Delinquent Daddy (Banks / Kincaid Family #2)(18)

As they started the Pokemon game, Boston learned tidbits of her life, such as the fact that Nora Young was Keller's mother and babysat for Cassie when Ellie was at work. From his daughter's continued gossip, he guessed Nora had been the nosy neighbor he'd already met.

From just listening, he also discovered Ellie was a paralegal who worked for Keller's uncle. That information surprised him. He couldn't see Ellie working for a lawyer.

She'd always acted so disgusted by the profession. Or maybe she'd been disgusted by Boston's drive to become one himself. He'd put law school before her, and that had never settled well.

He shifted uneasily and focused on Cassie. His daughter liked to talk, which was fine with him. He was too nervous to speak anyway.

The one thing that truly surprised him about her, though, was her ability to touch. Physical contact was something he distinctly remembered about Ellie...or rather the lack thereof.

Touching had never come easily for Elora Trenton, and it had only made Boston want to put his hands on her all that much more. As one who'd been overwhelmed with a close-knit family, Boston had been crowded by parents, cousins, aunts, 72

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

uncles and his four siblings. He'd been handled to the point he'd always sought space and privacy.

So, realizing Ellie wasn't used to her personal room being breached had been very strange to him. And it never failed to fill him with the urge to invade. He'd felt it was his duty to be the one to teach her the simple enjoyment of holding hands and giving massages, making Eskimo kisses, butterfly kisses, French kisses.

He could still remember the first moment she'd voluntarily reached for him. It had thrilled him enough to haul her off to the first available private spot and take her against the wall of a public park's bathroom. But God, he'd loved touching Ellie.

He used to spend hours just stroking his fingers over—

Not that this had anything to do with their child. Boston was merely surprised Cassidy was so big on touching. She had no qualms about it whatsoever, in fact. She crawled all over him like a little monkey. She automatically set her hand on his knee when she leaned forward; she unconsciously bumped his elbow; she braced her fingers on his shoulder when she stood.

She was constantly touching him, and he loved it. For a man who had always craved more room, he only wanted to move closer to Cassidy. It was just like it'd been with her mother. He couldn't seem to get near enough to those Trenton girls.

It struck him then that Cassidy's ability to touch had probably come indirectly from him. He'd taught Ellie how to get up-close and personal, and she'd in turn passed the 73

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

learned contact on to her daughter. The thought made him feel better.

Yeah, he might've missed nine years, but a part of him made it to Cassie anyway—a realization that unwillingly brought his mind back to her mother. Ellie obviously didn't hold the fact that Cassie was his daughter against the girl.

She was a good parent, and she loved and provided for her child despite the child's paternity.

All that made him even more curious about the woman Elora had become.

Ellie waited until ten thirty before she approached Cassie's bedroom. All evening, she paced the kitchen, hoping she hadn't made a mistake by not immediately kicking Boston out of the house after meeting Cassie—or God, even letting him inside in the first place.

But the deep sounds of his laughter mixed with Cassidy's higher-pitched voice kept floating down the hall, telling her how pleased her daughter was. And though Ellie still wanted to pack two bags as soon as he was gone and move her and Cassie to Oklahoma in the middle of the night, she was glad Cass could have this moment she'd wanted for so long.

It was time for the "moment" to end though. An hour and a half past Cassie's bedtime and five hours past the moment she'd wanted Boston out of there, Ellie inched toward her daughter's room.

Holding her breath, she tapped cautiously on the door as she opened it.

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

Two pair of blue eyes glanced up at her and, for a moment, she couldn't breathe. They looked so much like each other.

"Uhh..." Feeling regretful for interrupting, she hesitated.

Biting her lip, she said, "Cassie usually goes to bed at nine.

And...and she has school tomorrow."

Boston glanced at his Rolex, blinking. "Wow. I didn't realize it was so late."

As he stood, Cassidy clamped her arms around his legs.

"Don't go!" she begged. "Please, oh, please don't go."

"I...I'm sorry, I can't stay," he told her, looking bowled over by the idea his daughter wanted him to stick around.

"You have to go to school tomorrow, and I have work.

Besides, I have to drive all the way back to Kansas City tonight."

"Where exactly do you live?" Cassie asked, looking curious.

Unable to watch their goodbye, Ellie stepped into the hall and quietly closed the door.

"...well, that's not so far away," Cassie said.

Boston reached out and sat his hand on her hair. "Not so far at all," he agreed softly. He could visit her just about every day at this distance. "Well, I guess this is goodbye," he said, noticing—in his peripheral vision—that Ellie had slipped back out of the room to give them a private farewell.