Page 4 of Unruly

“Where’s Ma?” Cross asked.

“Packing up Cece’s things.”

“Ah.”

Cece tugged on her father’s pants with a firm hand. “Daddy?”

Instantly, Cross was on his knees. He drifted his fingers through his daughter’s waist-length brown waves as she grabbed his face in both her tiny hands.

“What, mia topina?”

It was a horrible nickname for her.

She was nothing like a little mouse.

Not at all quiet.

She still loved it.

He kept using it.

“Cary has baby brudder,” Cece said.

Cross chuckled. “Does he?”

Cary, a four year old neighbor that lived across the street from his parents’ home, regularly came to play with Cece when she was with her grandparents.

“Yes, and I wants one, too.”

Cross tried to hide his smirk as he looked up at the ceiling. “That’s not really how it works, Cece.”

“I wants one, too, Daddy!”

Did he mention his daughter was spoiled?

Because she was.

Entirely.

“We can get a brudder at the shop,” Cece said matter-of-fact.

“First, you can’t go to the store and get a baby brother. We don’t shop for siblings, Cece. That’s not how it works.”

“Can, too. Grandmamma says! I wants one, Daddy.”

Calisto cleared his throat from his position leaning against the wall. “Yes, Cross, go get her a baby brother from the shop.”

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

He shot his father a glare over his daughter’s shoulder, silently shouting for the man to shut up. Once Cece got her mind made up on something, she was having it no matter what anyone said. She also learned pretty early on that her parents weren’t very good at telling her no.

“We can get a brudder at the shop, Daddy.”

“No, you can’t, but—”

“I’s telling Ma.”

Yes, his daughter’s best defense when she was told no by her father was to go to her mother. Or vice versa. At this moment, that absolutely worked for Cross.