Page 27 of A Hunter Turned
Cady’s eyes widened, her spoon falling back into her Cheerios with a splash. “Oh, yes!” she breathed, then began bouncing excitedly in her seat. “You need to bring her flowers, and wear a suit, and take her someplace nice.”
Archer frowned. “A suit?” He had one he wore on occasions when he had to meet a client for a face to face but he hated the thing.
Cady was nodding vigorously, her curls bouncing around her head. “It’s important to dress nicely.” Her looked turned contemplative. “You should probably shave and get a haircut too.”
Archer’s eyes widened and his hand lifted to stroke the length of his beard. “I thought you liked my beard.”
“I do,” she told him before she rolled her eyes and said, “but all the princes shave before they propose to their princess. Even the Beast. Everyone knows that.”
“Propose?” Archer choked out in surprise.
“Of course.” Cady let out a dreamy sigh. “It’ll be so romantic.” Pausing for a beat before resuming her bouncing, his daughter’s eyes sparkled with happiness as she told him. “Jamie will make the best mom. I can’t wait.”
Archer blinked, the kick in the gut he’d just felt at those words, left him speechless for a moment. They felt… right, and he suddenly imagined his daughter, his heart, calling Jamie Mommy and Jamie looking down at the little girl with that warm look of love she already had any time she gazed at Cady. God, how he wanted that. Almost as much as he wanted to see that same look directed at him.
Cady pulled him out of the fantasy with her humorously businesslike tone. “So,” she said, tapping her fingers on the table. “A haircut first, then a suit, and flowers.” She paused, glancing at him. “Should you write all this down?”
Archer barked out a laugh and couldn’t resist rumpling her curls. “I think I can remember.”
“And a nice restaurant. Someplace romantic. You should ask Marceline. She has a pile of menus from places in her kitchen drawer.”
His lips still twitching with amusement, Archer raised a brow. “She does?”
“Mmhm. I found them one day and asked her why she had so many papers with pictures of food. She said it was because you never know when you might want to have a night out and try something new.”
Archer nodded. “Marceline is pretty smart.”
His daughter rolled her eyes. “She thinks she is.”
Another burst of laughter broke free before he could contain it and he had to clear his throat. “Okay, so, I’ll ask Marceline for her opinion on nice restaurants.”
“Romantic restaurants,” Cady corrected him.
“I think my suit might still be at the dry cleaners.”
“We’ll go get it,” Cady told him. “And while we’re out, we’ll get your hair cut, and get the flowers.”
His nod was considering, before he asked, “Do you think maybe I should ask Jamie first?”
Cady was out of her seat in a flash and grabbing his hand. “Let’s go ask her now. She’ll want time to get ready.”
Archer chuckled. “I think she’s probably sleeping right now.”
She considered that for a moment, her face thoughtful, lips puckered in contemplation before her eyes widened and brightened with an idea. “We’ll make an invitation. One of those fancy ones with nice writing and glitter and slip it under the door for her to find when she wakes up.”
Rather liking the idea and somehow knowing that Jamie would approve as well, Archer nodded. “Go get the stuff.”
With a whoop of joy, Cady ran off to her room to grab her art supplies.
Before she could return, there was a rap on the front door and Archer scented his second, Jeremiah, outside.
Opening the door to the slightly older man that was his best friend, Archer greeted him with a smile and stood back to allow him entry. “You’re up early. You had the night shift, didn’t you? Or haven’t you been to bed yet?”
“I caught a few hours,” Jeremiah rumbled, his palm skating over the tightly cropped black hair on his head.
Waving him deeper into the house, Archer motioned for him to sit at the kitchen table. “Coffee?”
“I’d give my left nut for some,” and then with a sheepish look that was completely out of place on his friend’s rough features, Jeremiah glanced around and asked, “Where’s Cady?”
