“You really don’t care she’s not yours by blood.”
“Not at all,” Dean said with all honesty. “And neither will she.”
“You plan on telling her?” Trace seemed surprised by the concept.
“Of course.” Dean jerked his head in the direction of Roland’s office. “You should think of doing the same. Your parents have a right to know their granddaughter, and she has a right to know them.”
“And me?” Trace taunted. “Think she should know me?”
“Eventually, when you’re deserving.” Dean went to head back toward the exit once more but thought better of it and paused. He pulled out one of the birth announcements he’d been passing around to his coworkers from his inner jacket pocket and handed it to Trace. The other man took it without comment and looked down for the first time at his daughter’s face.
“Happy Father’s Day,” Dean said softly before turning and going on his way.
His cell phone rang before he made it to his car. He answered in midstride, not wanting to slow down until he was in his car. He was so ready to get back home to his family. “Hello.”
“Daddy, where are you?” Harlow asked. “It’s Father’s Day; you’re supposed to stay home.”
“I know. I’m on my way home now, princess. I had to stop and pick something up from the office.”
“Okay, well, hurry. Mom isn’t staying in bed like you told her to, and Hamilton won’t turn off the TV even though I told him he was going to wake the baby.”
“I heard that, young lady!” Creigh yelled in the background. “I had to go to the bathroom. Sheesh.”
“But Dad said—”
“Harlow,” Dean interrupted before the “he said, she said” could get out of hand. Harlow was taking to the role of his enforcer like a duck to water, much to his amusement and Creigh’s dismay. “Tell your mother to get back in bed, tell Hamilton if he can’t listen to the TV at a reasonable volume, he should go to his room and give Halla a kiss for me.” Dean smiled at the thought of his latest addition. “And tell her Daddy will be home soon.”
Loose Id Titles by Lena Matthews
For Love's Sake Only
Happily Even After
He's So Shy
Loving Lola
Season of Love
Soaked
The Blacker the Berry
The Good, the Bad, and the Naughty
The REDEMPTION Series
Co-written with Lena Matthews
Logan’s Temptation
Steven’s Salvation
Lily’s Surrender
Helen’s Release
Sweetest Taboo
Body & Soul
“Into Temptation”
Part of the anthology Wild Wishes
With Stephanie Burke and Eve Vaughn
Lena Matthews
Lena Matthews spends her days dreaming about handsome heroes and her nights with her own personal hero. Married to her college sweetheart, she is the proud mother of two children, three evil dogs, and a mess of ants that she can't seem to get rid of.
When not writing she can be found reading, watching movies, lifting up the cushions on the couch to look for batteries for the remote control, and plotting different ways to bring Buffy back on the air.
Happily Even After Page 18