Delinquent Daddy (Banks / Kincaid Family #2)(57)

"She's not excited or anything," she said.

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

He laughed. "I can tell." He moved toward the doorway and paused, taking a hold of the door handle as he called outside. "Hey, Cassidy! Aren't you going to say goodbye to your mother?"

"Oops," Ellie heard her daughter yell back.

Stunned that Boston had realized such a thing, much less called Cassie back, Ellie was still gaping at him when Cassie skidded back through the doorway.

"'Bye, Mom. Love you," she said breathlessly, plowing into Ellie and wrapping her arms tightly around Elli's stomach.

"I love you too," Ellie said, bending down in order to get a full hug. "Eat lots of turkey for me, okay?"

"Okay—" Cassie started to answer, but then cut herself off.

She pulled back from Ellie and stared up at her mother with a slight frown. "But...you'll be eating turkey too."

Ellie bit her lip, realizing Cassie hadn't thought about what her mother would be doing while she was gone.

"You...you're going to be all alone," Cassie murmured, the truth finally dawning. Her eyes went from excited to huge and worried. She turned to Boston as if uncertain about going with him. "I always have Thanksgiving with my mom," she explained.

The look of abandonment that filled Boston's expression had Ellie stepping forward and touching her daughter's shoulder.

"Oh, Cass," she murmured on a sigh. She bent down on her haunches in front of the girl and pulled her into a hard hug. "Don't you worry about me. Go with your dad and have fun."

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by Linda Kage

"But—"

"Cassidy," Boston cut in quietly. "Go to the car. I'll be right there."

The girl frowned up at him and then turned anxiously to her mother.

"Go on," Ellie urged softly, her smile encouraging. "Trust me. You'll have fun today."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive."

"Okay. 'Bye, then...I guess."

Cassie pulled her mother into another long hug, and Ellie kissed her hair before tugging herself away. The child glanced up, a little mutinously, at her father and then whirled and started for his Infiniti.

Both Boston and Ellie stood in the entrance of the house, watching her, until she opened the passenger side door and climbed inside. Then Boston turned.

"You'll have her home by eight this evening, right?" Ellie said, trying not to look at him because she feared she might start bawling any second.

He shifted uncomfortably. "Look." He coughed into his hand. "Why don't you come with us?"

Ellie fell back a step. "Oh," she breathed, surprised, as she pressed a hand to her chest.

For a second, she was sure she'd heard wrong. But after blinking about five times, she couldn't deny the inquisitive look Boston sent her, waiting for her answer.

Then she laughed. "Boston, don't be silly. She'll forget all about me once you guys reach the party. Besides, if she does 214

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

get sad, just have her call. I'll talk to her and assure her everything's fine."

He looked away for a moment as if he were thinking that option over. And then he turned back to Ellie. "Here's the deal," he started. "I want this to be the best Thanksgiving she's ever had. And I don't want her to have to worry about her mother, about calling you and making sure you're okay.

She's never been away from you for a holiday before, and I don't want that to be a problem. So, if you were there...with her...I know she could fully enjoy the day."

He paused to gauge her reaction. Ellie stared at him blankly for a moment.

"Really, Boston." She trilled out on a nervous laugh. He looked a little too serious for her comfort. "I can't go with you guys."

He frowned in confusion. "Why not?"

"For starters, your entire family is going to be there. I'm not spending the day with your family."

He frowned and pulled back, surprised and leery. "What's wrong with my family?"

"Well...they must hate me," she blurted out. "I didn't just keep Cassie from you. I kept her from them too. I can only imagine what they must think of me."

Boston's mouth fell open. "No," he said and then shook his head vehemently. "No one hates you. God, Ellie. Did you think Monty and Cam hated you?"

She bit her lip. "No, but I thought they were just...strange."

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He laughed. "Well, they are that. But everyone else feels the same. They're very anxious to meet Cassidy's mother. In fact, you probably would've had a few unwanted visitors by now if I hadn't warned them to stay away."

"They want to meet me?" she asked slowly, not sure if she should believe him. "But...what about Chuck E. Cheese's?

Didn't my behavior there turn them off?"

Sending her a guilty look, Boston admitted, "It turned them off me for a while. I swear, my mother was about to bend me over her knee for not getting your permission to take Cassie."