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Avery’s mouth formed an O. “You love us?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
She still didn’t look convinced. “But then why didn’t that man know?”
“I hadn’t told him. But everyone else knows. My whole family, even your grandparents.”
That seemed to win her over, because her little face lit up with a smile that rivaled the one she gave me when we went shopping at Bergdorf.
“So you still like us?” she asked, as if it was just a normal fact to check.
“Yes, I do. I always will. I promise.”
Before they came into my life, I would’ve stayed at the office to make sure I was on top of the situation at hand, but last night, I hadn’t even hesitated to book my ticket. I’d never give Avery or Heather even the slightest reason to doubt that they meant everything to me. For as long as I lived, I’d take care of them.
Avery laid the puppy on her shoulder, not minding that it was licking all over her ear. She had something on her mind.
“Is there something you want to tell me, Avery? You can ask me anything.”
She glanced up at me for a beat before pulling the puppy to her chest. What was going on?
“Do you want to be my dad?” she whispered.
I gripped the edge of the step I was sitting on tight. “Yes, I f—do.” I’d almost said fucking do. Jesus. “Yes. But you didn’t want that before. Are you sure?”
She looked up, nodding energetically. “Yes. You buy me everything I want, and you love us. I think you will be a good dad.”
“I promise I will.”
She got up from the stairs and threw one little arm around me, holding the puppy in the other one. Laughing, I rose to my feet, hoisting them both up. She trusted me enough to tell me her fears. She wanted me to be her dad. I couldn’t wrap my mind around that yet.
“I’m going to tell Mom you’re here,” she said.
“Actually, I’d like to talk to her first. And when she asks about what we talked about, maybe don’t tell her everything.”
“Why?” she asked suspiciously.
“I have a few surprises for her.”
Avery frowned for a split second, but then her expression lit up and she bounced up and down in my arms.
“Can we take her with us to New York?” she asked, pointing her chin to the golden retriever. Remembering what Heather said about Mrs. Prescott bribing her with animals to come here, I put two and two together. She wanted a dog to keep quiet? Talk about being an excellent negotiator.
“Sure, we can see what your mom thinks about it too,” I said. Avery frowned again, putting the puppy down on the porch. I wondered if she was reconsidering her decision about me being her dad.
“Ready to go to the fair? Jill is already waiting for us,” Mrs. Prescott told Avery the second we returned inside the house.
“Yes.” Avery climbed down from my arms, heading to her grandparents. “I want to tell Mom that Ryker is here, but he says he wants to do it.”
The corner of Mr. Prescott’s mouth tugged upward. His wife chuckled.
“I think that’s a great idea,” Mrs. Prescott said. “Ryker, see you and Heather later. Keys to the house are on the kitchen counter.” Then she added with a wink, “We’ll be gone for about two hours.”
They headed to the front door, explaining to Avery in hushed voices why it was a good thing for me to talk to Heather alone.
