Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 71110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71110 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 356(@200wpm)___ 284(@250wpm)___ 237(@300wpm)
“I owed her that. I was the one who got her into this situation.” He would watch over her from a distance. He would pay all of Mitch’s bills and make sure Daphne didn’t lose Lou.
“Oh, I doubt that. Don’t get me wrong. The bad granny used the situation to her ends, but she would have found a way,” Tag replied. “Don’t forget Lou saw that PI before you got together with her mom. She was looking for anything. I would bet the plan was to hire someone to trash Daphne’s place. Daphne would get scared and hey, there’s Grandmother Carlton offering her safe haven where she would have taken over everything.”
“Still, it was me she had a real problem with.” The grandmother had looked at him with obvious distaste.
“She would have had a problem with anyone Daphne dated,” Tag countered. “And Daphne put you in charge of calling in the troops. I think she’s going to be surprised that her favorite general walked off the battlefield.”
“You know I would never be a general.”
Tag pointed a finger his way. “Give me what I need, Molly.”
The bird didn’t even hesitate. “Dumbass.”
“This bird is a true treasure,” Tag said. “And you are letting old wounds open wide and threaten something good. Daphne doesn’t think you’re dumb. That woman looks at you like you’re the sun in the sky, and Lou wants you to be her dad. You know what dads don’t do?”
“Leave.” Real dads didn’t leave. They might be separated for a while, might have things they needed to work on, but they didn’t leave.
“Stay. Talk to her. If she doesn’t want to talk, let her know you’re here and you won’t leave no matter how mad she is,” Tag said softly. “Also, if you’re going to walk every time a woman gets mad at you, you are not ready for marriage.”
“Wear a condom.”
The bird had excellent timing. “You think she wasn’t telling me she needed to break up.”
“I think Daphne would have made herself very clear. What was the last thing she said to you?”
Boomer didn’t want to say. Because then the bird would call him a dumbass again.
Big Tag frowned and gave him the dad stare.
“She told me she loved me, but I thought she meant it in an ironic fashion. Now I realize I am still not sure what irony is.” Had he made a mistake? “Maybe I should cancel my flight.”
“No need. I never told Yasmin to schedule it,” Tag admitted. “Charlie told me not to let you leave. Apparently Jake bought three extra racks of ribs for Saturday, and Serena is counting on Daphne for dessert. You’re not allowed to break up. The Pie Maker is busy these days. So I need Muffin Chick in my life. Also, I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Lou is important to Kala. You know how sometimes you meet someone and they fit with you? Like something was missing before. I think this friendship is something like that.”
“Hey, Dad. They’re coming up.” Kala slid her phone into her front pocket. “Sorry, Uncle B. I’ve been texting with Lou. I was told to tackle you if you actually tried to leave.”
Kenzie stood next to her twin. “Oooo, I could shoot him with an arrow again.”
There was a knock on the door, and Boomer raced over to open it.
Daphne and Lou were there, and the minute Daphne got a look at him, she burst into tears.
Boomer held his arms open, and she walked into them, her sobs nearly wrenching his heart from his chest.
Lou looked up at him. “Mom doesn’t handle stress well. Or rather she does until she doesn’t have to anymore, and then she usually cries as quietly as she can so I can’t hear her, but now it’s okay because she’s got you.”
Daphne clutched him. “I’m so sorry. I was scared and I had to talk to Lou. I had to make sure… I love you, but I had to talk to her.”
She had to make sure Lou was okay and that Lou was on board with this fight. Except there wasn’t going to be a fight. “Baby, Tag already handled it. There’s no investigation. They’ve decided not to investigate because we got the PI to talk.”
Adam had identified the private investigator, who’d been more than happy to flip on his client once the police had been called in. Amelia Carlton was going to have a lot of questions to answer when she returned to Dallas.
Daphne was shaking when she looked up at him. “It’s over?”
“You will find there is no longer any interest in pursuing an investigation into Lou’s safety,” Big Tag said. “Now the police would like a word with your mother-in-law. I would like to order lemon tarts and some more of those Lemon Lush cupcakes. A dozen of those should do, and Charlie wants to put you and Boomer on the carpool chain. I assume Lou’s leaving the hallowed grounds of Hanover.”