Written with You (The Regret Duet #2)(51)

Nope. Those were all just purely coincidental—ish.

“It’s okay, Rosie,” Willow said. “I didn’t like spinach when I was a kid, either. Tomorrow, I’ll make you some avocado toast for breakfast. It was my favorite.”

It was a damn good thing Willow drew a good unicorn butt because, for the look on my daughter’s face at the idea of eating avocado anything, she was about to be asked to leave.

“Daddy, no,” she whispered.

I shot her a wink and mouthed, “I’ll make pancakes,” before kissing her on the forehead. “Goodnight, baby.”

“Night, Daddy. Night, Willow.”

Willow’s eyes lit. “I love you, Rosie girl.”

She spoke through a yawn as she replied, “Love you too.”

“Hey, what about me?” I teased.

Rosalee giggled. “Love you too, Daddy.”

I grazed my fingertips across Willow’s stomach as we walked out of Rosalee’s room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

She started toward the guestroom, but I caught her arm and pulled her into my chest.

“Where are you going?”

Her cheeks pinked as she pointedly flicked her gaze to Rosalee’s door. “She’s not asleep yet. I figured I could read or something for a few minutes until she is.”

I slid my hands down to her ass. She was wearing my favorite little shorts and a tank top, but she’d ruined it with a bra. “She’s not going to be asleep for like half an hour. You lucked out last night because she fell asleep while you were reading. That right there was just step one in the bedtime parade. We have time to kill and you aren’t going to do it sitting in the guestroom, reading.”

As if on cue, Rosalee yelled out, “Daddy! Can I have some water?”

I winked at Willow and replied, “Left a bottle on your dresser, sweetheart.”

Willow and I listened, nose to nose, sharing the same oxygen as Rosalee padded across the floor, fumbled with the bottle before putting it back on her dresser, and padded back. The creak of her bed announced her return.

Less than a second later, she asked, “Can I have a snack?”

“Sorry, Charlie. You should have eaten your dinner.”

Willow leaned into me, sagging in my arms, and whispered, “Dinner was gross, remember?”

“Dinner was amazing. And if I give her a snack now, it will be a whole production and she won’t be asleep for two hours.” I gave her ass a firm squeeze. “I don’t have two hours to wait.”

Her breath hitched, and she inched deeper into my curve, resting her hands on my pecs. “Good call.”

“Daddy! How long is Willow going to be sleeping here?”

“I don’t know. Go to sleep, Rosie Posie.”

“Will she still be here at Christmas? Can we get her a guinea pig?”

I shook my head as Willow let out a soft giggle. “It’s the summer, Rosie. We have plenty of time to worry about Christmas shopping. Now, go to sleep.”

“Will Miss Gallis be my teacher next year?”

Willow dropped her forehead to my chest and looped her arms around my waist, her breasts pillowing between us, and I felt every single curve.

I’d been performing this nighttime Q and A since Rosalee had learned to string together a sentence. I usually stood in the hall, scrolling through my phone and catching up on emails.

But this…

Holding her.

Listening to her giggle.

Knowing she was Willow and knowing she was mine.

Fuck. It was better. So much better.

“I don’t know, Rosie. But you need to go to sleep. I’m going to bed now. You do the same. Okay?”

“Okay,” she grumbled.

I released Willow and lifted a single finger in the air. “Wait for it.”

“Daddy, wait! I need one more hug.”

“Of course, you do.” I tipped my head, signaling for Willow to go to my room, and then went to hug my daughter one last time for the night.

This naturally turned into a hug and a kiss. Then turning on her bathroom light, which she declared was too bright as though I’d changed the bulbs since we’d tried it almost every night for the last two years.

Turning off her bathroom light.

Turning on her nightlight.

Another sip of water.

Finding her favorite stuffed animal, but not the one that was her favorite the last time I’d put her to bed. Her new favorite stuffed animal.

And then, finally, another hug, another kiss, and another I-love-you before I was able to leave again.

Willow was standing in the hall, a huge smile on her face. “She does that every night?”

“Pretty much.” I put a hand at her stomach, guiding her backward into my room.

I followed her step for step until she reached the edge of my bed. Rosalee was still awake and would be for some time, so there was little we could do in that bed.

But I still wanted her there.

Talking. Laughing. Freezing the guilt coursing through my veins as only she could do.

“Lay down,” I ordered.

“What if she comes in here?”

“Then she’s going to see us hanging out on my bed.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

I peeled my shirt off before climbing onto my side. “We’re going to have to tell her about us eventually. This will soften the blow.”