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She turned and looked at me, tears staining her cheeks.
“I had a bad dream,” she said.
I knelt down in front of my daughter, my heart breaking for her. She had a lot of bad dreams and night terrors – they'd started just after the accident. She'd been to countless therapists, but no one had been able to help her just yet.
“You wanna talk about it, cupcake?” I asked, pushing a strand of her hair behind her ear.
She shook her head. “I want to sleep with Avery. If that's okay.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Has Avery said it's okay?”
Lola nodded. “I went to her room last night too,” she whispered, her voice low as if she was ashamed of needing somebody to watch over her. “She said it's okay to come to her whenever I'm scared.”
“You can come to me too, you know,” I said.
“I know, daddy,” she said. “But Avery doesn't snore.”
Couldn't argue with that. I chuckled and stood up, taking her hand in mine.
“If you're sure Avery is okay with it, then alright,” I said.
“She is,” Lola said.
In a way, it
was nice to see my shy daughter taking to someone so fast, but it also scared me. Avery was so new to this family, and after what happened the other night, what if I'd really stepped in it? What if we'd crossed a red line there was no coming back from? I couldn't imagine Lola losing someone else she came to care for – not after she'd lost her mother. Not after everything she'd been through.
No matter my personal desires or feelings toward Avery, I knew I had to behave myself around her. For my daughter's sake, if nothing else.
We reached Avery's room, and Lola knocked gently. At first, it was silent, but then a voice mumbled, “Come in.”
Lola opened the door and walked inside. I caught a glimpse of Avery sitting up in the moonlight. She didn't seem to see me.
“Another nightmare, sweetie?” Avery asked.
“Uh huh,” Lola said.
“Come here,” she said, patting the bed beside her.
Lola climbed into Avery's bed as I stood there in the doorway. Avery finally noticed me and gave me a small smile.
“Is this okay?” she asked me. “She asked last night, and I didn't think you'd mind, but I should have –”
“No, it's fine,” I said. “Thank you.”
I almost felt like crying. Lola looked so sweet curled up with Avery. Knowing that she finally had someone who brought her comfort, was worth all the money in the world to me.
CHAPTER SIX
AVERY
Things had been a little tense between Spencer and I, ever since the night in the kitchen. I was civil to my boss, but I intentionally kept myself distant to avoid temptation. He seemed to be doing the same, and it was almost like the kiss hadn't even happened. His business partner, on the other hand, was not about to let me slip away so easily.
Charles was charming and handsome, I couldn't help but smile at his advances, even if they made me blush. He was still Spencer's business partner, and I knew I should tread carefully there.
It was hard, considering the fact that he kept calling and texting me, sending me flirty little messages throughout the days. I couldn't deny that it often put a smile on my face, but he was incredibly forward. I blamed it on the cultural differences, with him growing up mostly in France and all.
The girls were just finishing up their lessons for the day when Emilia let me know Charles was there, asking for me by name. She had a confused look on her face, and I'll admit, I was just as confused as she was. I released the girls from their lessons, and walked down the stairs to the foyer, where Charles was standing there waiting for me.
