Page 111 of Fierce-Dane

“I have,” Tiffani said.

“Then I ask you to keep an open mind and be mature about this. Set a good example for others. Be a good big sister.”

“You’d take care of me if no one else was around, right?” Tyler asked Tiffani.

“If I had to,” Tiffani said. “But Mom and Dad are around.”

“We are,” he said, “but if we weren’t you’d still do it.”

“I would,” Tiffani said. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

“That’s right,” he said. “So keep that in mind. Now why don’t you two go play and I’ll let you know when they are on their way.”

He felt like he got through that as best as he could.

He wanted to call Mel and blast her for what she’d said to Tiffani but wouldn’t. He didn’t need to get any more worked up and he wondered if for some reason Mel was hoping this would cause a rift between him and the kids and make him back away from Sloane.

None of that was going to happen. He’d deal with things as they came just like he’d always done.

Hours later, everyone was in the family room. Shiloh wasn’t really talking, and Tiffani was trying, he’d give her that much.

“What do you guys want on your pizza?” he asked. Might as well order it now.

“I like peppers and olives,” Tiffani said. “You know that, Dad.”

“I do know that. And Tyler likes sausage. How about you, Shiloh? Do you like any of those things?”

Shiloh was pretty open with him. Or more open than most, but she was acting shy. “I’ve never had pizza before. I don’t know.”

“You’ve never had pizza?” Tiffani asked. “How is that possible?”

“Tiffani,” he warned. He understood she’d said that without thought.

“Sorry,” Tiffani said. “It’s really good. It’s bread and sauce and cheese. Do you like bread and cheese?”

“I do,” Shiloh said. “I like spaghetti but not much sauce. I like butter and cheese better than sauce.”

“How about we get a pizza with no sauce,” he said.

“Shiloh ate peppers and mushrooms the other day when I made stir-fried chicken,” Sloane said. “You said you liked it.”

“I did,” Shiloh said.

“Then we should get a white pizza with peppers and mushrooms and Tiffani can try something new too. What do you think?”

“I’ll try it,” Tiffani said.

“I’m not,” Tyler said. “No way. Does this mean I don’t get sausage?”

He laughed at the appalled look on his son’s face. “We can get one of those too. Don’t worry. We’ll get a small sausage and a small with peppers and olives like Tiffani wanted and then we’ll do one that Shiloh might like. That way all three of you get to pick a pizza.”

“Okay,” Tiffani said.

“Why don’t you three go play upstairs while we wait for the pizza?” he suggested. “Maybe show Shiloh some of your toys?”

“Let’s go, Shiloh,” Tiffani said, grabbing the younger girl’s hand and leading her up the stairs.

“Well, this is going better than I thought it would,” Sloane said.

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