Page 80 of Havoc's Fox

She was trying to catch her breath, but her expression was sobering again. “I wish Analise loved you back. Then she could have the blue room and we could all live here.”

“Baby, if Analise lived here with us, she’d share my room with me. Just saying.”

“Like Mommies and Daddies do?” she asked.

“Yep, just like that.”

“Would she be my mommy, then?”

“If she was here, that would be up to you and her. But I know she’d love you. Tell you the truth, I think she already does.”

Chapter 18

The next few days were spent with Havoc and Harley walking around their new property, walking down to Hellen's, then over to all the other houses so she could get her bearings and they could meet the new family that Addie belonged to. He took her across to Kaid’s property using both the road and through the woods several times. When he was sure she was secure with her surroundings, he made her take him on a walking tour so he could be sure she knew where she was going. And she did. She even stopped at the highway both coming and going and looked and listened before crossing. Going back to their home, there had been a car passing and she’d done great by stopping and being safe before crossing.

Even though they’d been over to Maverik’s house, they’d not seen Analise again. And Harley was getting antsy.

Havoc had started on the fence to enclose his property so Harley could have a puppy.

Having taken a break midday to make lunch for Harley, he found her irritated and full of questions.

“I want to see Analise.”

“She’s busy, baby.”

“I want to see Emmalyn.”

“Emmalyn is mean, you don’t need to see her.”

“She’s not mean. She’s funny.”

Havoc looked over at his daughter. “She’s mean to everybody but you and Analise.”

Harley grinned. “Why can’t I go see Analise? She’s my friend.”

“Baby, she’s just got a lot of things to do. That’s why we haven’t seen her lately.”

“But where is she?”

“I’m guessing she’s at home,” Havoc said, flipping her grilled cheese sandwich in the skillet.

“Why hasn’t she come to see us? She could come visit for just a little while.”

Havoc sighed and leaned on the cabinet. Once his daughter got something in her head, she was like a dog with a bone. “Baby, I told you, I hurt her feelings a long time ago. We’re just beginning to be friends again. It might take a while before she wants to come over here.”

“But she likes me.”

“Yes, she does.”

“I want to show her my room. And she said she’d take me for a walk.”

“I know. But I don’t want to call her. She’ll come around when she’s ready.”

“Not if she doesn’t know how much I miss her.”

He took the grilled cheese out of the skillet, cut it on the diagonal, then put it on a plate for her with chips and a pickle. “Eat your lunch. I’m going back out to work on the fence.”

“But I want to talk to Analise.”