Page 78 of The Single Dad Project

The long pause had her belly plummeting, and before he answered, she already knew what he would say.

“She died. After I graduated college, I searched for her. Hired someone to locate her. It took almost a year, but when I finally did, she’d been dead for six months. Car accident.”

She gasped. “Oh my God, Adam,” she breathed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean... I—”

“Shh.” He squeezed her back, and her clumsy effort at an apology halted. “It’s okay. For a long time it bothered me that I just missed seeing her, talking to her again. But I’ve made my peace with it. But you have the chance I didn’t, queen. Understand me, though. It doesn’t mean you have to forge a relationship with Noah or even invite him to be a part of your life, if that ends up being something you don’t want. It’s about getting answers for yourself. It’s about closing out a chapter so you’re not left with that feeling of something missing.”

A pang still throbbed in her chest for him and his mother. For the missed opportunity for reconciliation or perhaps, just answers.

Her own arms tightened around him, and as if he understood what she tried to convey, he brushed his lips across her forehead.

“Daddy! Flo!”

Flo lifted her head, her body bracing just seconds before Justine’s little frame barreled into both her and Adam. Her arms locked around their thighs, and she tipped her head back, grinning up at them.

A wave of relief washed over Flo like an ice-cold deluge.

She’d been falling deeper into Adam, a connection she hadn’t expected or desired, weaving around them on this dance floor. Any longer and she might start wondering, wishing, for the impossible...

Glancing away from him, she focused on Justine with a grim determination as if she were a lifeline thrown to Flo to keep her from drowning.

“Hey, baby girl,” Adam said, loosening his arms from around Flo and turning to his daughter. “You didn’t come over here by yourself, did you?”

“Uh-uh.” Justine whipped around and pointed toward the edge of the dance area. “Nessie walked with me.”

Flo looked in the direction Justine indicated, and Nessa waved at them, her other hand clasping Everett’s, her and Wolf’s son. From the short distance separating them, Flo caught the speculative glance from her to Adam.

Great. Flo silently groaned. There would no doubt be an inquisition later.

“Okay, good. Remember, no going off by yourself,” Adam reminded Justine, who nodded so hard, her twists swung around her face.

“I ’member, Daddy.” She grinned again, and it lit up her face. Throwing her arms wide, she spun in a circle. In spite of the confusion still swarming inside her, Flo smiled at the little girl’s antics. Damn, she was so cute. “I played in the castle and went on the slide and played with Ev’rett and Bella and ’Tience.” Justine twirled again while Flo ran the stream of words through her head, making sense of it.Oh. ’Tience must be Patience. She swallowed a snicker. “I’m hungry, Daddy,” Justine bluntly announced, switching gears. “Nessie said I can eat with them. Can I?”

Because she was, no doubt, shamelessly eavesdropping, Nessa waved at them again.

“I don’t mind,” she called out. “Really. What’s one more plate? Or kid?”

Adam smiled at her. “Thank you, but I’m coming. And thank you for bringing her over.”

“Sure thing.” Nessa and Everett waved goodbye to Justine and walked off.

“Daddy, I love it here,” Justine declared, flinging her arms around his legs once more. “I have friends and I don’t want to leave! Can we live here now?”

Why Justine’s question slammed into Flo’s chest like a Thor-size fist, she didn’t care to analyze. Not here. Not with Adam’s gaze shuttered and unreadable.

“Jussy, we’re just visiting here for my job. Like the other places we’ve been. But home is in Chicago, with Auntie Addie. And you have friends there, too, that you would miss.”

“How come Auntie Addie can’t come here?” Justine insisted, a frown clouding her small face. “I love it here.”

Whoa boy.

In the time she’d known Justine, Flo had never seen the girl throw a tantrum, but it seemed like one might be looming.

“Hey, Jussy,” Flo said, deliberately keeping her voice calm. And when the little girl looked at her, that frown still in place, Flo tugged on one of her twists. “You still have plenty of time here in Rose Bend. And I know Bella, Patience and Everett would love to play with you some more. How about we go eat with them now? Then I can talk to Nessie about having them over to your house for a playdate? We can do ice cream and movies,” she suggested.

Jussy’s face cleared like the sun breaking through storm clouds. She brightened with another grin, and twisting her body in a too-adorable dance, she yelled, “Yeah! Can we watchThe LittleMermaid?”

Flo scoffed. “Of course!” Holding up her hand, palm out, she waited for Justine to give her a high five. “Now, let’s go eat.”

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