Page 43 of Delinquent Daddy (Banks/Kincaid Family 2)

"Keller," Cassie called. "Nora. This is my dad."

Boston set Cassie down and turned to the woman.

The regal-looking lady stared back, blinking repeatedly.

"Well, my word," she said. "Cassidy kept saying her father was going to come see her today, but I thought...Ellie didn't mention any of this to me."

"We're going to Chuck E. Cheese's," Cassie announced happily, taking Boston's hand. Her fingers were so small and 108

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

soft, he looked down at their connection, startled. He was holding his daughter's hand like it was the most normal action in the world.

Looking up, his chest swelled. "You must be Nora."

She gave him a slight nod, returning, "And you must be Boston." There was a cool edge to her voice today; she wasn't quite as accepting as she'd been yesterday when she thought he was merely a long-distance relation. Yeah, he thought bitterly, Ellie had definitely gotten a hold of her. And probably told all.

Realizing she was Team Ellie, and probably knew more dirt about him than most people did, he turned away uncomfortably and focused his attention on Cassie. "Are you ready to go?"

She started to hop up and down. "I've been ready since last night," she nearly exploded.

"Cassie," Keller said from between gritted teeth as if he was trying to get her attention.

Cassie glanced at her friend. "Oh, yeah," she added to Boston. "Keller wants to come too."

"Keller!" Nora gasped in appalled shock.

Boston studied the small boy who hovered by his mother's legs and stared disappointedly down at his shoes. His heart went out to the poor kid.

"Cassidy wants to spend time alone with her father," Nora berated. "You can't just—"

"Actually," Boston said, cutting in and grinning at Nora,

"it's fine. I'm pretty sure most of my family will show up, and 109

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

there're a lot of cousins his and Cassie's age. So, really, it's no problem if he came along."

Truth be told, he'd like to get on Nora Young's good side.

And if that meant taking her son to Chuck E. Cheese's, he'd do it.

But Nora glanced at him as if he were insane. "Are you sure about this?" she asked hesitantly. "His bedtime is half an hour earlier than Cassie's at eight thirty."

No, he wasn't sure about anything anymore. But he merely said, "It's fine. Really."

"Well, all right then," Nora relented, and the two children cheered, dancing around each other. "Let me get you some money for Keller's—"

"Don't worry about it," Boston said, lifting a hand to stop her. When she paused to send him a surprised look, he smiled. "I can cover it."

Nora blinked a couple more times before she matched his smile, flushing a bit in the cheeks. "All right then," she said, quickly turning away from him as if embarrassed. "You two have fun with Mr...." She frowned slightly when she realized didn't know his last name.

"Kincaid," he told her, sticking out his hand and realizing he'd just won over the neighbor lady despite what Ellie had probably told her. "But, please, call me Boston."

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