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Prologue

He was late again The school bus riders had already left, and she was the only one waiting to be picked up

Pulling her backpack farther up her shoulder, Zoey started tapping her foot in frustration Her father was always late, despite knowing the tiot out of school

“Let’s go in the office, and I’ll call”

E able to leave herself, she followed her fifth-grade teacher back inside Her father’s increasing habit of picking her up late earing on the school’s staff Zoey h to see the irritation between the teacher and the principal when they cah the office door

Zoey took a seat where she could see out theto the parking lot, hoping her father would pull up and get out with the sao-lucky expression he alore on his handsoravation with her, but the second her father walked through the door, it would disappear

Her father was not only handsoer out of them without a word spoken It made no difference if the teacher was male or female; he could charm both sexes with very little effort

Swinging her legs, she glanced down at her lap and stopped tugging her short dress lower She hated the dress It was too small and the pattern made her body look like a pineapple was shoved inside of it

Not only was her father late, but he had taken back the clothes they had bought her for the start of the school year She had ed to wear them for a couple of weeks before she returned froone Just like the furniture he had leased to fill the lavish home he had rented to lure clients into whatever deal he was trying to sell them

“There he is”

Zoey raised her lashes to see her principal s her dress Rolling her eyes, she picked up the backpack she dropped to the floor when she came inside the office

“Sorry, kiddo I was held up in ahis charis flustered as he drew closer to the desk

“Ladies, how can I er than I expected”

“That’s okay I kno busy you are”

“I need to find a wife to help me out Either of you beautiful ladies available?”

Her sto the afterschool snack she had eaten The only thing worse than dealing with her father was having to put up with another stepmother

She’d had four so far, and those were the ones she was old enough to re a mother ould provide stability to the chaos her father created from his lies