Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 54055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54055 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Chapter 13
Lucy
“Where’s Daddy?”
I couldn’t ignore Lena’s worried tone over her father’s absence even if I wanted to, because those big blue eyes damn near broke my heart.
I glanced at the clock again. It was after nine and Dante still wasn’t home, which was unlike him, and worse, he hadn’t called. In fact he hadn’t called all day which I’d arrogantly believed was because he finally trusted me to do my job. But now I couldn’t deny the fact that something was very likely seriously wrong.
“I’m not sure Lena.”
“He always says good night,” she whined and her lip quivered.
He didn’t just say good night. Dante usually tucked her, read her a story before he kissed her good night and wished her sweet dreams. Think fast, Lucy. I had to come up with something before tears or a tantrum came, neither of which were good around bed time.
“I have an idea!” night
“Call Daddy?”
That would be the best idea, but if something had actually happened to him, I didn’t want to hear the news with Lena watching and listening. “Better. We’ll make a video of you telling him good night and that you love him, so he won’t feel bad about missing out tonight. How does that sound?”
“Okay,” she said around sniffles.
Relief coursed through me at her easy agreement and I pulled my phone out of my back pocket and set it down before I settled her in bed. “Let’s get you under the blankets so he feels like he was right here with you.”
“Okay!” She was such a sweet girl, so accepting of everything life had thrown her way, and somehow able to get excited about the smallest things. “How’s this Lucy?” She smiled up at me with the blankets tucked up under her armpits.
“Perfect.” I held up the phone and tapped the record button. “Okay, what do you want to tell Daddy?”
“Good night Daddy! I love you and I miss you, but don’t miss bedtime again, okay? Love you, good night!” She collapsed back onto the bed and sighed. “Was that good?”
“He’ll love it,” I assured her and sat down on the bed. “I know it’s not the same, but I’m happy to read you a bedtime story, if you want?”
“Okay Lucy.” Lena settled under her blankets and listened while I read a story about a ladybug who loved to make friends, but she quickly fell asleep. Dante typically made it home for dinner, so since about six this evening Lena had been worried about her father.
“Good night honey.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead and sighed as I backed out of the room and turned off the light. I wasn’t sure if Lena would sleep peacefully given how the past few hours had gone, so I grabbed my e-reader and curled up on one of the plush sofas in the sitting room.
I was so engrossed in the romance that I didn’t hear the front door as it opened and then closed, or the sound of Dante’s designer loafers on the floor until his shadow fell over me and my e-reader. His unexpected appearance startled a gasp out of me, but I recovered quickly and looked up with a frown.
“You look like hell.” Handsome as hell to be sure, but also like he’d been to hell and back in the ten or so hours he’d been gone.
His scowl darkened. “You don’t. What’s your point?”
I resisted the urge to smile at his unintended compliment and instead took a long look at his beautiful face. “Rough day?”
Dante nodded and raked a hand through his thick hair as he blew out a long exhale that contained so many emotions that my heart went out to him. “It was a nightmare. Everything that could go wrong today did.”
“You want dinner?”
His look only darkened at my question. “That’s not your job.”
“Duh,” I rolled my eyes. “It’s called basic human kindness. Look it up when you have a chance.” I stood and put some distance between us by warming up the leftover dinner.
“I’m kind,” he insisted, his voice closer behind me than I expected.
“If you say so Dante.” I turned slowly, which was a mistake, because he was entirely too close, and all of my curves were brushing against him from the front, the counter at my back. “Excuse me.”
He took a step closer and I held my breath. “You afraid of me Lucy?”
I laughed. “Hardly. It’s just called personal space.” I sucked in a breath and skirted around him. “Why don’t you go kiss Lena and get changed out of your work clothes?”
He frowned. “Are you a parenting expert now, on top of all your many other skills?”
I rolled my eyes and gave his chest a shove. “You’re an ass, Mr. Rush. Lena was worried from the moment you didn’t show up for dinner until I managed to get her to go to sleep. She thought something happened to you.”