Page 16 of The Hottest Daddy
“I think we should take this slow, River. Berry is going to need you. I’ll be here, when you need me, or want me.”
“I’ll always want you,” he grinned, but then he sighed. “But you’re right. Berry is my priority and I would like you to continue to transcribe my father’s journals, if you don’t mind.”
“Not at all. It’s fascinating.”
River half-smiled. “Getting to know my dad?”
“If it’s not inappropriate to say, I’m half in love with your father. What a warm, kind man. No wonder you want to know what he wrote.” She smiled a little shyly. “He adored you, River, but you probably know that. There was one part … may I read it to you?”
River nodded and she could see the emotion in his face. She sat down at her desk and scanned to the part of the file she wanted.
“Even if we never have another child, it doesn’t matter. River challenges us every day; his quiet genius even at such a young age is astonishing to me. I could not imagine loving another child as much as I love my son.”
She stopped and looked at River. He was looking away from her, out of the window, and she realized he was struggling. “I’m sorry, River. I thought you’d like to know …”
“Thank you.” He said it quietly but the emotion was raw. “I needed to hear it.”
He held out his hand and she took it and they walked back to the kitchen together. If Carmen wondered about their clasped hands, she didn’t show it and the four of them sat and chatted for a while until they heard Luke calling from the front door. Berry hopped off her father’s lap and went to greet her ‘uncle.’
Luke grinned at them as he came in, Berry riding on his shoulders. “Hey, folks. Everyone’s here.”
Carmen pushed a mug of hot coffee to him and he thanked her. He eyed his best friend. “So, you met Sunday,finally?”
River and Sunday exchanged an amused glance. “You could say that.”
Sunday watched as River, Berry, Carmen, and Luke chatted. This was a family, the closest she’d seen for many years. And now she was part of it? How different her life was, even in this short a time.
She felt a wave of emotion and excused herself to go use the bathroom. She splashed more water on her face and peered at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess but her skin glowed, her eyes bright and excited. Excited. She hadn’t felt that emotion since before Cory died. Her body felt electrified, sensual … onfire.
Sunday combed her fingers through her messy hair, trying to tidy it, then returned to the kitchen. She saw that Carmen, Luke and Berry had gone outside into the little courtyard to make snow angels. River smiled at Sunday, kissing her temple. “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “Just trying to get my bearings. A lot changed fast.”
“I know the feeling. Look, I don’t want to freak you out, and there’s a lot for us to sort through, but I’d like to try.”
“Me too.” She slid her arm around his waist and he hugged her to him.
“I’m sorry I kept my distance before. Even before Berry and her mom, there was … I was having some problems. I wasn’t dealing with them. I still don’t know if … well.” He gave her a half-smile. “I’m going to try.”
Sunday was curious, but she didn’t want to intrude. He would tell her if he wanted to. “I know something I’ve been curious about,” she said with a smile, “I would love to see some of your art. Luke, Daisy, Carmen, they’ve all been raving about it. I know I could have looked it up on the internet, but I held out.”
River’s eyes became hooded and closed off and she wondered what she’d said wrong. “Maybe another day?” His voice didn’t betray anything wrong but she nodded.
“Another day is great,” she said, squeezing his waist as if to say ‘It’s okay.’
River gazed down at her. “You get it.” Almost a whisper.
“I do. We all have that thing, River. That thing we can’t face. It’s okay. It’s only human. If you need me, I’m here.”
He turned to face her. “And you? You should know I feel the same way.”
“We need to get to know each other.”
He nodded. “We have all the time in the world.”
River had no idea that soon, his words would come back to haunt him.
Chapter Eight
