Page 60 of Sinful Truth

“No.” Bringing my finger up, I tap Mia’s button nose and feel that swell of my heart when she giggles again. “Peckish. Not starving.”

“Well…” After working himself up, Arch is now forced to stifle his protective streak for the little girl he considers family. “That’s good, I suppose. How long you gonna be?”

A nasty scowl works its way into my expression. “You rushing me?”

“Fuck no.” I can’t see his eyeroll, but I’m quite certain it’s there. “Just checking in. Maybe Uncle Arch wants to drop in for dinner too.”

“She wants to meet Chloe anyway.” I pick up my milkshake and take a sip while Mia takes a heaping bite of her corndog and makes me worry she’ll choke. “I’ll swing her by sometime soon, and you can get all gooey and crap on her.”

“Hehehe.” I never hear Archer laugh this way except when Mia is involved. “You said ‘crap’ just so you don’t teach your daughter to say ‘shit.’”

“So sue me. I’m gonna hang up. I’m with you all day every day. It’s Mia time right now.”

“It’s me time!” Mia cackles. “Meeeee.”

“I hear you,” Arch singsongs. “I hear her. She still the most beautiful little girl on the planet?”

“Yup.” I tickle her kneecap and soak up her happy energy when she flails. “Cutest thing I ever saw. We’re heading to the park after this, so we—”

“Ugh, parks give me the heebie-jeebies now. You watch her, okay?”

“What?”

“Just keep your eyes on her. Every second you’re there. Kids are taken from the park every damn day, and if Mia ever goes missing, I’m not sure the city will still be standing by the time we’re done looking.”

“Damn right it won’t be.”

Forcing a smile when Mia looks up, then opening my mouth when she offers her snack, I take a bite and wink when her eyes glitter with happiness.

“I’ll call you later, okay?” I manage around the food in my mouth.

“Yep. I’m gonna hang with these guys for another hour or so, then I’m taking my ass home so I’m not tempted to stalk a certain medical examiner back to her apartment when she specifically asked me not to.”

“That’s growth!” I laugh loud enough to draw the server’s questioning gaze. “She said to leave her alone, Arch. So maybe tonight is a good night not to follow her.”

“It actually hurts not seeing her.” For the first timeever,Archer Malone shares his vulnerable side. “Hurts in my fuckin’ gut and my heart.”

I look directly into Mia’s eyes and nod. “I know exactly what you mean. It’ll work out if it’s supposed to.”

I take another bite of the corndog and shake my head when Mia tries to make me take more.

“Whatever’s gonna happen is gonna happen no matter what, I think,” I tell my adult best friend. “So we gotta stop fighting it and let the universe work her magic.”

“That’s super fuckin’ zen of you, Fletcher.” Unimpressed, Arch only huffs. “Go spend time with your girl. You know where to find me when you’re done.”

“Yup.” I wink for my mini-me and make a goofy face because she’s staring too intently.

She misses me the way I miss her, and now that we’re together, I’m on the fucking phone.

“I’m hanging up. See you, Arch.”

“Bye, Uncle Arch!” Mia literally waves and almost tosses her three-quarters-full milkshake to the side. “Lub you!”

“Love you too, beautiful!” He’s not on speaker. But his words are loud enough, she hears them anyway.

Killing the call and setting my phone on the counter, I set my hands beside Mia’s thighs and grin. “Are you nearly full?”

“In a minute.” She shoves more corndog into her mouth and chews like a cow out to pasture. “I’m saving it in my tummy for next time.”

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