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“Uh-huh.” She danced her way across the room, twirling on her tiptoes.
I scanned the room one last time, even though I knew it was pointless. Abigail wouldn’t have a clue what I’d been doing. I kicked my torn panties under a chair and rolled my eyes when Zachary smirked at me from across the room.
He stood and smoothed a hand over his shirt. A single crease ran down the side, but it would be covered with his jacket, so I tried not to worry.
Abigail’s scarf trailed behind her, fisted tight in her left hand. I’d taken it off her when she fell asleep, but she must have found it on her way out of the room. I gulped a breath when she lowered her hands and her birthmark shone brightly. “Do they have ice cream?”
“Ice cream?” Justin raised his eyebrows. “I’m not sure if they have ice cream. We could go ask.”
“It’s getting late. We should go home.” I hated to leave the gala without finishing my conversation with Caroline, but if I went back down there now, there was no way I’d be able to focus on anything but what had happened up here.
I caught my reflection in the mirror behind Zachary and stared. I looked thoroughly sexed up. My makeup was smudged around my eyes, and my lips were swollen. My hair lay in waves around my shoulders and down my back. And my damned nipples poked through the dress. I should have used the nipple pasties, but I hated the way they felt. Too late now for regrets. I certainly couldn’t go down there looking like this.
Abigail hopped onto the nearest chair and turned around backward to lay her arms across the back. “Whatcha watchin’?” She angled her head toward Lennox who had taken out his phone to show something to Justin.
The two of them put their heads together while grinning at Abigail. “I’m showing Lennox a video of him falling down on the ice.”
“I fall down a lot.” Abigail used her knees to pop up and down in the chair. “Mama takes me ice skating sometimes. I used to be real bad, but now I’m good. Right, Mama?”
“Right.” My voice came out raw and almost timid. I cleared it and smoothed my damp hands over my hips.
Zachary reached beneath the chair across from Abigail and grabbed my torn panties. He balled them up in his fist and winked at me on his way to the bathroom.
My cheeks heated. “Abigail, we need to go, sweetheart.”
She wrinkled her nose and flounced around to sit in the chair. Her feet stuck straight out and she kicked them back and forth. “I’m hungry.”
Lennox wiggled his fingers at me and raised his eyebrows. “Room service?” he mouthed where Abigail couldn’t see him.
I loved him for keeping quiet and letting me parent Abigail. So many times, people answered Abigail’s questions without even consulting me. It pissed me off. I was her mother, and I made the decisions.
Lennox seemed to understand that, and he waited for me to give an answer.
Zachary strolled out of the bathroom, hands in his pockets. He glanced at Abigail and smiled.
I waited with my breath frozen in my lungs. Abigail’s birthmark was right there, almost glowing in the overhead light. He had to see it. Most people saw it before they noticed anything else about my daughter. My throat worked but no sound came out. I shot a panicked look at Lennox, who stood and made his way toward me. Justin came around the bed from the other side. “Lucy, you okay?”
Zachary looked at me and his brows furrowed. I could grab Abigail and leave. If I did that now, he might not see the birthmark. We might be able to put this off a little longer.
“What’s that?” Zachary froze in his tracks.
“What?” Abigail turned her head around, putting the mark on full display.
Zachary’s throat worked and he dragged in a heavy breath. “On your neck? Do you have a bruise?”
My precious, amazing daughter hopped off the chair and danced around the room. “Nope. It’s a kiss.”
“A kiss?” Zachary shot a look at me, questions filling his eyes.
Spinning in a dizzying circle, Abigail nodded. “Uh-huh. A kiss from my daddy. Mama says he has one too. Just like mine. Mama says I got it from him.”
Zachary paled, his right hand finding the mark on his own neck.
Lennox and Justin closed ranks. Shock covered their faces as they looked from Zachary to Abigail, to me, and then back to Zachary. My eyes sank closed. I forced out a tight breath and knotted my hands together at my waist where my stomach twisted and writhed into a tight ball.
“Can I watch Lennox fall down?” Abigail ran over to Justin and threw her arms around his legs. “Is it funny?”
Justin shook himself out of his stupor and nodded. “Yes, it’s very funny. Come over here with me and Lennox and we’ll show you.”
