Page 42 of Clap Back (Carter Brothers)

My dad and brothers, who’d joined me at the golf course that afternoon so we could take Dad for his annual golfing birthday a day early, were all staring at me with various looks of concern.

“Bad fuckin’ day,” I grumbled, really, really not wanting to expound.

“Well, how about you share why it was so bad so we can figure out how to help?” Dad suggested.

I looked at him, wondering if there was anything he could say or do that would fix this for me.

“I don’t know that it matters,” I admitted. “I’m not sure you can fix this one.”

Quincy, who was wearing his baby in a sling on his back, said, “Well, how about you at least share, and we can see.”

I narrowed my eyes at him. “Does Hollis know you took Dalia to a golf course for the day?”

“Not exactly,” he hedged. “She just said she needed time off, and I gave it to her.”

My lips twitched at that. “She’s going to kill you. Did you at least put sunscreen on her this time?”

The last time he’d brought her out here, he’d forgot, and she’d gotten a sunburn on her tiny little hand from where she hadn’t been covered up by her clothes and hat. Hollis hadn’t made him feel anywhere near as bad as Dalia’s little cries had later that night.

Poor thing.

Hollis had promised that she would never let him take her out on his own again to a golf course, and for the most part, Quincy hadn’t disagreed with her.

Until today, apparently.

“She’s aware-ish.” Quincy smiled. “And yes, I did. I carry the shit in my golf bag now for such occasions.”

“Tex and Addie wanted to come, but I wouldn’t let them.” Keene, my brother-in-law, winced. “I’m sure I’ll never hear the end of it now that there were other kids here.”

Cam and Peyson, my brother Quaid’s children, were also here. Though they’d made a run for the nursery because they had a pretty sweet golf simulator in there. Quinn’s daughter, Catherine, was also here with them.

“You’ll definitely never hear the end of it.” Dad laughed. “But that doesn’t explain why you have her in this carrier and not in the nursery, which I pay a pretty fuckin’ penny for, where she’d have more fun.”

“Well, she was running a fever this morning and I didn’t want them sending her back out to me.” Quincy shrugged. “Plus, she’s been pretty fuckin’ clingy today. That’s why I said Hollis kind of knew where she was. She was under the impression that I was dropping her off in the nursery. She’s not aware that Dalia has a fever. I didn’t tell her because she’d just sit there and worry while she’s at work.”

“She’s going to fuckin’ kill you.” Quinn looked back over to me. “Meanwhile, how about you tell us what the hell is going on and why you’re jumping down all of our throats?”

Dalia gave me a precious few moments as she squirmed in her carrier, ordering Quincy to let her down.

“Down!” she demanded.

Quincy unstrapped her and pulled her into his lap, but she scrambled off and went straight to Dad.

She bent over and kissed his hand before coming over to me.

I picked her up and cuddled her close.

She caught my face in her hands and narrowed her baby blue eyes at me. Little whisps of blond hair swirled around her face, and her cheeks were a light shade of pink.

“Audie,” she whispered.

Though it wasn’t much of a whisper.

“Yes, Dali?” I teased.

“’Essert.”

Essert was actually ‘dessert.’

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