Page 27 of Summer with a Single Dad

“Em,” I said, taking her hands. “You need to stop freaking out. They know all about you.”

Her voice was almost a whisper when she asked, “They do?”

My smile morphed into a wide grin. “Of course they do.”

Her questions shot out like rapid fire. “When? How? What’d you tell them?”

After slipping my shirt over my head, I pulled her to me. “I told them you were the woman I’d been looking and waiting for.”

“Oh, Chris,” she said, her eyes going soft.

“I also told them you were crazy enough to take on Lucifer.”

“Luke,” she said, linking her arms around my neck.

“Luke,” I repeated, kissing her. “All right, you ready?”

“My hair’s a mess, and I don’t even have makeup on.”

“You’re beautiful as ever,” I said, kissing her again before slapping her ass.

Her giggle was music to my ears.

“You know,” she began as we walked down the hall, “just because you can make me melt in your hands, don’t think?—”

“Please, I just made you come three times. Once on my hand. Once in my mouth, and once from behind in the shower.”

She tried to fight her smile. “You’re so full of yourself.”

“I think you were the one who was full of myself,” I said as she grabbed a handful of treats and shoved them into her pocket.

Emily sputtered a laugh, then smacked me playfully. “You better clean up that mouth of yours.”

“You like it dirty,” I reminded her.

“Oh, hush.” She took a quick look in the mirror.

“You look perfect, baby.” I gave her hand a quick squeeze. “Ready?”

She smiled at me with nervous excitement. “Yeah.”

Laughter and happy barks filled the backyard. Luke bounded over to us, his new favorite rope hanging between his teeth.

Emily picked it up and shook it for him after he dropped it at her feet. “Want the rope, Luke? Want the rope?”

His entire body vibrated with anticipation. He charged after it while Hudson ran over to me, yelling, “Daddy!”

I pulled him into my arms, hugging him tightly to me. “Oh, I missed you, buddy.”

“That’s quite an arm,” my dad said.

“Right?” I squeezed Hudson again. “Guys, this is Emily Madison. Emily, this is my dad, Sam, mom, Courtney, and sister, Savannah. I call her Sav.” They exchanged quick hellos before I brought her attention to Hudson. “And this”—he slid out of my hold—“is Hudson.”

“Hi, Hudson,” Emily said.

When he wrapped his arms around her, she smiled more brightly than I’d ever seen.

“You got more dogs?” he asked, his dark eyes alight with joy.

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