Page 167 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

He’s halfway across the room when Rosie says, “Dad, don’t go. At least stay for dinner.”

My sweet Rosie. She’s too kind even when people don’t deserve it. I should’ve known how good her heart was when she agreed to marry me. This woman is one-of-a-kind, and she’s all mine.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, and if you want to stay, we have a spare room.”

The last thing I want is Chandler staying here after how he’s treated her, but if she’s okay with it, then I’ll keep my opinion to myself.

He shakes his head. “Dinner would be nice, but the flight crew is on standby, so I have to head home tonight.”

“All right, dinner it is.” She shoots me a look that asks if I’m okay with this.

With a dip of my chin, I give her an encouraging smile and stand. “I’ll order dinner.”

Phone in hand, I position myself in the kitchen, giving them some privacy while keeping an eye on the interaction.

I order a spread of food from a local restaurant that offers delivery. No chance in hell am I leaving him alone in the house with Rosie while I pick up dinner. Then I busy myself wiping down the counters. I rinse the washcloth, and when I turn the water off, the house is strangely quiet. I spin, ready to step in if necessary, but Rosie is already off the couch and coming into the kitchen with Sammy still in her arms. I know I’m biased, but I’m pretty sure he’s the snuggliest baby to ever exist.

“This is awkward,” she mouths.

“It’s not like he’ll be here much longer,” I whisper back.

She exhales heavily, looking back toward her father. The look in her eyes breaks my heart—the longing for everything to be okay, but the fear that it never will be. I might be angry at Chandler for hurting her, but at the end of the day, I want whatever Rosie does. If she wants to repair this rift, then I’ll support her 100 percent.

Her bottom lip wobbles. “How did things get so messed up?”

Fuck, I don’t want to see her cry. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, I pull her into me. My lips find her forehead, offering her silent comfort.

This situation with her dad can’t be rectified tonight, or tomorrow, or even next week.

Regardless of how badly they want to heal their relationship, it’s going to take time.

36

ROSIE

I crawlinto bed beside Daire, emotionally exhausted after my father’s unexpected visit and our awkward dinner. It’s wild how quickly a person I love so much became a stranger. The part that hurts the most is that even if we can repair our relationship, it will never be the same. What he said to me all those months ago was extremely hurtful, but the radio silence was worse.

Despite his claims, I can’t help but think my mom convinced him to come apologize. She’s probably been driving him insane about walking me down the aisle. I didn’t mention anything about the wedding over dinner. Frankly, I’m not sure I want him to walk me down the aisle. It’s what I always envisioned, but right now, it doesn’t feel right.

“Hey, baby,” Daire says, pulling me in close.

His voice is gruff. Like maybe he dozed off while I was in the bathroom.

I throw my arm across him and lay my cheek against his bare chest. His heart thunders beneath my ear. I close my eyes, just listening to the sound of it.

He twines his fingers in my hair, and soon, he’s massaging my scalp.

“Ugh,” I groan. “If you keep doing that, I’m going to fall asleep.”

He laughs, the sound a low rumble against my ear. “Isn’t that the point? Aren’t we going to bed?”

I sit up and regard him. My hair brushes against his chest as I do, and he shivers.

I arch a brow. “Are we?”

He grins, his eyes more alert than they were only a moment ago.

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