Page 127 of A Dream for Daphne

“It’s not my problem she called. I didn’t encourage it,” he argued.

“You didn’t discourage it either!” she shouted.

He took a step back.

“You’re mad over this, aren’t you?”

“Do you think, Abe? You know how I felt about the way we met.” She stopped and paused. He went to speak and she put her hand up. “You said you saw her right before you went to the casino. That every time you saw her you felt like a failure and there she was laughing with another man and smirking at you. Is that why you slept with me that night? Because you had to feel like you could wipe her from your mind? You said you never did that before.”

“No,” he said. He felt a panic setting in right now. “It’s not that. I mean I went there to do something because I felt lonely. You said the same thing.”

“I have to leave,” she said. “Don’t talk to me about this. For a man who runs his mouth as much as you, you’ve had plenty enough time to say something about seeing your ex and you didn’t. You were calculated about that when you haven’t been about other things.”

She picked up her purse and left.

He wanted to go after her but knew that she’d need time to calm down.

He knew he sure the hell did because she was right. He purposely hadn’t told her things.

41

BROUGHT IT ALL BACK

“You look a little worse for wear,” Poppy said the next morning. “Rough night?”

“A little,” Daphne said.

“Not rough in the way a woman might like,” Poppy said, smirking.

“No,” she said quietly. “Are the kids sleeping?”

“Holly still is,” Poppy said. “Reese is changing Tatum.”

“It’s going to be beautiful out today,” she said. “Holly will love being outside. I thought we could paint some of the pieces Reese has made for her. He gave us spare blocks too and we can do all sorts of things. I won’t let her in until she’s cleaned up.”

“I’m not worried about that,” Poppy said. “I’m more worried about you. You look sad when you never have before. Not even when you were worried about your job, which I found silly but then remembered what it was like to not know what each day might bring in my life too.”

She sighed. Daphne didn’t need a reminder that Abe had spoken for her with her bosses either.

“Then you know what it’s like to have that be the first thing to pop into your head,” she said. “I was annoyed that Abe mentioned it to Reese, but he and I talked it out.”

“Good,” Poppy said. “I figured as much. But something else had to have happened. I’m a pro at sussing those things out.”

“Poppy,” Reese said. “Don’t bother Daphne.”

“It’s fine,” she said. “Hi, little man.” Tatum was kicking his feet and reaching for her over his mother.

“I’d be annoyed if I wasn’t so pleased with how excited he was to see you all the time. It’s wonderful knowing our children are so well cared for.”

“Thank you,” she said. “You know I love them as if they were my own.”

“I’m going to the barn,” Reese said. “You know where I am if you need anything.”

Reese kissed Poppy and left.

“You never bug him for anything. I don’t know why he always feels the need to say that,” Poppy said. “But men like to feel needed.”

She snorted. “I’ve learned that,” she said sarcastically.

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