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Lucy shrugged. “They never will if you don’t try.”
I chuckled. “You’re really smart.”
She leaned into my chest, hugging me with all her might.
Lucy didn’t yet understand the way the world worked. How deeply people could hurt each other and how we protected ourselves from that hurt. And though Cara was a kind and compassionate person, I knew I had abused her trust. I would be setting myself up for failure by apologizing now.
“I love you, Daddy.”
I buried my face in her hair. Lucy had no idea that we were at risk of losing each other. And I intended to keep it that way.
“I love you too, Lucy. So much.”
For now, though, this was my battle to fight. Alone.
Chapter31
Cara
I hadn’t realized the place Danny had asked me to meet him was a nightclub, not a restaurant. So when I met him at the bar, he gave me a strange look when I asked for club soda.
“You in AA or something?”
I held back a glare. “No, my stomach is just really unsettled. I’m hoping this will help.”
Danny ordered a whiskey cocktail and started to talk a mile a minute, not even waiting for me to respond. He simply wouldn’t shut up.
He was lucky I was there. Not just because it was basically against my will, but because ever since I had found out I was pregnant, I was being plagued with nausea and fatigue beyond my comprehension. However, I’d been staying with my folks, and if they even got a whiff of me canceling, I never would have heard the end of it.
“You can make it through an hour of drinks,” Katie had said before I left the house. Though it was frustrating to be around my parents 24/7, Katie’s constant support was necessary for my mental health. Plus, it didn’t hurt to have all my meals and laundry taken care of while I was grappling with all these emotions and physical inconveniences. “Then,” Katie added with a sly smile, “you never have to see him again.”
I repeated those two things to myself the entire way there, as a mantra.
Danny swirled his drink around in his glass. “So…daycare owner. How’s that title feel?”
He leaned closer to me and I got a whiff of his cologne, which smelled like a fir tree sprayed with chemicals. I held my breath so my stomach wouldn’t turn.You can make it through an hour of drinks.“Pretty damn good.”
“I’d say you earned it with all the back and forth we’ve done over the past few months.” He waggled his eyebrows as if he’d made a suggestive joke.
Then you never have to see him again.“Um. Yeah. I guess I owe you a big thank you.”
“You guess?”
“I meanI do.” God, this guy didn’t let anything past him when it suited him. “A major thank you. All the time you put into finding properties for me and vouching for me with the owners, that means a lot. Especially since I’m pretty green in the industry.”
Danny laughed and nodded. “Well, with Wesley Taves on your side, you can’t be that green.”
My heart squeezed at the mention of his name. Almost my every waking thought was about Wes and Lucy. It would alternate between pain and worry. He’d broken my heart — again — and I hated him for it. But I couldn’t bear the thought of him losing Lucy. He was an amazing father and Lisbeth was certainly just looking for a nice ornament to her new life in Miami. And I’d say that was a generous evaluation.
Even if my heart hated Wesley for what he’d done to me, I didn’t want him to suffer.
However, Idefinitelydidn’t want to talk about him. Especially not with Danny Morden. “Um, yes, he’s definitely been a great help in developing my business skills. Negotiations and evaluations and —”
“And I’m sure some other things, huh?” He knocked back his drink.
I blinked. “I’m not sure I know what you’re implying.”
Danny’s mouth split into an ugly smile. “Come on, Cara. I know you’re young, but you’re not that innocent, are you?”
