Finally (Neighbor from Hell #12) - R.L. Mathewson Page 0,26
you up, but you kept crying. The only thing that helped was when Daddy held you,” Dustin explained while Charlie laid there, unable to look away as Devin watched her through blue eyes that looked green from this angle. Without a word, he continued absently caressing her stomach as she realized just how much she liked being in his arms.
Chapter 12
“But, Daddy-”
“I said no,” Devin said quietly as he leaned over and kissed his baby girl’s wet forehead as she sat there, doing her best to look sad.
“I have all this love to give and nobody to give it to,” Abbi said with a helpless shrug and a sad shake of her head as she focused her attention on the rubber ducky floating past her.
“You have me,” he pointed out as he slowly poured water over her head, careful not to get any in her eyes as he rinsed her hair.
“I need more, Daddy. I need fluffiness,” Abbi said, nodding solemnly as she tilted her head back.
Chuckling, he said, “You’re not getting a dog.”
“What about a cat?”
“No.”
“A horse?”
“Yes.”
“Really?” she asked, looking really fucking hopeful.
“No,” Devin said, chuckling as he finished rinsing her hair while Abbi sat there, glaring at him.
“I will not forget this moment,” his baby girl warned him as she gestured for him to finish rinsing her hair.
“I’m sure you won’t,” Devin murmured, unable to help but smile.
“I won’t,” Abbi vowed with a firm nod.
“Would it make you feel better if I told you that I loved you?” Devin asked as he reached over and pulled the drain up.
“Only if you said it with fluffiness,” Abbi said with a long-suffering sigh as she grabbed hold of the side of the tub and stood up before gesturing towards her Mickey Mouse towel neatly folded on the small cabinet next to him with a heavily sighed, “You may dry me off.”
“You’re too good to me,” he drawled as he grabbed her towel.
“I know, Daddy,” Abbi said, raising her arms so that he could wrap the towel around her.
“How about this? You finish getting ready for bed so that I can get some work done and I’ll consider taking you to the zoo this weekend. Deal?” Devin asked as he picked her up and carried her out of the bathroom.
“Can Charlie come?” Abbi asked, sounding thoughtful as Devin carried her into her room and placed her on her bed.
“You really like Charlie, don’t you?” he asked as he grabbed her comb off her nightstand.
Nodding, Abbi said, “We’ve decided to keep her.”
“And why’s that?” Devin absently asked as he carefully began working the comb through her hair.
“She’s very nice,” Abbi said, nodding.
“Yes, she is,” Devin easily agreed, because Charlie was incredibly sweet, kind, and had felt so damn good in his arms today.
Too damn good…
It had been a long time since he’d held a woman, but he couldn’t remember a woman ever feeling that good before. The last time that he’d held a woman had been when Heather agreed to have the baby. He’d taken her in his arms and promised her that everything would be okay. It had also been the last time that he’d touched her other than holding her hand when the twins were born. By some unspoken agreement, they’d decided to end things after two years.
Once the twins were born, Heather moved to New York to finish law school and he’d decided to focus on the only thing that mattered to him, his children. He’d focused on taking care of them and making sure that they knew that they were loved and-
“She makes you smile, Daddy,” Abbi said as he finished combing her hair.
“You make me smile,” Devin said, leaning in to kiss the tip of her nose.
“But you always look sad, Daddy,” Abbi said, worrying her bottom lip.
“I’m not sad, sweetheart,” he promised her as he reached for his old Bradford Construction tee-shirt that she liked sleeping in.
“Not when Charlie’s around,” she said with a firm nod.
Sighing, Devin asked, “And what do I look like when Charlie’s around?”
“Happy,” Abbi said as he pulled the tee-shirt over her head.
“You and your brother make me happy,” he said, hating himself because that should be enough.
“You know what would make me happy, Daddy?” Abbi asked as he picked up the Disney princess panties that he’d had to go to six different stores to find for her and helped her pull them on.
Eyes narrowing on the devious little girl that owned half his heart, he said, “You’re not getting a puppy.”