Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 54028 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54028 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
“Yes!” she all but yelled. “Frozen soundtrack!”
I winced and used the knife to push the onions into the skillet with the chicken.
Jack looked stricken. “She’s still on that kick, huh?”
“Oh yeah.” My girl was mildly obsessed with Kristen Bell and the character of Anna. “Kristen Bell and Demi Lovato are her idols.”
Lily nodded vehemently.
“Right.” Jack cleared his throat and made sure to smile for Lily. “Frozen, it is. And one day, I’m gonna teach you all about Iron Maiden and Judas Priest.”
I barked out a laugh as he disappeared to the living room.
Good luck on that one, baby boy.
Before I could lower the heat on the skillet, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket. It was a message from Lucas West, of all people. He was one of the founding members of the kink community, and I wasn’t sure I’d exchanged more than a handful of words with him. But I’d bantered a little with his partners, Colt and Kit, online.
Hello, Franklin.
With Christmas around the corner, we’d like to invite you and a plus-one to our holiday party on December 21st. Colt will start mixing cocktails at five, dinner is served at seven, and Kit’s Secret Santa game will have its big reveal after we’ve eaten.
If you can attend, please RSVP before December 6th and let us know if you have any allergies or dietary restrictions, if you’d like to participate in the gift exchange, and if you need to make sleeping arrangements. We have room for twelve guests.
Please note that only Mclean members will attend, and we can expect some playtime, presumably when the Sadists have riled up the brats sufficiently. In addition—
“Daddy?”
I looked up from the text to see Lily pointing at the stove.
Fucking hell!
“Oh Christ.” I dropped my phone on the counter and hurriedly removed the skillet from the stovetop. The chicken was ruined, goddammit. I coughed and waved at the smoke, just in time for Jack to return and for a girl to ask in a singsong voice if someone wanted to build a snowman.
I did not want to build a snowman, and I did not want to eat chicken that was… I poked at it with a knife and fork. Yes, raw at the center and burned to a crisp on the outside. Lovely.
Jack smirked knowingly at me. He was done too.
“Takeout is on me,” I said firmly.
Lily giggled and clapped. “This was funny! You can’t cook at all!”
I shook my head in amusement.
Jack chuckled, hands on his hips, and scowled playfully at Lily. “We can learn.”
“I don’t think so,” she laughed.
It felt so nice to have a daughter who truly believed in you.
When all was said and done, however, I had no regrets. Because we ended up with delicious steakhouse food from a nearby place that knew how to make Lily’s day by pressing two burger buns together with cheese. And more cheese. Then we bundled together on the couch to eat, watched a Disney movie with Lily in between us, and saw her eyes light up whenever the melted cheese stretched out in long strings from her fork.
“I received an invitation for a holiday party,” I mentioned quietly.
Jack looked over Lily’s head. “Yeah?”
“Shh,” Lily said. “Oh my gosh, so much cheese.”
I chuckled silently. “December twenty-first, with a plus-one. Mclean House-oriented.” I lifted a brow in silent question.
“Daddy, I’m watching this.” Lily got huffy.
Jack grinned and inclined his head. “Sign us up.”
I smiled back, feeling ridiculously happy and hopeful.
EPILOGUE
DECEMBER 21ST
I wasn’t sure I’d been this nervous before. Not for years, at least.
“Did you pack the Secret Santa gifts, baby?” Jack called.
“Yes, they’re by the door,” I replied. Deep breaths. Deep breaths. Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, I finished shaving before I rinsed off the rest of the shaving cream.
I was fairly certain Jack loved me, so it made no sense for me to be so anxious about telling him I’d fallen for him.
Then again, after Samantha’s hushed confession last night when she’d picked up Lily…
We’d be lucky to get through the holidays without drama.
“I think Jack harbors inappropriate feelings for you, Franklin.”
So maybe it wasn’t so weird I was nervous. Because once I told Jack he’d stolen my damn heart, I’d want to go public with our relationship. And I knew what that would entail.
I had Lily to think about as well.
And what would Claire say? What would she think about my dating her son?
Goodness.
I swallowed uncomfortably and left the bathroom for my closet. I had to get dressed. I had to get my act together and enjoy tonight’s party.
I had to find a way to tell Jack I loved him.
How did one do that exactly?
I’d only done that once before, and given the intensity of what I felt for Jack, it was possible I’d lied to Samantha twenty-five years ago. Christ, I was so clueless at times.