Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Hmm.” Her eyebrows pull together as she mulls it over. “Pizza?”
“Is that what you want?”
“If I can have breadsticks, then yes.”
“You’re a girl after my own carb-loving heart.” I kiss the top of her head. “You can have whatever you want. Let’s do it.”
“Wait. We’re going on a date, and I’m not wearing a pretty dress.”
“Sometimes, you can go on a date in casual clothes.”
“You can?”
“Sure. You don’t always have to get fancy. I think you look beautiful no matter what you wear.”
That makes her smile and her cheeks darken with happiness. “Okay, then, I’m ready.”
“Me, too. I’m hungry.”
“I could eat a whole house!” She hops along beside me as we walk out to the 4Runner, and I get her settled in her seat before I take off from the house, headed the short distance to Old Town Pizza. Abbi told me that the new rooftop area is great, so I’ll see if we can get seated up there.
“Well, hello, you two. No Abbi tonight?” Heather asks when we step inside. She smiles down at Daisy, who holds my hand and suddenly gets shy, pushing her face into my side.
“Not tonight. I’m on an important date, so I was hoping we could sit on your fancy new rooftop.”
“Well, of course, you can,” Heather replies with a bright smile. “I have just the perfect table for the two of you. Follow me.”
She leads us up some stairs to the rooftop area. Abbi was right. It’s great up here. There are sunshades to keep the hot sun at bay, lots of tables and chairs, and a bar at one end.
It’s pretty busy up here, but Heather leads us to a table with a great view of town.
“Here you go, you two.” She sets the menus in front of us. “What can I get you started to drink?”
“Can I please have a Shirley Temple?” Daisy asks shyly.
“Absolutely. And you?” Heather turns to me.
“Sweet tea sounds good. Thanks, Heather.”
“You betcha. Melody will be your server tonight.” Heather winks and then bustles off, and I smile over at Daisy.
“It’s really nice up here.”
She nods, looking around. “I can see my school. Can we see all the way to the ranch from here?”
“I don’t think so.” I shake my head and point down the street. “Wait, come here so I can hold you up, and we’ll look.”
Daisy hurries around the table, and I bend down so she can hop onto my back, ignoring the way my knees sing when I stand up, and I walk closer to the edge.
“Do you see Millie’s coffee shop?” I ask, pointing down the block.
“I see it. Is that Grandpa walking out the door?”
“I think it is,” I confirm with a grin. “He must have come into town for a coffee. Oh, there’s Grandma following him.”
“I love them,” she says, resting her chin on my head.
“Me, too. There’s Polly’s shop over there.”
She’s patting my head, but in a soothing way that makes me grin. Being with Daisy feels natural. I don’t feel like I’m babysitting her at all, but more like I should have been with her all along.
She’s mine, just as much as her mother is.
“Can I interrupt just for a minute so I can take your order?”
I turn at the sound of Melody’s voice and smile. “Sorry, we were taking in the view.”
I bend down so Daisy can hop off of my back, and then we take our seats, and I order us breadsticks and pepperoni pizza before Melody leaves to put our order in.
“Brady?” Daisy’s eyes are suddenly serious as she studies me.
“Yeah, Princess?”
“Do you think that maybe someday I can call you daddy? Maybe if you marry my mommy and stuff?”
And just like that, my heart just explodes.
“I know you got mad the last time I said that, but—”
“I wasn’t mad,” I assure her, leaning on the table. “I was just surprised. Sweetheart, I plan to be with you and your mommy forever. For as long as I’m still alive, I want to be with you guys. I’d like to marry Abbi, and I’m working out the details of asking her, but you have to keep that a secret between you and me, okay?”
“Like a good secret?” she clarifies. “Like a surprise?”
“Yes, that’s right. If your mom says yes, then you can absolutely call me Dad. I would be so honored and proud to be your daddy.”
Her whole face lights up at that. “I won’t tell Mommy. I love you, Brady.”
“I love you, too, Princess.”
“Pizza time,” Melody announces in a sing-song voice as she sets the steaming pie in the middle of the table. “I brought lots of ranch for dipping and lots of napkins,” she says with a wink.
“Thank you,” I reply and scoop a piece onto Daisy’s plate. She’s already put a bite of hot cheese into her mouth and closes her eyes on a sigh, as if she’s never tasted anything so good.