Page 71 of Daddy's Unexpected Gift

Cecelia muttered something, but I think she was already back to sleep. I snuggled in and held her close, a soft little spoon to my big spoon as I curled around her.

I woke up several hours later to Georgie’s giggles. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and sat up. My movement caused Georgie to fall onto her bottom and then fall sideways. She giggled even more.

“Dada’s awake,” Cecelia announced and clapped her hands.

Georgie struggled to right herself and then crawled over to me. She crawled up my arm, grabbing onto my shirt for support.

“That’s okay, isn’t it? To have her call you Dada?” Cecelia asked.

I nodded and pulled Georgie into my lap. I buzzed a kiss to the top of her head. “Yeah, I’ve gotten used to it. I’ve gotten used to her.” I looked up and my gaze locked with Cecelia’s. I reached out to touch her and caught the edge of her shirt sleeve. “And you, too.”

She leaned over and pulled my hand to her face. “I missed you so much. And I am so happy to see you. But I don’t know what to do.” She sounded stressed.

I tugged on her sleeve and shifted against the headboard so I could wrap an arm around her and still hold onto Georgie.

Cecelia tucked in next to me and started playing with Georgie’s feet.

I didn’t think I would ever get enough of this, the three of us tucked up into bed together. This was so much more of a family moment than anything I could remember as a kid. I certainly had never been allowed in my parents’ room, let alone crawl into bed with them at the same time. I never saw my mother in her night clothes and never saw my father in his pajamas until the last few months of his life when he was too sick to be able to complain about propriety.

“Talk to me, Cecelia. What’s wrong?”

“The same thing as always. My stupid job. There is no way that Reina isn’t going to tell everyone that some guy with a baby showed up looking for me or that I wasn’t there all night. If they find out I’m seeing you again, that’s the end of my job.”

“Would Reina really tell on you?”

Cecelia shrugged. “Hard to tell. She’s self-centered and super entitled. Maybe she didn’t even notice. No, she would have noticed enough so that she could take over my room. I can just hear her now, ‘But I thought you were gone,’ when I go back and ask why she’s in my room.”

“Don’t go back there,” I said.

Cecelia sighed. “They’ll fire me if I don’t. I’ve been looking for another job in Dallas for weeks now, and I haven’t gotten a single response to any of the applications I’ve submitted.”

“Let them fire you.”

“What?”

“Let them. No, better yet, quit. You don’t need that job.”

“Sterling, I may not need that job, but I need a job. I have bills and rent. This may come as a surprise to you, but unlike you, I’m not a trust fund baby.”

I laughed at her sense of humor.

“What if we didn’t have to sneak around?” I asked.

Cecelia leaned into my chest with a heavy sigh. “That would be amazing.”

“I sense a but coming?” I prompted.

It was her turn to laugh. “It’s a big but.”

“I like your big butt,” I growled and leaned in to place a kiss on the side of her neck.

She cringed with a giggle, folding in on herself so I couldn’t quite reach her neck. “Sterling.”

I landed the kiss and a second one.

She wiggled away from me and slid off the bed. “I’ve got to get ready for work.”

I tucked Georgie in and rolled, making a grab for Cecelia. I missed her as she slipped away. Georgie giggled, so I rolled again, landing on my back. I lifted Georgie up above me. She thought this was great fun and continued to giggle and have a good time.

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