Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 74122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74122 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 371(@200wpm)___ 296(@250wpm)___ 247(@300wpm)
Ivy pulled back in his arms and reached to cup his face. “Emma’s a lucky woman.”
Dawg smiled. “I’m the lucky one.”
Ivy smiled back. “That, too.”
“Stop stressin’ ‘bout babies. They’ll come when the time’s right.”
She sighed, brushing her long hair out of her face. “I hope so.”
“Know so.” He released her and she moved to her car.
With her hand on the door handle, she said over her shoulder. “Can’t wait to meet your daughter.” Then she got into her Charger and the car roared to life.
As Dawg watched her drive away, he whispered, “Me, neither.”
Chapter Sixteen
Emma shoved open the passenger door to Dawg’s truck, slammed it, and ran to the back door of Diesel’s warehouse. She bounced up and down on her toes as she waited for Dawg to put his Chevy in park and shut off the ignition.
“Hurry!” she yelled across the parking lot. Why was the man taking so long? And why was he spending precious moments to turn his cut right side out? She didn’t understand the whole wearing the vest inside out while in a vehicle, or “cage” as he called it, right side out when not.
While she was sad that last night was the last time for a long while she’d spend with him in his bed, she was super excited to finally see her daughter. To not only see and talk to her, but hold her, make sure she was really home. That she was real.
If he didn’t hurry up she was going in without him and would scream her head off in the immense building until she found Lily.
“Dawson!” she screamed, wringing her hands together, her heart beating a mile a minute.
He lumbered across the parking lot, a smile on his face. “I get you’re excited, baby girl. But here you need to call me Dawg.”
Right. Right. A conversation they’ve had a million times, she needed to remember to call him Dawg in front of his buddies. Or brothers. Or anyone, really.
“Got it! Dawg, hurry the hell up!”
He chuckled and when he got to her, he reached out and grabbed her shoulder, turning her toward him. “Hang on. Got somethin’ to say first.”
Now? “What?”
“Happy as hell that you’re gettin’ your girl back. Anythin’ you need, I got you, got me?”
She stopped bouncing and stared up at him. “Got you.”
“Love you. Here for you, no matter what, got me?”
She nodded, biting her bottom lip, trying to keep the tears at bay. She sucked in a shaky breath.
He cupped her face and brushed a thumb over her cheek. “No cryin’. Gotta stay strong for Lily. Might be a little confusin’ for her. Lots of fuckin’ shit went down.”
“Cursing, please,” she reminded him.
“Right.” He shook his head, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Lots of fudgy stuff went down.”
She shot him a smile. “God, I love you, Dawson,” she whispered. And that was so true.
“Know it. Will always do my best for you. Promise. Got me?”
This man. “Yes. I got you.” In a flash, she grabbed his hair, yanked his head down and planted a kiss on his lips. Before he could deepen it, she pulled away in her excitement. “Now let’s get Lily!”
He chuckled and grabbed the door handle, yanking it open and escorting her through.
They moved down a long, dark corridor and made a right at the end into another hallway, heading toward what she assumed was Diesel’s office. Dawg kept a hand on her arm, preventing her from sprinting forward.
Not that she had any idea where she was going. She grabbed his arm and yanked hard. “Come on! Walk faster.”
He just shook his head and kept his steady pace, but when he stopped in front of an open door, she rushed past him and stopped dead.
Jewel was sitting on the floor, her legs spread open, Lily settled between them leaning back against the woman as Emma’s daughter did something on what looked like a tablet. From the noises coming from it, it sounded like a game.
Emma lost her breath at seeing her daughter for the first time in over a year and a half. She had grown, her hair was longer, and it had been dyed a dark brown. Her hair was no longer the light blonde she’d been born with.
Her knees wobbled as she reached out to grab the door jamb for support. She couldn’t breathe. She couldn’t move. She was frozen in place.
Besides her hair color and her being a bit bigger in size, she looked healthy and fascinated by whatever game Jewel had her distracted with.
Dawg bumped her from behind with his chest, making her let go of the door jamb and step inside the room.
Lily looked up, blinked, and blinked again. Then a look of recognition crossed her face. “Momma!” she yelled, jumping to her feet and running over.
Overwhelmed, Emma didn’t know what to do. She wanted to cry, scream with relief and hug her daughter all at once.