“Girls, let her breathe,” Darian said from behind them and chuckled with Patrick.
Larkin scowled over her shoulder at him. “That’s not funny, daddy.”
Darian smirked. “It was for us.”
Gage was talking to the woman at the counter before he turned. “They have you all set. You three will be together most of the time. You’re not going to do anything dramatic today. It’s just going to be hair, massage, pedicure, and manicures.”
The girls grabbed each other’s hands, practically jumping up and down in their excitement.
“We are leaving a man at the front and one in the back. None of you will leave the building until we come back for you.”
The three nodded.
“Good, come here and give me a kiss,” Darian demanded.
Larkin was instantly in front of him and up on her toes. He placed a quick kiss.
“Behave yourself.”
Larkin sighed. “I always do.”
Darian snorted and walked to the door.
Eve watched Gage pull Brylee into his arms and give her a long kiss. She looked over to see Patrick and Darian talking and felt a ball of disappointment grow when Patrick didn’t even look her way.
“Come on, Eve,” Larkin said and started pulling her down the hallway. She glanced back one more time to see Patrick watching her, but he made no move to come to her.
Several hours later, Darian and Gage showed up. The girls were in a lounge, drinking Shirley Temples.
Both men scowled at the makeup on the girl’s faces.
“How do I look?” Larkin asked and stood.
“You’re beautiful, baby. Why did they put makeup on you?”
Larkin shrugged. “We got done early, and so the technician messed around. You don’t like it?”
“No, I don’t like my little girl to look like a streetwalker.”
Larkin gasped. “I do not.”
Gage nodded. “Darian’s right, but were not going to worry about it right now. We have got somewhere to be.”
Eve stood and fidgeted nervously when she still didn’t see Patrick.
“What should I do?”
Darian cupped her chin. “You look beautiful, sweetheart. They did a good job with your hair.”
“Where’s Patrick?”
Darian and Gage glanced at each other. “He’s in a meeting, so we said we’d bring you with us.”
“Oh, okay,” she said and tried not to sound disappointed.
“Let’s go,” Gage said and held the door open for them all.
The girls sat in the back seat while the two men drove up front.