Page 25 of Falling for my Single Dad Boss

She scrunches up her face as if she might vomit. "I'm not feeling very good, Daddy."

I know that look, so I move at once, heading over to the bathroom and returning with a small trash can. I hand it to her, hoping we won't have to use it, but with the color washing from her face, we're about to have a situation. The trash can is between her legs within seconds, and she's bent forward, retching into it.

"Don't worry, honey. It's okay." I try to soothe her, but she's bawling and vomiting all at the same time. I rub her back and pull her hair out of the way. Once she's good and sick for a bit, I wrap her up in my arms.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. My tummy was yucky," she sobs.

"I know, sweetheart." I kiss the top of her head and ask, "Do you feel better now, though? I always feel better after I throw up. What about you?"

She thinks about it and ends up shaking her head.

"Really? Not even a little bit?"

She shakes it again, sniffling and burying her face in my chest. "Do I have to go to school? I don't want to throw up there."

"Of course not. You can come to work with me for a little bit. I just have to finish up a few things, then we can come back home and rest. Does that sound okay?"

"Mhmm." She nods, wiping at her face. "Will Miss Harper be there?"

I stand up and offer a hand. She takes it, and I help her onto her feet. "Yeah, she'll be there."

She smiles and walks slowly, dragging behind me as we walk toward her room, where she rummages through her drawers until she finds her favorite dress, a pink frilly number with flower embroidery. She pulls on a pair of leggings underneath. Then, she grabs Mr. Trunks from the bed, holding him tight against her chest as we go to the car.

As we head to the office, I take a look around my sleepy hometown. I'm surprised at how I managed to forget how much I really love Greenwood. I took it for granted growing up. Every little detail of this town fills me with love. Our roots run deep in this community. It’s so much different than the city. And although I miss the vibe of city life, this place is pretty wonderful in its own right.

We enter the resort and head straight for my dad's office. It's his family's place, but the truth is, my mother has always been the more dominant force when it comes to managing the family business. The recent success of the Reynolds resort wouldn't have been possible without my mother's creative mindset. She always has brilliant ideas for this place.

Sasha stands there quietly as I take a seat across from my father. "Morning, sir. Any updates for us today?"

My father clicks on the computer, a smile creeping on his face. "You and Harper did a great job on this spread for the magazine advertisement. Very impressive! The design team copied me on the final draft. It goes to print tomorrow."

I cock an eyebrow at him in irritation, making it clear that I'm unhappy about that fact. "What are you talking about?"

He stops smiling and looks at me curiously. "You didn't know Harper submitted it?"

"No," I confirm. "We were supposed to have a meeting on that today. Harper and I haven't discussed the final details yet."

"Well, it's done." My father shrugs his shoulders and tips his cup back to finish his coffee. "And it looks great."

"I don't appreciate being left out of this decision-making process," I say, trying to remain calm. "I would have liked the opportunity to voice my opinion before anything was finalized."

My father gives me a sour look. "I wasn't aware that you hadn't been consulted, son. Harper showed me the final renderings before they were sent over to the magazine. I personally checked over everything. All your bases are covered."

All the blood drains from my face. "This seems like a miscommunication, sir. Harper and I have some things to discuss. Is she in yet this morning?"

"She came in early," he says with a nod. "Sasha and I will get along just fine while you two talk things over. Don't worry."

Sasha gives me a curious, somewhat worried look. "I can stay here, Daddy. Grandpa can make sure I don't throw up everywhere."

"Thank you, princess. Just do me a favor and don't get too close to Grandpa. We don't want him getting sick, too. It doesn't take much for him to go down." I wink at her and she giggles. I then turn my attention back to my dad. "Do you mind?"

He gives a dismissive wave of the hand. "I've raised children before, remember? We'll be just fine, won't we, Sasha?"

Before I leave, I kiss her cheek, whisper, "I love you," into her ear, and head to the door. Sasha is in good hands, and she trusts my father, so I'm not worried about her, only how childish Harper is acting. I won't be shown up in my own family's company.

When I get to her office, I push open the door and find Harper engrossed in her work. I can barely hide my displeasure as I cross the room, closing the space between us.

"Good morning, Deacon," she says in a voice so chipper it makes me grind my teeth together.

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