Total pages in book: 67
Estimated words: 63496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 317(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
“You think?” Sabre joins in. “I swear Daph, I need a copy of that bastard walking in the living room with that pink Barbie house. I’m going to get it blown up and hang it on the wall where you first come into the clubhouse.”
“The hell you are!” I growl.
“Oh, I am. Daphne just has to get me a copy,” Sabre counters.
“Old man—”
“Instead of fighting with my dad, you should try and sweet-talk me. After all, I’m the only one that has the proof,” Daphne singsongs.
“Are you blackmailing me, Skittles?”
“Maybe,” she murmurs.
“What are you asking in return for destroying the photo?” I ask, studying her face, and trying my best not to laugh.
“A promise,” she says, looking at me and her face becoming more serious. I can literally feel the mood change. I find myself getting nervous.
“What kind of promise?” I ask.
“I want you to promise not to ghost me anymore. I’ve missed you.”
Her words shock the hell out of me. She mentioned it before, but I guess I didn’t expect her to say it in front of her dad. I want to tell her that every second away from her hurt me too. I don’t. Instead, I lean down and kiss her forehead. “I promise.”
“Pez!” Cammie comes running up to where Sabre is standing. He leans down and picks her up. I reach over the counter, and she jumps into my arms, not scared a bit.
“Whatcha’ need, Pixie?”
“Will you stay the night and sweep-over with me?” she asks, looking up at me with her pleading face that is painful to deny—especially when I would love nothing more than having a sleepover with her mother. I figure answering that I’d give my left nut to just stay in the house with them forever is the wrong answer—no matter how truthful—when a five-year-old is involved. So, I kiss her forehead and try for the truth. “I can’t stay, Pixie.”
Instantly, her little lip puckers out and her face looks so pitiful that it seems she might burst out in tears at any moment. “But I don’t want you to leave. We could pway Barbies all night!”
“Now that’s a dang good offer,” Sabre jokes. I shoot him a disgusted look, but the bastard just laughs.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s just—”
“I have a better idea,” Daphne says. Everyone turns to stare at her and I can see the nervousness on her face and the way her cheeks heat with embarrassment.
“What is it?” Sabre asks before I can get a chance to.
“Well, Eli has an empty storefront he’s offered to rent me. I’d like to go look at the equipment and the layout. Someone I trust told me he thought I could open a bakery and make a success of it. I think I’ve decided I’d like to try,” Daphne replies, biting her lip nervously.
“I didn’t say rent. I said I bought it for you,” I correct her, letting mild irritation show at her choice of words. There’s no way I’m charging her rent.
“You’re making payments on the place. My rent should at least cover those. If I can make a go of the place, then I’ll buy it so you won’t be out anything,” she reasons, making me shake my head.
“A brake-ery?” Cammie asks.
Daphne leans in closer to me, and the scent of strawberries hits me from her hair. I drag it into my lungs, wanting to bury my nose in her copper strands. “Yeah. Mommy wants to make cookies, cakes, pies and stuff and sell it. There’s an apartment above it where we could live and there’s a big park across from it, too.”
“We’d move?” Cammie asks, studying her mom.
“Yes, but we’d still be together. Plus, we’d live closer to Eli and your Papaw. Would you like that?”
“His name's Pez,” Cammie argues, making me laugh.
“Well, you call him Pez and I’ll call him Eli.”
“Okay, but you wrong Mama.”
Daphne stretches up and kisses her nose. “That’s okay,” she says softly. “What do you think about moving?”
Cammie’s little hand touches my jaw, and she tries to turn my face to look at her. I happily cooperate. “Will you live with us?”
Her simple question makes my heart hurt. She has no idea how much I want that—even if I shouldn’t.
“I’d be able to visit a lot. We could eat together every night your mommy would let me, and I could read you a story and tuck you in, too,” I say instead. It’s not what I want, but it’s what I can readily agree to.
“Ev-a-wee night?” she asks.
“If Mommy says yes, then yeah.”
“This is why you wanted to buy the place?” Sabre asks.
“Yeah.” I answer, not taking my eyes away from my girls.
“Why didn’t you say so? There’s no rent, no payment.”
“Dad—”
“If the asshole had told the club what it was going to be used for, the club would have just said yes. The place is empty and costing us money anyway. You’d be saving us money if anything,” Sabre replies. “Besides, I get my girls closer to me. You don’t think I’d move heaven and earth to make that happen?”