squirm and laugh. I peeled a lock of her dark hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “Why is your cheek sticky?”
She bounced in my arms. “Sucker.” She stuck her tongue out, and it was a bright crimson color. “Is it red?” she asked, trying to look at it, her brown eyes going cross-eyed.
“Yeah, it is.” I used my omigod–how–cool tone of voice. Out the corner of my eye, I could see Nathan smiling at us. “I have a secret to tell you,” I said and grinned when her eyes widened. I cupped my hand around her ear and whispered, “I have a boyfriend.”
A small squeal escaped her lip, and she turned her head, her nose almost touching mine. I could see the sprinkle of freckles on the bridge of it, just like Carrie had. “You do?” she whispered in awe.
I nodded and placed my mouth next to her ear. She was totally eating this up, and I could hear Nathan softly laughing. “I really love him, too.”
Molly pressed her lips against my own ear. “Are you going to marry him?” Her hot breath tickled my ear, making me jerk my head back and giggle.
I didn’t want to answer her because honestly with the way things were going, my future with Nathan looked grim. My heart twisted at the very thought, and I mentally shook myself, shutting off those painful emotions.
“Do you want to meet him?” I asked, dodging her question.
She grinned and nodded.
Nathan stepped beside me, and I introduced them. He offered his hand to Molly. “Please to meet you,” he said when she stuck her tiny hand in his.
“You, too.” Molly shook it like a pro and blurted, “Can I be in your wedding?”
“Well, um . . .” I looked at Nathan, his face beaming.
“Molly!” Carrie’s aunt broke away from the circle of family conversing with one another, saving me from that awkward moment. “Hi, Paige,” she said, flashing me an exhausted smile.
I set Molly on her feet and pushed my hair back. “Hi, Carly.” I opened my mouth to introduce her to Nathan, but she took Molly’s hand and told her they had to go run some errands.
“Nice to see you again, Paige,” Carly said over her shoulder, rushing out the room, pulling Molly along who obviously didn’t want to leave.
I blew a kiss to my monkey girl who kept looking back at me with longing in her eyes. She rewarded me with the same gesture, warming my heart.
“Cute kid,” Nathan said.
“She is,” I agreed. “Carrie and I used to babysit her.” I scanned the room for Tree, wondering how he was holding up. “I don’t see Tree here.”
“He’s talking to his mom at the nurse’s station,” Brayden said behind me. “They’re done with the procedure, so the doctor should be explaining the details of her recovery to Carrie’s parents in a minute.”
“Wow. You’re Mr. Informative,” I said, facing him. I bounced on my tiptoes when I thought I spotted a familiar person enter the waiting room, craning my neck so I could see over Brayden’s shoulder. “Max is here,” I announced, gesturing for him to join us.
Max and I have known each other since second grade. I’ve always thought he was cute with his short black spiky hair, blue eyes, and adorable dimples. This past summer though, he had totally grown into a hot, cute guy. I think his confidence in knowing he wanted to be a chef and what he wanted out of life added to his hotness. I totally envied him for it and the simple life he had.
When he waved to me, a stab of guilt pierced through me. Less than a week ago, Roeick kidnapped me outside Max’s dad’s restaurant. He knocked me out, and Max caught him in the act. Max attacked him, but since Roeick was a dark spirit inhabiting a human, and dark spirits added strength to the human they occupied, Max didn’t have a fighting chance. Roeick knocked him out as well.
When Max came to, he became frantic, but thankfully Tree and Carrie took care of the situation. At Nathan’s suggestion, they told him I’d discovered my father had been
She bounced in my arms. “Sucker.” She stuck her tongue out, and it was a bright crimson color. “Is it red?” she asked, trying to look at it, her brown eyes going cross-eyed.
“Yeah, it is.” I used my omigod–how–cool tone of voice. Out the corner of my eye, I could see Nathan smiling at us. “I have a secret to tell you,” I said and grinned when her eyes widened. I cupped my hand around her ear and whispered, “I have a boyfriend.”
A small squeal escaped her lip, and she turned her head, her nose almost touching mine. I could see the sprinkle of freckles on the bridge of it, just like Carrie had. “You do?” she whispered in awe.
I nodded and placed my mouth next to her ear. She was totally eating this up, and I could hear Nathan softly laughing. “I really love him, too.”
Molly pressed her lips against my own ear. “Are you going to marry him?” Her hot breath tickled my ear, making me jerk my head back and giggle.
I didn’t want to answer her because honestly with the way things were going, my future with Nathan looked grim. My heart twisted at the very thought, and I mentally shook myself, shutting off those painful emotions.
“Do you want to meet him?” I asked, dodging her question.
She grinned and nodded.
Nathan stepped beside me, and I introduced them. He offered his hand to Molly. “Please to meet you,” he said when she stuck her tiny hand in his.
“You, too.” Molly shook it like a pro and blurted, “Can I be in your wedding?”
“Well, um . . .” I looked at Nathan, his face beaming.
“Molly!” Carrie’s aunt broke away from the circle of family conversing with one another, saving me from that awkward moment. “Hi, Paige,” she said, flashing me an exhausted smile.
I set Molly on her feet and pushed my hair back. “Hi, Carly.” I opened my mouth to introduce her to Nathan, but she took Molly’s hand and told her they had to go run some errands.
“Nice to see you again, Paige,” Carly said over her shoulder, rushing out the room, pulling Molly along who obviously didn’t want to leave.
I blew a kiss to my monkey girl who kept looking back at me with longing in her eyes. She rewarded me with the same gesture, warming my heart.
“Cute kid,” Nathan said.
“She is,” I agreed. “Carrie and I used to babysit her.” I scanned the room for Tree, wondering how he was holding up. “I don’t see Tree here.”
“He’s talking to his mom at the nurse’s station,” Brayden said behind me. “They’re done with the procedure, so the doctor should be explaining the details of her recovery to Carrie’s parents in a minute.”
“Wow. You’re Mr. Informative,” I said, facing him. I bounced on my tiptoes when I thought I spotted a familiar person enter the waiting room, craning my neck so I could see over Brayden’s shoulder. “Max is here,” I announced, gesturing for him to join us.
Max and I have known each other since second grade. I’ve always thought he was cute with his short black spiky hair, blue eyes, and adorable dimples. This past summer though, he had totally grown into a hot, cute guy. I think his confidence in knowing he wanted to be a chef and what he wanted out of life added to his hotness. I totally envied him for it and the simple life he had.
When he waved to me, a stab of guilt pierced through me. Less than a week ago, Roeick kidnapped me outside Max’s dad’s restaurant. He knocked me out, and Max caught him in the act. Max attacked him, but since Roeick was a dark spirit inhabiting a human, and dark spirits added strength to the human they occupied, Max didn’t have a fighting chance. Roeick knocked him out as well.
When Max came to, he became frantic, but thankfully Tree and Carrie took care of the situation. At Nathan’s suggestion, they told him I’d discovered my father had been
Similar Books
