Delinquent Daddy (Banks / Kincaid Family #2)(58)

When Ellie couldn't come up with a ready response, he took her hand. "Tell me honestly," he murmured. "Do you want your daughter to be miserable today or not?"

"Of course I don't want her to be miserable." Ellie sighed.

"But I think once she gets there, she'll forget all about me, and she'll—"

Boston didn't seem to want to risk it, however. "You're coming with us."

Ellie raised her eyebrows at his authoritative tone.

He seemed to yield at her arch look. "I already felt like crap for taking her away from you on a holiday," he said.

"Now, she's going to feel like crap too, and I'm sure you're not overly enthused about the situation either. Therefore, you have to come along so we're not all miserable."

She stared at him, tempted.

Realizing he about had her convinced, he coaxed, "It's only one day, Ellie. You can make it through one day with me, for our daughter, can't you?"

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She opened her mouth to tell him it wasn't the idea of being with him that turned her off. The idea of spending Thanksgiving with him actually made her stomach tighten in excitement. It was the rest of his family she was worried about.

"Please," he said.

She melted.

Shoulders slumping, she caved. "Oh...all right."

Boston grinned immediately and tightened his grip on her hand. He took a step back as if to give her room to exit her house before him. But she frowned and looked down at herself. "Whoa," she yelped in surprise as she took in her own worn blue jeans and faded sweater. "I need to change."

"Change?" he echoed, frowning in confusion. "But you look great."

Ellie flushed, and he winced, realizing what he'd just said.

Clearing his throat, he coughed into his hand and quickly revised, "I mean, you look fine. And our family get-togethers are incredibly informal. I wouldn't be surprised if my baby sister, Cheyenne, showed up in these flannel pajama pants she likes so much. Besides," he added. "I don't particularly want to embarrass myself in front of my family. And if you looked any better, I don't think I'd be able to handle it."

Tugging with the barest of pressure, Boston started to back toward the door, urging her to join him. She probably would've followed him anywhere at that very moment. The pull of his stare was a hundred times more magnetic than the tow of his hand. He nearly had the door shut behind her before a smidgeon of reality returned.

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"Oh, wait! My keys. My purse."

Boston nodded and let go of her hand to let her escape back inside. Scurrying frantically, Ellie ran back to her room and yanked up her purse and keys. She paused at the dresser, however, and tried to fluff some life into her limp hair. Moaning in distress when the locks only flopped back against her head, she blew out a breath and gave up. There was no need for her to impress his family anyway. It wasn't like she and Boston were dating anymore.

Hustling back to the living room, she was a little surprised that he'd actually waited for her at the exit. It struck her with a sudden rush of nostalgia. He'd always waited patiently at her door when she wasn't quite ready, and like then, she was freshly amazed he hadn't left without her.

Ellie didn't take his hand again, but they walked side by side from the house, which was disconcerting in itself. As Cassie saw them approaching, she opened the passenger side door and sent a worried look from Boston to Ellie.

"What's wrong?" she said. "Did you guys have another fight?"

Boston chuckled as he reached out to rustle her hair. "No, we did not have another fight. We decided your mom should come too. Now, get in the back, kiddo. Let her ride up front."

"You're coming?" Cassie said, and her gaze darted to her mother. "Oh, wow, Mom, this is going to be so awesome."

She shot out of the car and scurried to get into the backseat.

All the while, she kept talking. "I'm going to introduce you to my grandma and grandpa and Aunt Shannon and Aunt Olivia.

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meet all of Dad's nieces and nephews and aunts and uncles..."

Oh, joy, Ellie thought, a little panicked. Boston was dragging her right into the lion's den.

The trip to Kansas City was a total blur. Ellie knew her daughter was constantly chattering from the backseat. And Boston would occasionally comment. But she was too nervous to pay attention to anything they said.

She sat in the passenger seat with her hands tightly clasped in her lap, staring straight ahead out the windshield.

Boston's Infiniti was a smooth ride. It was like floating on top of a glass lake. And he had the temperature acclimated perfectly. If Ellie were in any other state beside utter dread, she would've really enjoyed this cruise in his luxury automobile. As it was, she didn't even feel the leather seats at her back or hear the low, soothing music coming through the speakers.

She was going to meet his family. His entire family.

Ellie had always wondered what they would be like. She used to snatch up any scrap of information he'd give her about them. Heck, she'd gone and given him her virginity the first time he'd told her about his dad's occupation, if that were any indication as to how special she found his opening up to her to be.