Page 96 of Thin Lines (Donati Bloodlines 2)

It was even worse to teach his daughter how to do it,too.

Emma figured the Donati girls had been neglectedenough. They deserved a bit of their own happiness. She would try to help themachieve it however she could.

“Do you think it will work?” Cynthia asked.

“No, but it’s a start.”

“I’m not as good at making Daddy like me the wayMichelle is.”

Emma thought that was terribly sad. A daughtershouldn’t feel like she had to make her father like her. He just should withoutquestion.

“Emma?” Cynthia asked when Emma stayed quiet.

“Yes?”

“I wanted to say sorry.”

Emma’s brow lifted. “For what?”

Cynthia’s gaze dropped to Emma’s flat stomach. “Daddysaid we shouldn’t say anything, just act like nothing was different.”

Oh.

Emma’s heart leaped into her throat, almost chokingher silent. “It’s okay.”

“Is it really?”

“No,” Emma admitted. “But it’s a lot better than itwas.”

“I’m still sorry.” Cynthia turned back to the displaycase and stared inside. “I need to find something for Cal.”

Emma did, too.

“I’ll help you look,” she said.

Cynthia smiled brightly. “Thanks, Emma.”

Teenagers weren’t as hard to like as everyone claimed.

Except for one …

“Are we done here or what?” came Michelle’s annoyedvoice from behind Emma. “I’ve got things to do. Better things. Just get him thegoddamn lighter, Cynthia. Daddy will shove it into his drawer like he does witheverything else we buy. Stop wasting time on him.”

The girl was more like her father than she knew.

Emma didn’t bother to tell her that, though.

Christmas rolled in quietly for the Donati home. Itwas one of the only holidays when Affonso didn’t open up his home with a largedinner and parties that went on for hours.

Emma was grateful.

She didn’t think she would be up for it.

The Christmas holiday brought with it a somber moodthat seemed to hang in every damn hall of the house. It was unavoidable.

Emma knew that Affonso’s first wife, his daughters’mother, had died close to Christmastime. It was probably hard on Cynthia andMichelle. They wanted to celebrate the holiday and enjoy their gifts, but itwas another reminder of their grief and losing their mom.

She understood.