Total pages in book: 114
Estimated words: 110721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 110721 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 554(@200wpm)___ 443(@250wpm)___ 369(@300wpm)
Using the app on his cell phone, he opened the garage door and parked his sled between Taryn’s Pilot and his prized ’67 Ford F-100 Flareside. The restored vintage truck was a lot older than him. Since being repainted in that candy-apple red metallic paint, it was prettier than him, too.
Stepping back out of the garage and into the afternoon sun, he saw—surprise fuckin’ surprise—Sunny actually remained where he told her. His daughter’s life was about to change the second she walked through the back door and he wanted to be by her side when that happened.
Plus, even at ten, Sunny could be pretty fucking mouthy. Just like fucking Sheena. And he didn’t want to scare Taryn off not even a couple of hours after the prospects got finished moving in her shit.
Stone needed Taryn because Sunny needed Taryn, even if his daughter didn’t know it yet.
That meant he needed to keep the woman not only safe, but content.
It also meant he’d be sleeping on the fucking couch for a while. She refused to move in until he agreed with that. While that sucked, it would be another sacrifice he was willing to make when it came to his baby girl.
He took Sunny’s backpack from her and flung one of the straps over his shoulder. “C’mon. Taryn’s waitin’ to meet you. You be nice, yeah?”
She rolled her eyes at him. Just like fucking Sheena.
He should’ve picked a better sperm receptacle for his kid. But then, he hadn’t planned on any of his swimmers having a fucking playdate with her scrambled eggs.
Sunny wrinkled her nose. “Why does she need to move in with us?”
“She needs my help and I need hers, that’s fuckin’ why. Made a deal.”
“But I like to hang out with Juicy and Loosey.”
“That’s the problem,” he muttered under his breath.
Sunny peered up at him as they climbed the deck steps. “What help does she need?”
“Her ex is a bad man.”
“That’s what Mom says about you.”
Stone ground his teeth. He struggled to not say bad shit about her mother. At least in front of her. All bets were off when Sunny wasn’t in earshot.
“He hit her.”
Sunny stopped at the door. “You said boys aren’t supposed to hit girls.”
“Damn right. Any ever touch you, you tell me and I’m gonna handle it.” He unlocked the door—besides making her park in the garage, he insisted Taryn keep the doors locked when he wasn’t around—and indicated that Sunny should precede him inside.
“So, she’s not a patch who—”
Stone slapped a hand over her mouth before Taryn could hear the rest. He leveled a warning look at his baby girl.
She bugged her little brown eyes at him like she was innocent.
She was far from that.
He wasn’t afraid of much, but one thing that scared the shit out of him was how Sunny would act once she was a teen. Or, hell, even a tween.
Her teenage years were going to kill him. Just dig a goddamn hole and preorder his headstone now. No autopsy needed.
Cause of death: Girl dad.
Any man who had one would nod and simply understand.
With a hand on his daughter’s shoulder, he steered her into the kitchen. Taryn was fussing with something on the counter.
Whatever she was cooking made his fucking mouth water and the house smell the best it had ever smelled.
He had given Taryn a wad of cash yesterday and sent a prospect along with her to the supermarket in Sunbury to stock the kitchen however she wanted.
Apparently, that was scratch well spent.
He couldn’t put the introduction off any longer. He squeezed Sunny’s shoulder to remind her to behave.
When Taryn turned, her gaze skipped over him and landed right on his girl. “Hi!” The smile she wore wasn’t forced but warm and welcoming.
“Hi,” Sunny greeted, not as enthusiastically. She turned to glance up at Stone, “Daaaad—”
“No.” He glanced over at Taryn to see that smile had slipped a little. Fuck. “Taryn, this is the fruit of my loins, Sunny. Sunny, this is Taryn.”
Taryn straightened her smile and asked his girl, “Is Sunny a nickname?”
When Sunny didn’t answer, he nudged her.
When she still didn’t answer, Stone did it for her. “Sunflower.”
“Oh! Sunflower is such a beautiful name.”
“It’s stupid,” Sunny grumbled.
Of fuckin’ course.
Taryn quickly recovered her surprise. Whether it was due to learning Sunny’s full name or because of his daughter’s attitude, Stone wasn’t sure. “It’s unique.”
“Dumb,” his daughter grumbled.
“For fuck’s sake, be glad your mother didn’t name you Nut Sack,” he growled.
Taryn’s mouth gaped for a second as she turned wide eyes toward him. “Nut Sack?”
“Prospect,” he answered.
“Oh, I thought his name was Gooch.”
“Sent Gooch with you yesterday, but he ain’t the only prospect.”
“Oh. Did he choose that nickname?”
“Fuck no.”
Her eyes widened again when he cursed. This time he realized it was an unspoken message. He shrugged in answer. “So, anyway, now you two met.”