Page 147 of Doughn't Let Me Go

“I miss California where you didn’t have any family and I was the most important person in your life and you loved me most.”

“And you call her dramatic,” Dory says, sliding up next to me, a bag of leftover drinks thrown over her shoulder.

“She gets it from you,” I tell her, sliding the bag from her grasp like the gentleman I am.

“Is that a yes?” Kyrie asks.

“It’s a yes. Just make sure you wear your seat belt.”

“Obviously.” She rolls her eyes. “Thanks, Dad!”

She races off to meet up with her best friend Kristann.

“When the hell did she get so sassy?”

“Getsassy? I know I wasn’t there for it, but I’m fairly certain that kid was born with her eyes lifted skyward and a hand on her hip.” Dory smiles after her. “But we love her anyway.”

“Wesure do.”

“Why do you do that?” Dory asks.

“What?”

“Emphasizewe, like you’re surprised I love your kid or something.”

She’s got it all wrong.

I’m not surprised. Kyrie is easy to love. She’s funny, outgoing, and entirely her own style of weird. It’s easy to love her.

But to love her like Dory does, like she’s her own flesh and blood…that’s a choice.

And I’m so blessed it’s one Dory makes.

“Not surprised, Dory.Grateful. There’s a huge difference.”

Her cheeks redden, but she doesn’t address my words. “Come on. We better get going before they beat us there and order double milkshakes like they did last time.”

“That bill nearly killed me.”

“Says the billionaire.”

“Multimillionaire,” I correct as we climb into my SUV.

“Just wait,” she says once we’re buckled in. “It’s gonna be a billion before you hit thirty-five.”

“I’ll definitely have to make you sign a prenup, then. You’re so money hungry.”

“I’m insatiable.”

“Hey,” I say, taking her hand and lifting it to my mouth, brushing my lips against the back before letting our hands rest over on my lap. “You better only be insatiable for my body, not my wallet.”

She wrinkles her nose as I navigate us to the main road. “Did those words actually just leave your mouth?”

“Would you still marry me if I said yes?”

“Isthatthe proposal?”

“Would you say yes if it was?”

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