After Autumn introduced Emily to me, she told her to stay and eat with us, but Emily didn’t want to intrude, saying she wanted us to eat together alone.
During dinner, Capri asked, “Daddy, what was your high and low today?”
I cocked my head to the side. “High and low?”
“Yes. My high was meeting you, my low was eating this broccoli.”
I chuckled.
“It’s just this thing we do during dinner.”
Capri nodded. “Momma, what was yours?”
“Well, my high was coming home to you. My low was… I don’t think I had a low today.”
“That was your high, kid?”
Her eyes burned, understanding my subtle reference to what had happened on my plane earlier today.”
“Kid?” Capri noted. “Why do you call Momma kid? She’s not a kid. She’s big.”
“She wasn’t always.”
“You knew Momma when she was a kid?”
“I’ve known her since she was born.”
She beamed. “Really?”
I nodded.
“What was she like? When she was my age?”
“A lot like you.”
“That’s what everyone says.”
“She was always up to no good.”
“Not true,” Autumn disagreed. “I was always a good girl.”
“And look how much that’s changed.”
“How did you know Momma?”
“Well, I was her b—”
“I think that’s enough questions for tonight.”
“Oh, come on, Momma…”
I grinned, loving the fact I had another teammate now. Two against one were always the best odds. After Autumn finished clearing the table, she told Capri to go get ready for bed while loading the dishwasher.
I grabbed the glass out of her hand. “You cooked—I got this.”
“You’re going to clean up?”
“I do know how to load a dishwasher.”
She smiled. “You’re Alpha CEO now. I assumed you had maids who do everything for you.”
“I do, but you’re not my maid, kid.”
Taking the glass out of my grasp, she suggested, “Why don’t you go tuck Capri in. I’m sure she’d love that. She picks out a book, and I read it to her, but she’s usually passed out before I get to the third page.”
I didn’t want to intrude on their time. “Are you sure?”
“I’ve read her a bedtime story for the last nine years. I think I can give you one night.”
“You know I’m going to want a lot more than one night.”
“I know, but let’s begin with one.”
“Fair. I’d like for Capri’s life to stay as normal as possible, and also for Emily to live at the ranch with us.”
“I’d love that.”
“Great. Let her know I’ll be responsible for her salary now.”
She shook her head. “You don’t need to pay her. I’ve been pay—”
“You have me now.”
“You’re not going to let me win this, are you?”
“I don’t lose, kid.”
“Fine.”
I left before she could change her mind, walking up the stairs to Capri’s room. She was already laying in her bed with a book in her hands. Her bright green eyes lit up when she realized I’d be tucking her in.
I didn’t have to look up to know Autumn was watching us from the doorway, listening to every word I was reading. I could feel her presence anywhere, and for years I felt it from states away. Although, Capri fell asleep in the crook of my arm, I continued until I was done with the story. I didn’t want to let her go. I was going to capture every moment for as long as I could. Once I was done, I kissed her forehead.
“Hmm… I love you, Daddy.”
I froze hearing her say those words to me for the first time. Letting my lips linger, I replied, “I love you too, baby.”
By the time I actually left Capri’s room, it was well into midnight. On my way to the guest bedroom, I walked by Autumn’s door. It was closed, and I resisted the urge to open it and demand to sleep in her bed. I’d been demanding everything else, and this shouldn’t be any different.
When my hand was on the doorknob, I heard her exclaim, “That son of a bitch!”
I smiled, I couldn’t help it. Deciding I didn’t need to sleep in her bed for her to know I was near. She was about to play with herself, thinking about me.
Too bad for her…
I stole all her toys.
Chapter TWENTY-SIX
—Julian—
“Wow,” Capri breathed out, looking all around. We’d just taken off. “You have your own plane?”
“I have three.”
“My daddy has three planes! That’s so cool! Momma, did you hear?”
“I heard.” Autumn was sitting the furthest away from me, staring out the window.
She was quiet which was never a good thing. It usually meant she was overthinking. It didn’t matter that she was no longer the eighteen-year-old girl I’d left, her personality hadn’t changed. I could still read her like the back of my hand. She might have thought she wasn’t the same young girl, but in reality, she absolutely was.
“Daddy, what do you do that you have so much money?”
I chuckled, and Autumn scolded, “Capri! You can’t ask—”
“I’m an entrepreneur, and you can ask me anything.”