Total pages in book: 77
Estimated words: 72647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72647 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 291(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
“It wasn’t in your DNA. It was in his. Your brother was a bad guy. He was selfish and mean. There wasn’t anything you could have done to save him. I know you tried.” She couldn’t allow her father to think he’d been anything but wonderful. Even if he had apparently been the stud of choice amongst the Dallas chicken wing waitress scene.
“Then I found out we were having a girl.” His expression went soft. “I can’t tell you how scared I was at first. I didn’t know how to raise a girl, but I knew Avery would teach me. When they put you in my arms and I looked down at the sweetest face I’d ever seen, I lost my heart all over again. I thought I was raising a little Avery.”
“I’m not like Mom. I’m afraid that’s Aidan.” Her brother had their mom’s temperament. He was patient and kind and knew how to stick with something. She was like their father. A bit mercurial until she knew what she wanted. Something of an imp at times.
“Yes, I realized you were like me when you were around twelve. And then I realized you had my sex drive, too, and that was when I started to choose delusion.” He knocked back the rest of his whiskey resolutely. “Now, what you have to understand is delusion is not a bad place to be. Delusion can be nice. Just because a man chooses to park his RV in delusion and live there happily for a few years doesn’t mean he doesn’t love his daughter, doesn’t mean he don’t understand her.”
“It means he needs time to process that his baby girl is a woman and she’s going to make mistakes and go wild at times,” Daisy said softly.
“But she’s still my little girl,” he replied. “And I’ll always be her da. Daisy, you and Aidan are the best things I’ve ever done in my life. I’ll always see you as a sweet baby who toddles around after me. I’ll always feel the way you used to rest your head against my shoulder and sleep, and I would sit there no matter how much work I had to do because nothing was more important than letting you rest. This family… It’s more than I could have imagined.”
Tears pierced her eyes. “I love you more than you can know.”
“You’re just learning about love,” he said with a smile. “And I’m happy for you. So Nathan Carter?”
She sniffled and decided to tease him a bit. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Her father’s face went red. “He told me he was going to marry you.”
“Uhm, do we really need a piece of paper?” Yes, her imp was out today.
“You do,” her father said, righteous indignation in his words. “You absolutely do.”
“Hey, stop teasing your father.” Her mom joined them, putting a hand on her father’s shoulder. “I’ve been around them all week. Trust me. They’ll be married far sooner than they should be, but when it’s right, it’s right.”
Her father’s gaze softened when he looked at her mom. He picked up her hand and brought it to his lips. “Well, we married within three weeks of meeting each other, so I think it can work out. Have I told you how much I missed you?”
Her mom ordered a whiskey of her own. “No. You were too busy starting a cartel war that led to your best friend’s daughter nearly getting murdered and our own being forced to use all of her assets to save her.”
“Now, Avery, you can’t blame it on me,” her da countered. “First off, it worked. As of an hour ago, the man Daisy is supposed to testify against is dead. Shanked in prison because someone started a very good rumor about him turning on another cartel and exposing their crimes. What’s good for the goose and all. Brighton told us when we were explaining all the bodies. Kai’s pissed, by the way. We got blood on the concrete or something and it could be triggering to patients. I say it’s like immersion therapy.”
“That’s not a good therapeutic plan in the case of PTSD,” Daisy pointed out. “Oh, and I’m going back for my master’s in clinical psychology. I’m going to start a children’s practice at the Ferguson Clinic. I told Uncle Kai all about it.”
“No wonder he looked a little green,” her father said.
“I think it’s a wonderful plan.” Her mom held her glass up. “To our Daisy.”
“Hey, what the hell is happening?” Her brother was dressed hastily, his shirt not properly buttoned and…yes, it was inside out. “Gabe shows up at the club and tells me Devi got kidnapped and Daisy distracted the bad guys with her boobs and now everyone is dead, but you guys are drinking?”
Her poor brother. “Just another night for the O’Donnells.”