“You okay?” She leans a head against my arm. I shift and push her against my chest, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.
“Never better. How ‘bout you?” I tilt my head toward her father.
“If you asked me seven years ago when Maya was born, I think I’d have said he can go rot in his misery, but I feel like he’d have won then. His actions dictated my emotions and my response, whereas I’m in control, and it doesn’t have anything to do with you threatening to humiliate him on a national scale.”
I draw back so I can see her face. “You know about that?”
She rolls her eyes. “Yes. Avery overheard—"
“More like she was intentionally creeping outside your dad’s study,” I complain.
“—you threatening him,” Dove continues as if I hadn’t interrupted, “but she told me that he had already decided to apologize but couldn't figure out how to do it without sacrificing his pride. Your threats made it easier for him because he could tell himself he was doing this because of you and not because he was wrong.”
I make a face. “He was wrong.”
“I know, and he knows it too, but he doesn’t like admitting that out loud. Besides, with Avery having Hannah, it’s best that we’ve all reconciled so we can spend holidays and birthdays together, and our girls aren’t confused about why one of them has a granddad and the other doesn’t.”
“That’s a good point,” I concede. “I only wanted to protect you,” I explain in case she’s mad I threatened her dad behind her back.
“I know you did, darling.” She pats my chest. “You’re always looking out for us.”
“My pleasure.” I draw her hand to my mouth and press a kiss against it. Suddenly, Maya raises her little arms in the air. Clutching a piece, she runs over, yelling, “I won! I won! Mommy, Daddy, I won!”
I sweep the peanut up into my arms. “You’re amazing, girl.”
Over her head, I arch an eyebrow in direction of her grandfather. Leo shrugs. I guess the win was legit. Maya is a genius.
This is the life that every man dreams of having. Oh, they may mouth off and say that all they want to do is bone a different woman every night, but at the end of the day, they want to come home to someone who loves them, whose eyes light up when they enter a room, whose heart aches when they are gone. Everyone wants to be that one person who matters to another single person, otherwise we just end up as empty as these lost cities, shells of what we should be or could be.
My loves! It is October already. I feel like this is both the longest and shortest year of my life.
This book is part of a neighbors’ series where people living next door to each other fall in love. I have another story in the series coming out next month and then a holiday one.
I hope you are all doing well and staying safe.
Ella
Also by Ella Goode
Protecting Her
Built for Love
Against the Rules
Always Loved You / Still Love You
Killer Love / Killer Crush
King’s Castle / Alpha’s Castle / Beast’s Castle
Secret Baby / Love’s Secret Baby / Rock ’n Roll Baby
Oh Snowy Night
FU High: Ace of Hearts, Deuces Wild, and Two of a Kind
She’s the One & My Only One
Spark
Priceless
Smooth Kisses, Sweet Kisses, Saved Kisses
Finding Home & Bring Him Home
Captured, Kept, Stolen
Make Me Yours
She’s All Mine
Pretty Prize
Three of Us (Twins #1) and Belong Together (Twins #2)
Their Private Need (Michigan, Easy and Annie)
His Bold Heart (Chelsea & Wrecker)
Her Secret Pleasure
Captive Ride
The Wolf’s Mail Order Bride
Beauty in Summer
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