Page 34 of Dark Memories
By the time they returned, he had the eggs scrambled and a stack of toast plated. Although he had a chef, he could cook to a degree, and enjoyed doing so when he had the time. On James’s nights off, he let Kali choose a recipe and the two of them would make dinner together. Usually they’d end up with a big mess to clean up, but that was half the fun.
Before they sat down to eat, Delaney and Kali filled one of the doggie bowls with water and one with the food Delaney had bought, which Ollie dug right into. She’d also bought some dog toys, and he had to tell Kali she and Ollie could play with them after she ate.
They sat around the kitchen island, and it felt like they were a family. The home he’d grown up in had been dysfunctional, and then along came Cinda, stealing the dreams he’d had of a life with Delaney. His marriage had never been a happy one, and when his wife had finally decided she was bored and moved out, his relief had been off the charts. After that, he and Kali had created a happy home, neither missing the drama that was her mother. But it was missing something, and Delaney was that something. He just had to convince her.
When they finished eating, he wrapped his hand around Kali’s. “There’s something we have to talk about, sweetheart.”
“Do I have to give Ollie back?” Her lips trembled.
“No, he’s yours to keep.” He hoped. “It’s about what happened to you. We have to go talk to the police this morning because they need you to tell them about it.”
“I don’t want to talk about it, Daddy.” Now tears were pooling in her eyes.
Christ, he didn’t want to put her through reliving the past two days. He lifted his gaze to Delaney, a plea for help.
“I know you don’t, honey, and I don’t blame you,” Delaney said. “But the police need to know what happened. Remember you said you’re a big girl now?” Kali nodded. “Well, big girls are brave.” She glanced at him. “Maybe if I tell the police that she’s still a baby girl, she won’t have—”
“I’m not a baby. But you have to come with me. You, too, Daddy.”
Clever, he mouthed.
Delaney sweetly smiled at him, but he wasn’t fooled. She was gunning for him for drawing her into his life.Game on, he mentally warned her.
“We’ll both be with you, promise,” she said to his daughter. “You have a few minutes to show Ollie his new toys.” She reached over to the things she’d bought and picked up a ball, handing it to Kali.
After Kali’s attention was diverted, Delaney said, “I’m sure Eve would be okay with questioning Kali here if you’d rather.”
“Actually I’ve already considered and dismissed that idea. I don’t want Kali to associate her safe place with those people in any way. Bringing the police here to talk about the”—he made air quotes—“‘bad men’ brings those people into her home.”
“You’re right.” She glanced at her watch. “How long will it take her to get ready?”
“Not long.” He put his hand over hers. “Thank you.”
“For?”
“For being here when I got up this morning. For making my daughter feel safe. But mostly for letting me kiss you again.”
“I haven’t let—”
“Not yet, but I’m thanking you in advance.”
She rolled her eyes. “What am I going to do with you?”
“I have some ideas about that.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Stop it.”
“No, I don’t think I will.” Not giving her a chance to answer, he said, “Kali, we need to leave soon, so you need to get dressed. Want some help?”
When she’d recently told him she wasn’t his baby girl anymore, she’d also decided she didn’t need help dressing. Her private school required uniforms, so school-day clothes were a given. His kid could care less about clothes, which inordinately pleased him considering her mother rarely wore the same outfit twice, and the last thing he wanted was for Kali to be that hung up on her attire. What his daughter appeared in when not in her school uniform was hit-and-miss, but he kept his mouth shut on the misses, even though some were a doozy.
“No, Daddy, Delaney’s going to help me.”
“I am?” Delaney squeaked, making him chuckle.
“Appears so.” He sat back, crossed his arms over his chest, and smirked. It would be interesting to see the results of Delaney helping Kali dress since neither had the fashion sense that God gave a pea. Outside of jeans and T-shirts, he didn’t either, but he wasn’t about to admit that he had a personal shopper who dressed him. Delaney would never let him hear the end of that.
She paused long enough to pinch his arm before she followed Kali and the dog out of the kitchen. He rubbed his stinging skin, and when he was sure she was upstairs and couldn’t hear him, he let out the laugh he’d been holding in.
