, are set with the neighbor's 17 year old watching them, we head to Aspen's and AJ's. Nick wants to be angry without knowing why...I'm filled with apprehension. What in the world could Jake have done to piss off AJ like that?
When Nick parks, Calleigh comes running off the porch, Shayla close behind. She says, "Can we just go? Do you mind dropping Shayla off at home?"
Nick says, "Sure...but get in the car. I want to know what's going on."
Calleigh goes in to full-on Carter-pout-mode and says, "Please, Daddy, can we just go?"
I see Nick starting to cave. I say, "Nick, take the girls home then come back and pick me up. I'm going to find out what happened."
Calleigh tries the pouty look with me. I ignore it. When I start into the house, they all follow me. When I walk into the living room, Reese and AJ are in a screaming match. Aspen skirts the room, a look of horror on her face. When she gets to me, I say, "What's wrong, Red?"
Before she can answer, AJ screams, "Reese, what the hell were you thinking? He's too old for you!"
She screams back, "I love him Daddy! WHY won't you listen?"
As if noticing Nick and I for the first time, AJ takes a ragged breath. "Tell me, Nick, what would you do if you saw your daughter being felt up by that 18-year old asswipe they call a drummer?"
I look at Aspen, her pale expression now making sense. I squeeze her hand as Nick says, "I'd kill him."
I groan, closing my eyes. My hand hovers over my stomach as if drawing strength from my newest bundle of joy, Jasmine; set to make her arrival in 4 months. At my age, pregnancy was a risk. We had talked about stopping after Cameron, but I knew Nick wanted a house full of kids and I wanted to give him one more.
Aspen is watching me and she says, "Come on Twig, you should sit down."
Nick turns to Calleigh and Shayla as Aspen guides me to a chair. He says, "Calleigh, what's going on?"
She shrugs, refusing to meet her father's gaze. She and Shayla find the floor fascinating as AJ yells at Reese, "He had his hands under your shirt Reese! You're only 15 for God's sake. Even if you DO think it's ok, it's not. I could have the fucker arrested for what he did tonight! And I just might!"
Reese jumps up. "NO! Daddy, don't! I love him. He loves me. You CAN'T!"
AJ falls back on the sofa and says, "You're too young to know what love is."
Calleigh drops down beside me and takes my hand. When I look at her, she whispers, "Are you ok?"
I nod, squeezing her hand. She puts her head on my knees and I rub her hair, watching AJ reign in his temper. When everyone is calmer, Aspen says, "No more practice. Period. And until you are finished with high school, no band."
Reese screams, "That's not fair!" before running for her bedroom. Calleigh glances up at me. I say, "Aspen's right."
Her lip quivers, but she nods, laying her head back down. I can tell she's extremely upset, but she knows as volatile as the situation is, it's time to back off and let everyone calm down.
Once Reese is gone, Nick says, "OK, what happened?"
AJ snarls, "That slimy prick had his hands all over Reese. If we hadn't walked in..."
Aspen says, "AJ, calm down. Don't forget Calleigh and Shayla are still here."
AJ visibly holds himself in check. Staring first at Shayla, then at Calleigh, he says, "You knew, didn't you? Knew what they were doing?"
Calleigh is still huddled beside me with her head on my knees. She whispers, "I'm sorry, Uncle AJ. She told us to just take 5. I thought...I wasn't sure."
AJ mutters, "I can't fucking believe this. Why didn't you tell us?"
Nick steps up and says, "AJ, back off. Calleigh's not to blame."
AJ snaps, "Who is then, Nick? Who SHOULD I blame?"
Before Nick can say something he'll regret, I grab his hand and squeeze it hard. Turning to AJ, I say, "It's not their fault AJ. We need to stay calm."
"Calm?" The quietness of his voice puts me on edge and I feel Calleigh tense up. "They were supposed to distract us so that sleazeball could fuck my daughter. How the hell is it NOT their fault?!"
Nick steps forward and I know there's no way I'm stopping him. "DON'T you DARE blame Calleigh. Reese is a loose cannon, just like you, AJ!"
AJ fires back, "Well look at you Mr. Fuck-em-and-leave-em! What makes you think this hasn't ALREADY happened with your precious little angel?"
Nick lunges at him. Aspen gets between them. I struggle to my feet as Calleigh sits back and bows her head sobbing. While the boys are shouting at each other, I grab Calleigh's hand and pull her from the room. Aspen follows.
When we're away from the screaming match, I say, "Red, what the hell?"
Aspen hugs me, then Calleigh and Shayla. "I don't know. Girls, you know I don't blame you. Reese is older. But you know you should have told us."
Calleigh leans on me and says, "She hates me now."
I sigh. "No, she doesn't. She's a teenager and she thinks she's in love. Let's go talk to her."
Before we get to the stairs, Shayla's mom knocks. After a quick goodbye with a promise to let her know what's been going on, Aspen, Calleigh and I go up to Reese's room.
When we get there, it's un-nerving to find the door slightly ajar instead of locked up tight to keep us all out. Aspen goes in and we follow close behind, finding the room empty.
Aspen picks up a note from the bed and goes deathly pale. I snatch the note as she sinks to the floor and screams in despair.
Dear AJ and Aspen,
I hate you both! I'm going to be with Jake! And you can't stop me!
Reese
