UP , D ADDY . Summer and Henriettaâs missing!â
Zeke squinted against the morning sun blazing through the tent, then grunted again as August bounced her body up and down on his stomach. âWhat, whoâs missing?â Zeke bolted upright as Augustâs words sank in. Then he gently lifted August from his chest, and searched the tent. Panic sent the blood roaring in his ears.
âI bet sheâs in the yard.â August skipped outside, laughing at the sunshine as it played across her face.
Zeke rushed behind her, scanning the yard. No Henrietta. No Summer. He spun in circles, calling her name. âSummer! Summer! Answer me. Where are you?â
After searching the house high and low again, he remembered the last time the girls had sneaked off on their ownâthe little red wagon and the fliers. He ran to the garage. Nope. The red wagon remained parked beside the lawn mower.
âDaddy,â August yelled. âMaybe she went to Paigeâs.â
Zeke raked a hand through his hair, then hurried out the back door, praying August was right. But the red Ferrari still sat in Paigeâs driveway and anger churned in his stomach. Paigeâs date from the previous night was still there. And it was six-thirty in the morning!
He crossed the driveway in long strides. âIâll be right back, August. You stay here.â
âBut why canât I come, Daddy?â
Zeke paused at her innocent expression and bit back the real reason for his request. His girls were too young and impressionable for the kind of scene they might find. Hell, he didnât even want to see it. Just the idea of Paige sharing breakfast with that Dash guy made bile rise in his throat.
âGo get us some orange juice and doughnuts,â he finally said. âIâll get Summer and Henrietta and weâll have a picnic breakfast in the backyard.â
âYippee. Sugar doughnuts!â August raced into the house.
He stomped over to Paigeâs, his pulse beating wildly. As soon as he stepped on the landing, he heard voices. And laughter. Paigeâs and Summerâs. So she did have his daughter in there while she entertained a man!
Not that he had any right to tell her what to do, but when his daughter was involved, he certainly did. Heraised his hand to knock, not bothering to mask his anger. His polite knock turned into an incessant pound.
The door swung open seconds later and he stared into Paigeâs sensuous green eyes, momentarily lost. Her hair lay in a mass of red curls tumbling around her oval face and she was wearing a soft blue robe which parted mid-thigh, exposing her gorgeous slim legs. No bra. He could see her breasts jiggle when she lowered her arm. Damn.
Her sexy early morning rumpled appearance only fired his anger more. While heâd been next door with his girls in a tent sleeping on the hard ground, thinking about her and wishing he was with her, sheâd been next door sharing her bed with another man. And from the looks of her puffy eyes, she hadnât been sleeping either.
Chapter Six
âSummer, you need to come home,â Zeke said, his voice sounding harsher than heâd intended.
âBut Daddyââ
âNo, buts, Summer.â
Paige folded her arms beneath her breasts, accentuating her curves even more. âZeke, whatâs going on? Did you wake up on the wrong side of your sleeping bag?â
He pinned Paige with a mutinous stare, furious with himself for still being attracted to her when she had another man in her house, probably in her bed at that moment. âWeâll talk later. Right now I want my daughter to come home.â
Paige took a step backward, her lips parting slightly in surprise at his hostile tone. Summer merely stared at him from Paigeâs round oak table, a fork hanging in midair over a plate of something that appeared to be homemade pancakes, one of Paigeâs dolls tucked tightly beneath her arm. The bright
Susan Johnson
Jenny Jacobs
Colleen Coble
Fiona McGregor
Lee Weeks
Emily Snow, Heidi McLaughlin, Aleatha Romig, Tijan, Jessica Wood, Ilsa Madden-Mills, Skyla Madi, J.S. Cooper, Crystal Spears, K.A. Robinson, Kahlen Aymes, Sarah Dosher
Hannu Rajaniemi
Marya Hornbacher
Thomas Hopp
Gail Dayton