Page 69 of Unwrapping Romance

“Me too, sweetheart. Let’s go. Thanks for coming with me.” I hugged Becca goodbye.

“It was fun.” She smiled. “I’ll call you later to make sure Jack didn’t kill you.”

When we arrived home, Eric brought in all the bags. The truck arrived shortly after and delivered the rest. I took Ellie upstairs and put her down for a nap. She could barely keep her eyes open.

Standing in the middle of the living room, which was filled with toys, I opened the Barbie Dream House first, removed all the parts, sat down, and built it according to the directions. It took over an hour, but it was finished. Ellie walked into the living room and threw her arms around my neck from behind.

“You’re up already?” I smiled.

“I want to play with my toys.”

“Have at it, kiddo. Let’s play barbies.” I grabbed the three Barbies I bought and removed them from their boxes.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Jack

“How did it go?” I asked Eric as I climbed into the back of the Escalade.

“I have no words, Jack.”

“Well, better you than me.” A smirk crossed my lips. “It couldn’t have been that bad. I told Sierra not to buy too much since Christmas was coming. Although, she did spend over six thousand dollars on herself.” I sighed.

“She picked a nice handbag.” Eric smiled through the rearview mirror.

“I don’t care. She had no business buying an expensive handbag and wallet for herself. She’s taking advantage of me.”

“You’re the one who sent her out on the busiest shopping day of the year. I don’t blame her if I’m being honest.”

“Keep your honesty to yourself.”

“You didn’t have to approve the transaction, but you did. So, that’s on you, Jack.”

I approved the transaction to keep her quiet. At least, that’s what I told myself.

When I opened the front door and stepped inside, I set my briefcase down and walked to the living room. It was a chaoticmess, with boxes and toys scattered across the floor like an obstacle course. My once neat and tidy room was now cluttered and overwhelming.

“What the hell!” I loudly voiced.

“Daddy.” Ellie ran over and threw her arms around my legs.

“Hi, sweetheart.”

“Look at all my new toys!” She beamed with excitement.

“I see them.” I shot Sierra a dirty look. “Go play. I need to talk to Sierra for a moment.”

Sierra got up from the floor and followed me into the kitchen.

“What the fuck is all that?” I spoke through gritted teeth. “I told you not to go overboard.”

“Then maybe you should have come with us.” Her brow arched.

“Where the hell is all that going to go?”

“This place is massive. There’s more than enough room for all of her toys. Turn one of the other guest rooms into a playroom. By the way, your expense isn’t over yet. You need to redo Ellie’s room so it looks like a little girl’s room.”

“No, I don’t,” I said.