The Single Dad (The Dalton Family #3)(23)

“Oh, my little bestie, that sounds amazing,” Hannah replied.

“They will be so yummy. Because chocolate is our faaave. Besides, Daddy doesn’t make the gooey ones right. You have to come. Pleeease.”

“How can I turn down an offer like that?”

“Yay!” She clapped her hands together, her dimple so pronounced that I had to lean forward and kiss it. “Will Syd come?”

“Who?” Hannah asked.

“Your cookie friend,” Everly responded.

“The friend you gave a ride home to,” I added, reminding her of the clusterfuck she’d helped me get out of. “Isn’t she going out of town to visit family today?”

“Ohhh,” Hannah groaned. “Yes, you’re right; she is.”

Everly’s bottom lip stuck out. “She can’t come to my party?”

“No, bestie, but I’ll be there. Won’t that make up for it?”

“What about Uncle D and Uncle Jenner? Can they come?” Eve asked us. “And Mimi and Papa?”

“Mimi and Papa are in San Diego this weekend,” I said. “They won’t be able to come.”

“But I think you should call Dominick and Jenner,” Hannah suggested. “If they’re free, I bet they’d love some of your pancakes.”

“Can I call them, Daddy?”

I chuckled.

Only my daughter could put together a breakfast party at eight in the morning. But if this was what she chose to do—to spend time with her family over everything else—I knew I had one special kid.

“We’ll hang up with Hannah and give them a call, baby. How does that sound?”

“The bestest!” Eve sang.

“Good.” I took the phone off speaker mode and held it to my ear. “Hannah, you’re also the bestest.”

“You owe me. Again. I’m thinking a new car sounds like the perfect—”

“See you soon,” I said, laughing, and I hung up.

“Daaaddy, I need to go put on my dress.” She wiggled her leg off me and pushed her little butt to the end of the bed, jumping onto the floor.

“Don’t you think we should call your uncles first to make sure they can come over?”

“You call.” Her tiny, bare feet started to run. “I have to go get ready.”

“Don’t run!” I yelled as she rushed out of my room. “Be careful on the stairs. One at a time, and use the railing.”

“I knooow.”

That girl, I thought, shaking my head.

I didn’t want to call the boys in case they were still sleeping, so I pulled up the group text we constantly had going between the three of us and started typing.

Me: Your niece would like to cordially invite you to the breakfast party she’s having this morning. She’s in her room right now, putting on her party dress. She’ll be terribly disappointed if you can’t attend. No pressure.

Dominick: Is she doing the cooking?

Jenner: Because if it’s you making those pancakes and not her, I’m not coming.

Me: Dicks.

Dominick: Chef Craig is due at my place around 9. I’ll text him and send him to your house instead, letting him know we’re switching days.

Me: It’s just pancakes. I think I can handle it.

Jenner: Dom, send him over. Ignore Ford.

Dominick: Done.

Me: Does that mean you’re all coming? Say around ten?

Dominick: Kendall and I will be there.

Jenner: Jo and I will too.

Dominick: What’s going on with the girl from the bar? Is she joining in on this morning’s family feast?

Me: Eve wanted to invite her, but I shot that down before it could become a thing. They met—by accident. Fuck me.

Jenner: Oh fuck, how’d that introduction go?

Me: Shockingly … perfect.

Jenner: Then, what the hell are you waiting for? Invite the girl for breakfast.

Me: Don’t start.

Dominick: Brother, you know we haven’t really even gotten started.

Me: It’s too early for this shit. I’m not going there with you two.

Jenner: Pussy.

Me: See you bitches in a couple hours.





After Hannah had taken Sydney home yesterday morning, whenever there was a slow second in the day, when Everly wasn’t occupying my every move, my brain was filled with memories of Sydney.

Of the night we’d spent together.

I couldn’t get her out of my head.

And even though I had her number, I hadn’t reached out.

I needed more time to think this through.

I needed distance to do that.

And I probably needed to stay far, far away from her.

Because that woman was fucking dangerous.

I’d felt that the second I touched her.

But my hands were aching to run up and down her body. My lips yearning to kiss her. My cock fucking throbbing to be inside her.

What the hell is happening to me?

Texting would start a dialogue; it would open something that surely needed to stay closed. And despite telling her that I wanted to see her again, I wasn’t sure if that was really the best idea.

Not when things with Eve were in such a good rhythm.

But as my heart pounded away, my fingers found Sydney’s name in my Contacts, and I pulled up a message. My thumbs pressed the letters, typing a text, and I hit Send before I could stop myself.