Page 21 of Mine To Keep (Southern Wedding)

“Um,” she says.

“The daycare is calling because Meadow isn’t feeling well. She was sick a couple of days ago, and now apparently she isn’t feeling well again.” I put my hand to my head. “They called Caine, but he’s in that huge meeting.”

Loren gets up. “See if you can go get her.”

I rush back over to my desk. “Hi, Matilda, I can’t get ahold of him. Can I come and get her?”

“I’m afraid not,” she says. “I would need his permission, or is Nash there?”

“He’s not,” I groan, “but hold on. If I get him on the phone, would he be able to give me permission?”

“Well, I suppose so,” she says. “He’s the only other contact for her.”

“Can you hold?” I ask her and put her on hold before calling Nash. “Pick up, pick up, pick up,” I chant.

“Yo,” he greets, and I have to smile at the difference from his brother.

“Nash, it’s Grace,” I ramble in a frenzy. “Meadow is sick, the daycare just called for Caine, but he’s in the big meeting. She’s not feeling well, and they won’t let me get her because I’m like no one, but you are on the list, and I was wondering if you could maybe call them, and I’ll go get her and bring her here until we get ahold of Caine.” I don’t even breathe between words.

“Whoa,” Nash says, “calm down there. You’re going to give yourself a heart attack. I’ll call her now so you can go get her.”

I hang up with him, going back to Matilda, who puts me on hold when Nash calls her. In five minutes, I’ve got the address in my hand, and I’m rushing out. Only when I get there do I laugh.

“Hi,” I greet, walking in and seeing Maddy, or as she called herself, Matilda. “I didn’t even put two and two together. I mean, I do call you Maddy, so that could be why I didn’t, you know, connect the dots.” She also laughs at me.

“I didn’t even think,” she says. I’ve been here once before when I had to pick up Levi and Eva’s little girl a couple of weeks ago when they were both running late getting back into town.

“You work for Caine?” she asks, and I nod. “Well, I feel better now that I know you,” she shares as we walk down the hallway toward the door.

The lights in all the classrooms are off since it’s naptime. “Meadow,” she calls her from the doorway, and she comes out, holding her bunny in her hand. She’s wearing a skirt and a white T-shirt with the word Princess in the middle, with a crown on top of the I. Her pigtails are lopsided, and one is almost out.

“Hi,” I say, squatting down in front of her, “do you remember me?” I smile at her as she nods her head.

“You’re Daddy’s fairy,” she states, and I just laugh quietly.

“Yeah,” I confirm. “He’s in a meeting, so he couldn’t come and get you,” I tell her softly in a whisper. “So, we will go to the office and wait for him there.”

“Okay,” she agrees, rubbing her eyes, “my tummy hurts.”

“I’m sorry.” I get up and hold out my hand for her. I thank Matilda before walking out of the daycare. “Maybe we can get you something to eat,” I suggest to her as I open the back door of the SUV and get her in the back. I put her in the car seat that my family had installed in my SUV to always have just in case I need it. It’s a weird thing to have, but with all the kids in the family, it’s easier to just have one instead of getting it from someone.

I buckle her into the seat before getting into the front seat. I drive with extra care to the office, and when I pull into the parking lot, I see she’s fallen asleep. I grab my purse before taking her out of her seat. Her head falls on my shoulder as I carry her to the elevator, then look around to see Caine isn’t back yet. I rub Meadow’s back softly as I wait for the elevator. My phone beeps, telling me my order has arrived.

Before I ran out of here, I made an order for some soup, along with some ginger ale, Gatorade, and saltines. Walking into the elevator, I’m happy no one else gets in with me, and when I walk toward Caine’s office, Loren comes out of hers. “I still can’t get ahold of him. I even called Jaret and Vinny, and no one is picking up the phone.”

“It was a huge meeting,” I say, walking into Caine’s office and toward the couch, sitting down with Meadow sleeping on me.

The minute I sit down, she stirs in my arms, sitting up and looking around. “Hi.” I smile at her, touching her forehead. “How are you feeling?” I don’t have a chance to say anything else because two things happen at the same time.

“What the fuck is going on here?” Caine’s voice booms through the office as he glares at me.

“I don’t feel good,” Meadow says right before she projectile vomits all over me.

ten

Caine

“What the fuck is going on here?” My voice comes out louder than I want it to be. I have no idea what the fuck is going on. All I know is my daughter is in my office instead of at the daycare where I left her this morning.

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