Page 46 of Accepting Love

She looks skeptical. “I’d need to practice though.”

“I know. I have several ideas. The easiest one would be to go to my house. I have a piano there. It’s not as amazing as the Steinway you have, but I bet it would work in a pinch.”

“Okay.”

“But that’s not my favorite suggestion.”

She cocks her head to one side.

“I thought we might go to Blossom Ridge.”

Her eyes widen. “Blossom Ridge? For real?”

“Yes. Does the idea appeal to you?”

“I don’t know…” She bites her bottom lip. “I wouldn’t want anyone to see me and recognize me.”

“Well, I called Craig. He manages The Ridge with his wife Leah. You know them.”

She nods. “Yeah, but…”

“Hear me out. They don’t have any other guests next week. It would just be Craig and Leah plus Amy and Foster who also live and work there. You’ve met Amy at some point, haven’t you?”

“Yeah…”

“What if we also invited Giana and Kendric?”

She chews on her bottom lip. “I don’t know, Daddy… That’s a lot of people. I’m not used to being in front of anyone outside of Surrender. And they all think my name is Hannah.”

“Would it be so bad if those six people knew the real you?”

She shrugs noncommittally.

“It would be hard to avoid since you’d need to practice. Craig says they have two pianos. You wouldn’t be able to play like an angel from heaven several hours a day without them suspecting you were a pianist.” I chuckle and tickle her under her chin to get her to loosen up.

She swats at my fingers. “Daddy…”

I’ve had a permanent grin on my face since she started calling me Daddy. It makes my heart beat faster every time. I lift her off my knee and hold her higher. “Straddle my lap, angel.”

She lifts her legs and parts them to wrap them around my sides.

I set my hands on her hips and slide them up under her shirt so I’m touching her bare skin. I love the way her breath hitches.

“Look at me, Little one.”

She lifts her face.

“Tell me what makes you hesitate.”

“That’s a lot of people,” she murmurs.

“Do you think you can keep your identity and our relationship from them forever?”

“No.” She sighs.

“Do you have any reason not to trust them?”

“No.”

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