Page 89 of Broken Grump

She’s reluctant at first, and I can’t say that I fully blame her. But after some light begging, she finally agrees.

Yes!

After getting home from an incredibly taxing day, I meander over to the kitchen and announce to Betsy, my housekeeper, thatwe’re going to have two guests joining us for dinner tomorrow night.

She’s cleaning something in the sink, but she turns around with a smile on her face when she’s finished.

“Let me guess, it’s Addie and that adorable daughter of hers, isn’t it?”

Daughter of ours.I want to correct her, but I don’t. Instead, I just confirm that she’s right.

With that, she claps her hands and jumps up and down. “I’m so happy to see some new female energy in here, Hayden! It’s certainly doing you some good.”

Yeah, yeah.I wave her off, but also agree.

Their presence has made me see the whole world differently. But just as soon as I start to let myself get carried away with any thoughts and feelings of grandeur, my cellphone rings for the bazillionth time.

Rolling my eyes, I excuse myself and answer it.

***

The next day is somehow even worse than the day before, and I got caught up in the office after hours on a call.

“Lionel, please try to hurry,” I request on the drive home.

“I’m doing my best, sir. But there must’ve been an accident or something. Traffic is incredibly backed up.”

Ugh.My phone is dead from overuse, and I can’t seem to find a charger anywhere. Otherwise, I’d call Addie and apologize for my tardiness.

But when I finally arrive home, I find that she and Luna are already there.

They’re both sitting on the living room floor and gazing down at scattered puzzle pieces.

“Hello, hello,” I say, trying to sound as jovial as possible—which is darn near impossible given the painful pounding in my head.

“Hey,” Addie responds, her aqua eyes raising only momentarily to meet mine.

Luna, on the other hand, grins widely at the sight of me, and she rushes over.

This is the first time since I’ve seen her in the flesh after Addie finally admitted to her paternity. And while her hug feels different this time, it still isn’t enough to pull me out of my funk.

After releasing her, I spot my drink cart in the corner of the room.

Ah. The Macallan 15.I recently received it as a gift, and it’s practically calling my name.

I pour myself a glass and offer one to Addie, but she refuses.

“Listen,” I mumble once I’ve taken my first delicious sip. “I’m so sorry that I was late.”

She rises to her feet now and walks over with her arms folded. “It’s fine, Hayden.”

“No, no.” I shake my head. I remember how important punctuality was to her andwasto her grandfather.

She comes a little closer and puts her hand on my shoulder. “No, it’s really okay. I understand all the stress you must be under right now.”

I chuckle.Tell me about it.Then, I down another big gulp of the brown liquor.

Moments later, Betsy comes out and announces that dinner will be served shortly.

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