Page 45 of Daddy's Unexpected Gift

STERLING

I stared at Cecelia in disbelief. “You don’t really mean that,” I said.

“Yes, I do.” She shook like a nervous fawn on unstable legs.

In a single move, I was on my feet and crossed the small space to her. Georgie squealed as I tucked her under my arm like a football. Reaching out for Cecelia, I grabbed her around her back and pulled her against my side. She braced her hands against my chest. I searched her face, looking for the truth in her eyes.

“You’re a terrible liar,” I said.

She closed her eyes and leaned into me. We stayed like that for a long moment, and then she moved as if she were dancing. She took Georgie and carried her back to the car seat. “I’m going to miss you.”

She placed a kiss on the baby’s head and began strapping her into the car seat.

Sitting back on her heels, she looked up at me. “I’m going to miss you too. You have to go.”

“Do you honestly think you can get rid of me this easily?” I demanded.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I don’t want to get rid of you, Sterling. I have to. Don’t you understand?”

I held my hand out to her and helped her to her feet. She wouldn’t look at me. I tipped her face up to mine with a finger under her chin. Brushing my lips over hers and then kissing her on her brow, I muttered, “I understand, but I don’t like it.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and turned away as I picked up Georgie’s car seat. I looked at her back, longing for her to turn around. “Cecelia.”

She only shook her head and would not turn around.

With a heavy breath and a tightening in my chest that felt like loss, I carried Georgie out of the small apartment. Once outside, I pulled out my phone. “Pick us up. We’re outside.”

The driver wouldn’t be far. The car pulled up as we reached the sidewalk. Once the baby’s car seat was strapped in, I sat back. Cecelia should have been with us. This felt too much like defeat. And I wasn’t going to accept this was the only option we had.

“Step one,” I began out loud.

“Sir?” the driver asked.

“Talking to the kid,” I said.

“Yes, sir.” The intercom clicked off.

“Where were we? Yes, step one, I need to secure your custody. At least to the point where Cecelia doesn’t think there is a threat of the agency snatching you away from me. Step two, I really do need to find you a nanny. But I’m not hiring someone from that agency Peggy Stanholt suggested. I don’t trust her to not put a spy in our lives. So, where does that leave us?”

Georgie fussed. She was right, we weren’t in a strategically good position. Not if the very agency that put Georgie with me was somehow a threat to my keeping her.

I hit the intercom. “Take us to Highland Park Village.”

“Very well, Sir.”

When we arrived, the driver assembled the stroller as I unbuckled the car seat.

Georgie and I spent the evening shopping. I had an idea of what I needed. I assumed I would find it all at the shopping center. Georgie and I stopped for what was more of a late snack than a dinner. I discovered she seemed to enjoy lobster bisque and a variety of cheeses and breads.

“You’ve been holding out. I think it's time Wayne started making my old favorites again. You can eat my food. I am not exactly a fan of chicken nuggets.” I spoke to Georgie as if she completely understood me.

When our shopping was finished, I called the car to come pick us up. “I need a phone.”

“How do you mean, sir? I can take you to your service provider’s retail location.”

“Yes, that.”

By the time we arrived home, I had a gift to package up for Cecelia, and Georgie was fast asleep. Wayne waited for our arrival at the elevator to unload the packages.

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