Page 104 of That One Touch

Delilah looked at Cassie. “I wish I lived with you,” she told Cassie. “You wouldn’t be mean.”

Cassie inhaled softly. “I’d still want you to take a bath. Do as Daddy says and I’ll come up and read you a story after.”

Delilah looked from her to Presley, then back again, as though she was weighing Cassie’s words.

“Okay,” she said, her voice wobbling. “But I still don’t like you,” she told Presley.

The way he winced just about broke Cassie’s heart.

“Well it’s a good thing I love you enough for the both of us,” he told her.

“I’m sorry about earlier,” Presley said, walking into the living room where Cassie was waiting for him. “She isn’t usually like that.”

She’d read Delilah’s story as she’d promised, and then she’d left Presley to do the final good nights, sensing that he needed to be alone with his daughter.

Especially after their argument about bath time.

“I know that. It’s been a long day,” she said softly. “Or a long few weeks. You’re both exhausted. Feelings ran high. It happens.”

He collapsed onto the sofa next to her, laying back so his head was on her thighs and his legs were stretched out in front of him on the floor. “What did I do to deserve somebody like you?” he muttered, looking up at her. “Christ, I mess things up sometimes.”

“You didn’t mess anything up. Kids are kids. You said yourself that it’ll get worse when she’s a teenager.” From this vantage point she could see how dark the shadows were beneath his eyes. She ran her fingers through his hair in a gentle motion, lightly scraping her nails on his scalp.

He closed his eyes. “God that feels good. Just tell me I’m not the worst dad in the world and I’ll stop being needy, I promise.”

She smiled. “You’re a good dad, and I’ll keep telling you that. Try having a parent who never calls.”

“That’s what I’m trying not to be,” he muttered. “I want Delilah to know I’ll always be here, no matter what. I don’t want her to ever worry that she doesn’t have me on her side.”

“She knows that. She wouldn’t have argued with you if she didn’t trust you. I never dared to contradict my mom growing up. Because I knew what would happen if I did.”

He frowned. “What would happen?”

“She’d take an extended vacation. Either literally or figuratively. If I didn’t do what she wanted, she’d learned that ignoring me got the desired result.”

She leaned down and softly kissed his brow. He let out a long breath.

“Jade’s sister called earlier,” he said.

“She did?” Cassie slid her fingers between his. “Is everything okay?” She knew he found it hard to deal with Jade’s family. The stupid guilt he still held made everything more difficult.

“Yeah.” His eyelids fluttered closed again. “She told me her parents missed Delilah. I’ve been a little lax in taking her to see them.”

“Can’t they drive here?” she asked.

“Yeah, I guess. But they never have. They prefer having me drop her off.”

“Do they work?”

“Both retired.”

“So why do you have to do the driving?” she asked, genuinely curious. “Shouldn’t they want to help? The way your mom does.”

“I don’t know. Maybe they don’t want to interfere. I guess I’ll call them when we’re back from New York.”

“That sounds like a good plan,” she said softly.

“Sadie had heard about the audition,” he told her. “I guess Alex has been spreading the news.”

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