Page 6 of One Last Time

Andino smiled. “Always do.”

“Andino!”

At the call of his name, Andino lifted his attention away from the cedar chest where he was dropping in the last armful of toys from the yard. The box was basically a mix of pink balls, purple and yellow jump ropes, a few dolls that had seen far better days and more toys that frankly, were well-loved by his girls.

Across the road standing on the sidewalk where he watered a row of small hedges stood one of Andino’s closest neighbors. And by close, he didn’t mean friends. The man’s four-level home was simply located across the road from Andino’s gated driveway that led up to his large property and mansion.

“Maxwell,” Andino greeted with a wave.

That was about all he cared to do in response to the neighbor. It wasn’t like he made an effort to be active in his upscale suburb. He liked the place for the safety it offered his children, the quiet nature of the community, and the fact he blended in considering who he was and all.

He didn’t want to make friends.

“Are you ever gonna get your boy? All that girl stuff must have you going crazy some days over there,” the neighbor called.

So loudly, in fact, that even John heard it on the call.

For the first time in longer than Andino cared to admit, he had nothing to say in response to that. He hated to say it, but that wasn’t even the tenth time someone had made an ignorant comment about the fact he had three daughters and no sons.

It never bothered him.

He’d never thought about it. Shit, had he only wanted boys when it came to kids, he and Haven would have stopped after their second girl, but surely after their third. It just wasn’t something that crossed his mind. And when people pointed out the fact that he only had girls, it made him think they assumed his girls weren’t worth as much or that he didn’t love them as much as he should because they weren’t boys.

They couldn’t be more wrong.

“Andi,” John started to say.

Andino turned his back to the neighbor where he stood on the porch, not even caring to respond to the man. He usually didn’t when nonsense like this happened. “Haven and the girls are waiting for me—we’ll chat tomorrow, yeah?”

John let out a hard breath. “He’s just another asshole, man.”

“Yeah, I know.”

Didn’t mean Andino wouldn’t get him back for it, though.

Someday.

Today wasn’t that day.

Instead of worrying about that, he hung up his call and headed inside the house. The second he opened the front door, three pairs of feet came stomping his way. His girls shouted daddy. He didn’t even get his shoes off before three little arms wrapped around him like bars.

Andino didn’t mind.

In fact, he loved it.

He greeted each of his girls—Lynn, Rose, and Emily—with a hug and kiss to the tops of their curly heads. He made sure to ask about their day and everything—each second—he had missed when he was away from them. The same way he did any other day. His little principessas. Perfect in every fucking way. Half of him and half of their mother. These girls were his whole world alongside their ma.

“Missed you, Daddy.”

“Love you, Daddy.”

Yeah, this was definitely the best part of his day.

FOUR

Haven just finished scrubbing her kitchen sink until it sparkled before she moved on to attacking her counters, too. Spraying them down with thick, foamy cleaner, she grabbed the rag and started wiping them down.

From the table, Andino cleared his throat in his captain chair. “Do you want me to help or—”