Page 101 of A Dream for Daphne

She shifted Tatum to her shoulder and patted him for his burp.

Abe leaned over and gave her another kiss. “I’m excited about it. I’m letting you know right now. Yes, I want to go to Florida. My mother will be thrilled if you can make it work.”

“I’ll try,” she said and watched him walk back to his truck. They were working around her cabin now and he’d drive that way.

“Can we go see Daddy?” Holly asked. “I picked him some flowers.”

She turned to look at the fistful of grass and a few weeds in Holly’s hand.

“I think your Daddy is busy right now,” she said.

“He likes flowers,” Holly said. “Please.”

It wouldn’t hurt to take a walk. They could just go on the path now.

“Sure,” she said.

Tatum was done with his bottle so she set it on the lip of the stroller and put him back in it. She could carry him, but it was easier not to in case she had to keep up with Holly.

She opened the gate and they started walking.

Holly knew not to run. She’d tripped and fallen over the weekend and skinned her knee well. Daphne was thrilled it wasn’t under her watch!

They got to the barn and she heard the saws running.

“Stay back,” she said. “You know the rules. You can’t go in there until the saw is off.”

“I know,” Holly said. The little girl was dancing and spinning again in the doorway of the open barn doors.

“You’re going to get dizzy,” she said. “Then you won’t be able to hand Daddy his flowers.”

Holly stopped spinning and was doing her version of jumping jacks in place.

The saw shut off.

“Daddy,” Holly yelled. She went to run and Daphne reached a hand out to grab the little girl’s shirt so she didn’t take off into the barn without Reese knowing.

Reese heard the scream, lifted his goggles, smiled at his daughter, and walked over.

“What do you have there?” Reese asked.

“I picked you flowers,” Holly said.

“Wow,” Reese said. “Those are nice and green. Almost prettier than what Abe has planted.”

Daphne smirked at Reese’s grin. “She might have the touch,” she said.

“Just like her mother when it comes to wanting to work the flowers,” Reese said, reaching for them.

Holly just dropped the mixture of grass and weeds into his palm. “I can get some more,” Holly said.

“Oh, this is plenty,” he said, smirking.

“Can I stay with you today?” Holly asked.

“No,” Daphne said. “Daddy is working.”

“Maybe before lunch, you can come out here and we can make something for you to paint after your nap. How about that?”

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