Page 82 of Rock

Talon waved from across the room. “Anyone need a drink?”

The common room had been transformed into the most beautiful reception space Lyla had ever seen. It helped that everyone in attendance had contributed by chipping in to make this day special with one week’s notice.

Brooke had arranged all the pink-and-white flowers that were on the tables. Her Daddy, Storm, was helping her center them.

Eden had ordered the gorgeous pink-and-white tablecloths. Elizabeth had decorated all the chairs with baby’s breath and pink flowers.

There was a theme—pink and white. The Littles had been beside themselves with ideas last week when Lyla had told them she wanted soft pastel pink.

There were pink-and-white gifts all over the table. They matched, like a display for a photo shoot. And based on the way Addie was fussing with them, Lyla had to assume she’d wrapped everything and arranged it all to look perfect on the table.

Faust’s Little girl, Molly, was standing at the cake table, organizing pink-and-white plates and forks. Faust was next to her, supervising, which cracked Lyla up inside.

Doc’s Little girl, Harper, worked at a bakery and had made the cake. Doc and Harper were carrying around plates of cookies.

Sapphire and Ella were the newest Little girls to have met their Daddies, Blade and King. The two of them were wearing aprons and setting the long table for a feast. And Lyla knew it would be an amazing feast because Bear had been in charge of the menu.

Ella handed Lyla a clear plastic cup of punch. It was pink sherbert and lemon-lime soda. King groaned as he carried a tray of pretty punch cups and helped Ella hand them to all the Littles. “So much sugar. I know what happens when you girls get together. The shenanigans go up fifty percent when there’s sugar involved.”

Lyla giggled and rose onto her tiptoes to kiss King on the cheek. The punch was delicious. The cake was going to be, too.Even though the outside was white frosting with pretty pink roses, she knew the cake was pink on the inside.

Someone clanked silverware against a glass, and Lyla turned to face that direction with everyone else. It was Atlas. He stepped onto a chair. “I want to say a few words.”

The room grew quiet.

Rock wrapped both arms around Lyla from behind, kissed her ear, and whispered, “You’re so beautiful, Baby girl. Have I told you that?”

She giggled. He’d told her that about a hundred times.

Atlas cleared his throat. “I just want to say that it’s been a long time since I’ve seen my dad so happy. I’m so grateful for Lyla and whatever spell she cast on him.”

Everyone laughed.

Lyla couldn’t keep from grinning. Her face hurt from the wide smile she’d worn all day.

“But seriously,” Atlas continued, “Lyla, we are so glad to add you to our family and to the Shadowridge Guardians family.”

Kade lifted Remi onto a chair next to her brother. He kept his hands on her hips to steady her. Remi lifted her cup of punch. “I couldn’t have said it better myself. Lyla, I love you already. You complete our family. Thank you so much for loving my dad and for agreeing to put up with him for the rest of your lives. Also, thanks for taking over the task of making him eat vegetables so I don’t have to.”

Laughter filled the room again.

Lyla dabbed at her damp eyes with a tissue. She’d had a tissue in her hand for several hours. She’d been through several packs of them. Remi was such a sweetheart. Lyla wouldn’t tell her that it would be no hardship convincing Rock to eat healthy. The man was on a quest to be the healthiest human alive, a quest he must have embarked on the moment he was reunited with her.

“Cheers,” someone shouted before everyone joined in.

Rock led Lyla to the center of the room and lifted her onto a chair as Atlas and Remi stepped down, putting her above everyone. She flushed, feeling like the center of attention—which she was.

Rock held her hands and looked up at her. “Little Lyla, you may have been gone for many years, but I never forgot you. Thank you for coming home and making me the happiest man on Earth. I will spend every day for the rest of my life doing whatever it takes to make sure you’re the happiest Little girl in the world.”

Her tears fell in earnest now. She couldn’t stop them. When he wrapped his arms around her thighs and lifted her off the chair, holding her high in the air, she grabbed onto his shoulders, looked into his eyes, and said, “I love you, Daddy.”

Rock cradled her in his arms and carried her out of the common room, setting her down when they reached the hallway. He took her hand and guided her to his apartment, where he shut and locked the door.

She giggled. “We can’t leave our own party. It’s just getting started.”

He chuckled as he pulled her into his arms for a kiss. A long kiss. The kind that made her dizzy and horny. When he finally broke it off, he was breathing heavily. “I just needed a few minutes alone with my Baby girl.”

“I love you.”

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