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She giggles the way I hoped she would.
“Do you accept my apology?”
She studies me. “Will you run away again?”
Tough crowd. “I’ll try not to.” I pat her thigh. “But no matter what happens, please remember it’s not your fault. There’s nothing wrong with you. You’re perfect.”
Leia snorts from behind me. “A perfect pain in my behind,” she mutters.
“Do you accept my apology?” I ask Isla again.
“As long as you don’t run away again.”
I hold out my hand. “I promise,” I vow as we shake. “I’m glad you accepted my apology because I have a present for you.”
Isla’s eyes widen as I pick up the box and set it on the table. “What is it?”
I stand and motion to the box. “Open it and find out.”
She jumps to her feet and rips the box open. When she sees what’s inside, her bottom lip trembles. “For me?”
“For you.” I reach inside and pick up the puppy before placing her in Isla’s arms.
“She’s mine?” The excitement in her eyes as she asks the question makes me want to buy her a dozen puppies.
“She’s yours.”
“I have a puppy!” she squeals.
I ruffle her hair. “You have a puppy.”
“She’s pretty.” She plops to the floor with the puppy in her arms. “Hi, puppy,” she whispers. “We’re going to be best friends.” Her happiness is worth every second of anxiety and fear I went through today.
“A word?” Leia doesn’t wait for me to answer. She drags me into the kitchen.
“What the hell, Fender?” she hisses.
My brow furrows. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong? What’s wrong?” She clenches her jaw and a vein in her forehead pulses. My little firecracker is pissed off. “What’s wrong is you bought my daughter a puppy without asking me first.”
Oh shit. “I didn’t think.”
Her nostrils flare. “Obviously not.”
“I should have asked you first.”
“Damn straight you should have. I’m her mother. You don’t give a child a living animal without consulting her mother first.”
“I’m sorry.” I want to offer to return the puppy but I can’t. Isla’s face lit up when she first held the dog. I’m not taking it away from her.
“You can’t simply throw money at a problem because you’re rich.”
“I’m not throwing money at a problem. I knew Isla wanted a puppy and I got her one.”
“Without asking me first. Do you know how much extra work a puppy is? She has to be potty trained. And until she is, someone has to clean up her messes.”
“I’ll clean up her messes.”
