Page 67 of Ugly Duckling
Last night, it’d taken every last ounce of strength I had to keep my ass in my bed where I belonged.
She’d been very open with how she felt about continuing what we’d shared for those two days.
She didn’t want it. It’d be very awkward, and she couldn’t live here if we continued experimenting.
I’d given her that.
Hell, I’d agreed.
I’d understood the logic in the words that she’d shared that she wasn’t still where she needed to be at after her marriage had ended.
I understood, yes, but that didn’t mean that I didn’t want it—her.
But that morning, when I blinked open my eyes, it wasn’t the woman downstairs that I’d wanted to make the trek upstairs that greeted me.
No, it was a certain crazy-haired blonde who forgot to do her curl treatment the night before.
At least she’d gotten a bath…
“Well, lookie who’s here.” I reached for my girl and pulled her into my arms. “I missed you, Beanie Weenie.”
She squeaked when I buried my face into her neck, kissing and blowing raspberries against her skin.
“Daddy! Daddy op!” She giggled ridiculously loud. “No, Daddy!”
Her little hands landed on my cheeks and she pushed for all she was worth.
No more, no more! Daddy, no more!
The memory of my son’s similar screams of happiness felt like an arrow straight to the heart.
But dammit, was it nice remembering those kinds of memories.
I stopped and inhaled deeply. “You smell like donuts, Beanie Weenie. Why is that?”
“Donuts!”
I hummed and held her there for just a little bit longer, my eyes closed, as I soaked up the memories.
Wake up, Daddy!
Jett was always so impatient when he woke me up in the morning, never once letting me lie there once he knew I was awake. But my girl? She’d lie here with me for as long as I wanted as long as she wasn’t hungry.
I blinked open my eyes to see her baby blues locked on my face.
“You want to take a nap with me?”
She shook her head, a stray curl falling into her face.
“You want to do your hair?”
She shrugged.
“Let’s get it done, so Aunt Creole doesn’t get mad at us,” I teased. “I can’t believe she let you get away with not doing it last night.”
I got up with Lottie firmly clamped around my neck and walked into the bathroom.
Once there, I got her hair stuff ready to go and said, “Be right back, Beanie. Gotta use the potty.”
