Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 22629 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 113(@200wpm)___ 91(@250wpm)___ 75(@300wpm)
“I want to say the second day we met, but I’d be lying.” I sip champagne from a glass Eva’s mother, Lucy, brought for Bart and me. After all these years, she’s still the one bringing us drinks. “I knew your daughter was mine the second I laid eyes on her.”
“Ha,” Bart says and slaps me on the shoulder. “Who’d have thought? But don’t worry, Art. I’m not upset. I’m just glad my little girl had someone watching over her.”
“Oh, trust me, I haven’t let her out of my sight.”
“And what about you?” he asks, nibbling on the edge of a tiny quiche. “What have you been up to?”
“Private investigating,” I answer. “Teaching folks how to fight wasn’t really fulfilling. But tracking bad guys? Now that’s what I call business.”
Eva finishes with the professors, and her bright red lips curl into a smile at the sight of me and her parents together.
“Excuse me a moment, won’t you, Bart?” I don’t wait for an answer before jumping out of my chair.
I meet Eva halfway between her professors and her parents, pulling her straight into my arms. She squeezes me tightly, bouncing from the pure, excited energy pulsing through her body.
“I’m so proud of you, Princess,” I say, pressing a kiss on the tip of her bun.
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” she says, breaking our hug and taking my hand.
“We both know that’s a lie. You’d probably have done better without me being…” —she starts dragging me back to the table where Bart and Lucy are waving at her with pride on their faces— “such a distraction.”
“Making me come isn’t a distraction, big boy,” she whispers against my rented blazer’s lapel. “It kept me focused.”
“Then I’ll be sure to keep them coming. A couple of times a day if I have to. Anything to keep that razor focus,” I reply, and Eva bursts out laughing.
We rejoin her parents, and I hang back while they catch up. As much as I want her to be mine and mine alone, I won’t take this from any of them.
After all, she’s my princess. And I’ll have her for the rest of my life.
The End