Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 96112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 96112 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 481(@200wpm)___ 384(@250wpm)___ 320(@300wpm)
I took his advice to heart and drew in another deep breath.
I didn’t see the other guests at the steakhouse. I shoved the cheerful din out of my brain and followed Daddy to our booth.
Lucas’s eyes were on me as we took our seats, and I found his hand under the table.
“Is everything okay?”
I nodded and leaned close, and he took the hint to lean down a bit so I could whisper in his ear. “Colt explained I didn’t have to be scared, because we’re falling in love.”
Lucas quickly inched away a few inches and searched my eyes, uncertainty mingling with affection. Then he smiled softly and touched my cheek. Maybe he’d found what he was looking for in my gaze. “We definitely are, sweetheart.” The look in his eyes brought forth my blush again, because I felt it. I felt how much he cared for me.
I grinned shyly, and he kissed my nose.
Colt told the others I was on speech restrictions for a bit, and that was that. He’d been right again. I had no questions from Abel about what’d happened, because my Daddy had ruled out the option of asking. All I had to do was focus on myself and the two men next to me.
The tension faded, and I could relax. I could sink into my favorite mind-set and just be.
Sixteen
“I feel bad for him, Daddy.” I bit nervously at my thumbnail.
Colt shrugged and had a faint smirk playing on his lips. “He made his doghouse, and now he gets to sleep in it.”
Abel was a brat to the extreme yesterday when we spent the day sightseeing, and Madigan had decided on a “good” punishment by breakfast this morning. So that was why we were currently at PetSmart. Daddy and I stayed at the end of the aisle with collars, while Madigan stood where Abel was fighting tears and struggling to pick a collar.
He didn’t want a damn collar from PetSmart.
I couldn’t blame him. I’d be embarrassed.
Studded leather collars made for kinksters were one thing. Being forced to wear one made for actual dogs was a whole other dog park of humiliation, unless you were into that kink. And he wasn’t.
“He said he was sorry,” I mumbled and slipped my hand into Daddy’s.
“Mm. He also called Madigan a boring son of a bitch for not letting him go up in the Washington Monument five minutes before they were closing.”
I made a face. Okay, so it hadn’t been Abel’s brightest moment.
Looking over my shoulder, I tried to see where Lucas was. He’d gotten a phone call as we’d entered the big store, and that was a while ago. Hopefully, we would be done here soon so we could go home and pack.
We were heading down to the house in Mclean early. The event was tomorrow, but Reese had called Lucas last night and suggested a barbecue tonight. Given that our night at the steakhouse hadn’t gone super-well because of me, everyone agreed it would be nice to have a do-over.
“Can we get ice cream before we get back to the house?” I asked.
Daddy sent me a sideways grin. “You’re more interested in the sprinkles.”
Yeah, but the place we went to yesterday before Abel’s mood soured had the biggest selection, and I’d never been there before! I’d picked eight kinds. Only, we’d just had lunch before, so I’d basically licked off the sprinkles and then handed over the cone to Colt.
“I like the ice cream too,” I offered.
He laughed under his breath. “Fine. You’ve been a good boy the past two days, so we can get ice cream.”
I slapped my hands to my cheeks and pretended to be shocked. “Oh my gosh, are you saying good behavior gets rewarded?”
His beautiful eyes lit up before the first laugh slipped out. “Imagine that.” He yanked me to him and ruffled my hair, and I giggled and pinched his side. “Watch those little fingers. You wouldn’t wanna lose ’em.”
I yelped and quickly tucked away my hands.
He chuckled. “Come on, I think I know where we can find Lucas.”
“Where?” I followed him toward the back of the store.
“If they have puppies here today, that’s where.”
“Puppies!” My heart filled with excitement. “I’ve always wanted one.” But my mother hadn’t liked the idea. She’d said you could never tell if one was hostile.
“Luke too,” Colt said, peering down another aisle. Not there, apparently. “It hasn’t been in the cards for us yet. We work too much.”
But, oh! “Daddy, I—”
“Would walk the dog all the time. That what you were gonna say?” He put an arm around my shoulders and found my hopeful expression amusing for some reason. “I’m not saying no. Just not now.”
I fist-pumped the air.
“My goof.” He smacked a kiss to the top of my head. “Ah—there he is.”
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God. I took off in a run, toward the corner where a dog adoption agency had set up a small playground for six or seven tiny puppies. Lucas was there already, and he was holding one of them!