mouth. “Would you like some, Adam?” she asks, always considerate.
“No, thank you,” he tells her, smiling. “You’re a polite little thing, aren’t you? Your dad must be proud.”
Cara’s face suddenly drops, and I kick Adam’s leg with my left foot.
“I don’t have a dad,” she whispers sadly.
Adam’s expression softens. “Well, then it’s his loss, because you are one pretty, kind little girl.”
Cara lifts her face. “That’s what Mom says too.”
“Your mom is right,” Adam says, then turns to me while Cara continues to eat. “My own sister won’t give me the time of day. Lana gives me evil looks I didn’t even know she was capable of. They want to see you. I’ll stay away, all right? You have your girls’ nights, or whatever. As long as a few of the men are there with all of you, I won’t cause any shit.”
“It’s fine—”
“Bailey,” he says, sighing. “They want to be around you as much as you want to be around them.”
I nod my head, giving in. “Okay then. I’d like that.”
“And Bailey?”
“Yes?”
I don’t miss the way his jaw tightens. “Stay away from Talon.”
I open my mouth but then close it. I’m not going to justify that comment with a response. I will stay away from Talon because I don’t like him like that, not because he tells me so. I also don’t want to start any unnecessary trouble with everyone, especially for Anna and Lana.
He nods his head, like he knows he’s gotten his point across, then looks to my daughter. “Nice to meet you, Cara.”
“You too, Adam.”
He pushes back his chair, stands, and returns to his table. The four of them leave moments later.
I try not to look at the beautiful woman by Adam’s side.
Every time I’ve seen him, he’s been with a different woman. Are they so replaceable to him? Just like I was. It hits me just how much he’s changed, how much I don’t know about him anymore.
He really isn’t Adam anymore.
He’s Rake.
When Cara and I finish eating, I go to pay the bill, only to find out it’s already been settled.
Is that his way of saying sorry?
I don’t know.
I don’t want to think about him at all.
SIX
ANYONE who says men don’t gossip is lying.
After getting phone calls from both Anna and Lana, demanding to know why they had to find out from Rake that I have a daughter, I told them I’d meet them tonight to catch up. Not over alcohol, but dinner instead. I told them I’d cook, so they could come over to my house.
I decided to make sushi, because I remembered Anna loved it, and some homemade spring rolls and a few other bites. Cara and I often cook together, trying new recipes. She loves to help bake cakes and other sweets, so we both made a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing for dessert. After finishing up in the kitchen, I take a quick shower and get dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt that’s tight around my boobs and a little loose around my stomach. I give Cara a bath and put her in her favorite pink pajamas.
“Your hair is getting so long,” I tell her as I gently brush it.
“I know,” she beams. “I like it. It’s like yours, almost.”
I smile at that. “It is. Maybe it will get even longer than mine.”
A knock at the door has me standing up and putting the brush down. “That will be them. Perfect timing.”
I walk to the front door with Cara next to me. Unlocking the door, I open it to see the beautiful faces of Anna and Lana, one of them carrying a bottle of wine, the other a wrapped gift.
“Hello,” I say, smiling and opening the door wider. They step inside, each giving me a warm hug and a hello before turning their attention to Cara.
“Aren’t you beautiful? I’m Anna, and this is for you,” Anna says, giving Cara the gift. Cara, with wide eyes, thanks them, then turns to me for approval.
“You can open it if you like,” I tell her, trying to hide a smile. “You guys didn’t have to do that.”
“We wanted to,” Lana says, holding up the bottle of wine. “We bought red wine too.”
“I can see that.” I laugh. “Come on, let’s go sit down. Do you want something to eat now? Or do you want to wait until later?”
“What did you make?” Anna asks curiously, checking out the inside of my house.
“I made your favorite,” I tell her, smiling and nodding