Page 31 of Accidental Fiancé

“Are you sure? There are three others available if you want to switch.”

“I love it. I might explore the house some more tomorrow, but for tonight, I want this room.”

Wonder lingered in his eyes. He didn’t say what he was thinking, but I wasn’t going to drag it out of him in front of Piper. His smile faltered. “Then this is your room for the night. You can unpack or wait until after you’ve toured the other bedrooms tomorrow. Entirely your choice. Pip, how about we leave Maggie to it?”

“To what?” she asked innocently.

“She needs to get settled in, change into her pajamas, that kind of thing. Come on.”

“But I just put Cooloo to bed. He needs his beauty sleep.”

“I don’t think he’s going to get any prettier, sweetie.” He swiped Cooloo from my bed and picked Piper up. “You carry him, and I’ll carry you, and we’ll go eat leftover Thai food. Deal?”

“I get the noodles.”

“Of course.” At the doorway, he said, “Welcome home. If you want to join us for leftover Thai or order something else, feel free.”

“Thanks, Jules. For everything.”

“Same here.”

Chapter 12

Julian

One thing I was adamant about was saying goodnight to my daughter. On the nights I was home, I made sure I was the one to help her get ready for bed and to tuck her in. With Maggie in the house, I worried Pip might feel a little weird about it.

As I pulled the sheets and blanket up for her and Cooloo, Piper huffed. I knew that huff all too well. It wasn’t good. I sat on the edge of the bed. “What is it, Pip?”

“Nothing.”

“Are you mad Rena didn’t stay longer?”

“No.”

Dread crept in. “Are you mad Maggie is here?”

She screwed her little face up in confusion and matter-of-factly said, “No.”

“Then what’s bugging you?”

She huffed again and flopped her arms over the blankets. “I want pretty hair like Maggie. She has princess hair.”

“Princess hair?”

“You know, like…” she drew circles in the air with her fingertips. “Like that.”

“You mean curls?”

She nodded. “I want curls. You have to have curls to be a princess.”

“Who made up that rule?”

She shrugged and yawned. “I dunno. But all of them have it. Moana and Tiana?—"

“What about Rapunzel? I remember her hair being pretty and straight.”

“Yeah, but that’s magic hair. It doesn’t count. And then she gets it all cut off. I like my hair long.”

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