Page 25 (1/2)
“Yeah” Heather tosses in her own challenge
Rueger takes a breath, licks his bottom lip, then answers “I’ve never had a relationship Not a real one, anyway And Rita and I, well, from the first time we met, we had this uncanny connection Best friends immediately Like we’d known each other all our lives And well, she thinks it’s funny that I’m practically a monk She also thinks she’s funny And sometimes, she is” He clears his throat, and I watch his Adam’s apple shift under the dark scruff of his stubble “She stuffed that envelope into Portland last week Told et the pictures framed so my place didn’t look like a showroom and to try to have some fun for once”
“But…” I’ “But…why do you leave all the tiht when his hands leave ether in my lap “And, wait, why are you back now?”
“Ricky called me the minute he saw you leave my place Then I had hi an eye on you for e transition back in New York After this trip today, I was going to be done I’ my business over to my partner, 100 percent Then I’ll be here With you I had to make one more trip, just one, like I told you, because it was already scheduled Lawyers, the board, they were all there But when Ricky said you left the house, I turned around and ca, because you wouldn’t break the rules otherwise, would you, Babygirl?”
I bitesoak in
But then Rueger gives me that look, and I’m a puddle
He leans in, his breath on my cheek, then asks so no one else can hear, “You are Daddy’s girl still, aren’t you?”
I kiss his cheek and answer back into his ear “Yes, Daddy Always and forever your girl I’m sorry”
“Good girl Daddy loves you so much,” he answers, and my bell
y does a thousand flips “Now, I’ to take you home and show you just what that means”
Epilogue
“Dahten on the sides of her head, drivingexplosion tighteningSmithsonian, princess You make Daddy so proud”
I lowerher is equal to or better than the physical sensations of everything herdown her cheeks with the effort She doesn’t even fight for air, giving that up in order to please ined
Her gaze fixes on
“Love irl”