Page 76 of Prince of Storms
Putting the car in gear, I drove up the ramp, leaving Tor behind, just like I’d wanted and planned to, but with the added benefit of having the car to surprise my father.
So, why was I miserable?
Chapter Thirty-Five
Mia
Iopened the front door and walked in.
“Axel, please,” I said, holding out my arms as Ally appeared at the entrance to the kitchen, baby in arm.
She frowned for a moment, then extended Axel to me. I swept him up and looked down at his little chubby face.
“Hi, cutie,” I said, smiling as I cradled him with one hand and teased his cheeks with the other until he giggled. “Yeah, you love Auntie Mia, don’t you? Yes, you do!”
He laughed and flailed his feet around. My heart warmed immediately. I tickled one of his feet, which produced a massive fart and laugh at the same time.
“Oh, god,” I moaned as the smell hit me, moving to a different area. “What did you feed him this morning? That is toxic.”
“Hey, you wanted him,” Ally said.
“I didn’t realize you were so eager to be rid of him,” I said, a tight laugh escaping me. “He’s a monster today, is he? Are you a monster? Are you? Little cutie. You could clear a room like that. Then who would play with your cheeks, hmm? Then who?”
Axel giggled and slapped me in the face with his hand as I got in close. I recoiled, and his other hand hit me in the nose.
“This is not going how I imagined it would when I walked in,” I observed, shaking my head to remove some hair from his reach.
“How bad is it?” Ally asked.
I looked up. “Huh?”
“You came in here, sour-faced, needing baby cuddles without even saying hi,” Ally said. “So, what happened? What did you do wrong?”
I frowned at her. “Excuse me? What didIdo wrong?”
“Yeah, I know you. This is about Mr. Perfect Body, isn’t it?”
“I’m still here,” Timothy said, appearing from the bedroom. “Icanhear you.”
“I bore your child. I think you’re safe, darling,” Ally teased, blowing her husband a kiss. “Besides, we both spent last night admiring our waitress's rear end, so Iknowyou admire other women, too.”
Timothy looked at me for help.
I shrugged. “You got yourself into this mess.”
He laughed. “I suppose. But you should have seen it. Talk about high and tight!”
Ally nodded. “It really was something else. We had a fun evening.”
“I don’t need to know the other details,” I said, lifting a hand. “As long as you had fun and nobody got hurt except my psyche for imagining that.”
“I had to listen to you the other night,” Ally countered.
“Let’s please never talk of that again,” I moaned, rocking Axel gently as he grubbed at my shirt. “Please.”
“Sure. But tell me why you’re here instead of at his place, and why you’re upset, and why you’re driving a muscle car,” Ally said, pointing out the window to the driveway. “One that looks suspiciously like the one you’re trying to get your dad. Did you steal it?”
“No,” I said heavily. “He gave it to me.”
