Page 145 of The Billionaire Boss and the Barista

Dennis finally closed his mouth. But it was a brief reprieve because he promptly opened it again to put his foot inside.

“Stella isyourdaughter?” he asked incredulously.

His plan to play this close to the vest while he broke the news to Emma and his aunt crumbled around him. But he went with it.

“She is,” he said, standing taller. Because this remarkable little girl—who was already so much like him and like Emma—was something to be proud of.

Stella shifted in his arms, leaning her head on his shoulder as she gripped his collar with her little fingers.

“I told him,” she whispered in his ear.

Garrett put his hand on her back, rubbing it soothingly. “Yes, you did, baby girl.”

She didn’t complain about the nickname this time.

Dennis darling wasn’t done showing off his IQ. “You andMariana Mendez?”

“No, idiot,” Sharon muttered, a mortified blush flooding her face. “Him andEmma.”

Dennis stared at her blankly, then sucked in a deep breath. “Oh.Oooh.”

He shook himself like a dog. “Oh, wow. That’s, uh, that’s news. Really big news. You and Emma Mendez.”

Tyler the turd, who had finally realized no one was paying attention to him, picked himself up and ran off.

“Yeah,” Garrett said, wishing she was here.

“So, you and Emma aretogethertogether?” Sharon asked, a brightI can’t wait to tell everyone I knowsmile pasted on her face.

Garrett nodded, with not a little regret. He could picture the gossip emanating out from these two like a tsunami, but the big secret was already exposed.

Sharon might be a terrible gossip, but she had been friendly to Emma as far as he knew. Her curiosity was understandable.

He decided to go with it, to try and control the narrative. “Yeah, we just got married.”

This was too much for the inquisitive Sharon. She stared at him for a full ten or twenty seconds, processing, before rushing to congratulate him.

“Oh my God! How exciting,” she said, wishing him luck with genuine enthusiasm.

Dennis echoed her, gesturing to his head. “And how is Emma now?”

“Mama-Emma has ’nesia,” Stella said before he could reply. “And her head hurts.”

Garrett gave them a weak smile. “What she said. Emma is home with a headache. But she’s come a long way since the accident and continues to improve all the time. She has excellent doctors now.”

He leaned forward conspiratorially. “I’d appreciate it if you kept all of this to yourself for a day or two. I’m moving some big chess pieces here and I’d strongly prefer that certain parties don’t learn about this yet.”

“Oh.” Sharon, always quick on the uptake, nodded. “Of course.”

“Thank you,” he said, this smile stronger and far more genuine.

Hoisting Stella a little higher, he began to walk away, waving goodbye as they went.

Sharon took a step to follow him. “I’m so glad Emma is doing better! Please tell her the Browns said hello.”

“Will do.”

He walked down the hill to his car, gesturing for Mariana to join them. Sighing, he dropped the smile after he fastened Stella in her booster seat.

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