Total pages in book: 117
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110694 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 553(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
“Come on, Ringlets. I have a bowl full of cherries waiting for you. I know how much you like to do that little trick where you tie the stem with your tongue.”
The plate I was holding clattered loudly as it slipped from my hand, and I stared down at it. I was suddenly lightheaded, and I had to grip the edge of the sink to steady myself. Sucking in a breath as the thud of my heartbeat filled my ears. Stevie was saying something, but I couldn’t hear it.
“You—” I choked out the word, my throat tight. I swallowed and tried again. “You know.” My words sounded like a raspy whisper, but that was the best I could manage.
He knew who I was. Which meant that he knew that I had known who he was and said nothing. What did this mean?
I tried to calm my racing heart and trembling body so I could think.
A small hand touched mine. “Mommy, awah you okay? You just dwopped the plate. Wemembah that accidents happen,” she said, as if to soothe me.
I stared down at her sweet hand on top of mine and inhaled deeply. I could not do this in front of her. He’d chosen this moment to confront me when he had several other options.
“I’m fine,” I assured her, doing my best to smile.
“I’ve got plenty of plates.” Linc’s voice made my back stiffen. “Now, ladies, let’s go have our movie night.”
Stevie grabbed my wrist, pulling my hand away from the edge of the sink, and beamed. “YAY!” she said while tugging me to come with her.
Giving in, I turned around, and my eyes met Linc’s. The amusement in his gaze didn’t seem angry. He was enjoying the reaction he had gotten out of me.
How long had he been holding on to this? Had he known all along? When he had read my name on the marriage certificate, had he realized who I was then and just said nothing?
“Let’s go!” Stevie let go of my hand once I was moving in the direction she wanted and ran ahead of us.
Once she was out the door, I wanted to chase after her to save myself from being alone with him. Even if it was for a second.
Keeping my head down so as to not have to look at his face, I followed behind her. The sound of his boots on the hardwood seemed to be all I could hear. My steps quickened, and a deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. I didn’t react to it, but continued the ignoring him bit and almost caught up with Stevie.
Her loud squeal startled me, and my head snapped up to see her dart into the great room. What had he done now? Hopefully, he hadn’t bought every Moana toy ever made.
When I stepped into the room, I stopped and took in the table, where Stevie was currently scanning the items that filled it. He’d had Jayda set up an ice cream sundae bar. There were at least thirty toppings, arranged in clear containers of every shape and size. The centerpiece was a chocolate fountain. It was Instagram-worthy.
A hand slid around my waist and flattened on my stomach. The warmth of his body closed in behind me. I was frozen, except for my gaze as it dropped to stare at his touch. His large hand almost covered the entire area.
“You didn’t think I wouldn’t figure it out, did you, Ringlets?” his voice, close to my ear, said in a husky whisper. “You oughta know better than that. Keeping things from me isn’t possible.”
I shivered as he took a lock of my hair and twirled it around his finger.
“That sweet little girl…she’d have told me.” His voice was heavy with disappointment. As if he had the right to that.
He had been the one to disappoint me. If he wanted to play that card, he needed to get in line. I was there first.
“She’d have done anything for my attention,” he told me as his lips brushed the edge of my ear, causing me to shiver. “Why not now? Hmm?”
“Mommy! Look at all the chocolate!” Stevie cried out with glee, spinning around to look back at us.
He was gone so quickly that I had to grab the doorframe to steady myself. My smile was wobbly as I nodded my head. His scent was still wrapped around me with each breath I took. The spot on my stomach where his hand had been felt as if he had branded it with a hot iron.
“I reckon all you need is a bowl,” Linc said, stepping around me and heading in her direction.
Her eyes stared up at him with complete adoration. It hadn’t taken him long to win over his daughter—not that he would have had to work at it as hard as he had with extravagant gifts, a private plane, and now this. He might as well be Daddy Warbucks, and she’d be his Annie.