Daddy in Disguise (Crescent Cove 7)

“Dude, you met my sister. She watches those things day in and day out this time of year. If I want to see my niece, I get that as background noise. Always with the noise.”

“Yeah, the noise thing never stops. Sorry, bud.”

August sighed. “They’re cheesy, but they do those endings better than any action movie. At least when it comes to the romance stuff. Macy probably needs over the top romance more than any other woman in town. I don’t know her story, but if she’s got that kind of shit in her head, she’s probably been pretty hurt before.”

“She has.” I’d blundered my way right into hurting her because I was too afraid to face the truth. She had to pick me. And I really didn’t trust that she would.

I’d fucked up just as badly as she had.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I dug it out and swore. I was racking up the points for being an absolute dick, that was for sure. Lucky for me, Jessica had taken that one moment to be the responsible parent while I had a temper tantrum.

Jesus.

The text was from Jessica with a picture of Dani holding a huge pumpkin with misshapen eyes and a wide cut-out smile missing one front tooth, just like my daughter.

I have to catch a flight or I’d take her for the night. Is everything okay with Macy?

It will be. Where are you? I’ll come pick up Dani.

We’re at the Hummingbird. They were having a pumpkin carving party.

I laughed. Guess that was my sign.

I’ll be right there.

I grinned at August. “I think I just figured out my big reveal.”

“Awesome. Pictures, or it didn’t happen. At least that’s what Ivy says.”

“If she says yes, there will be all the pictures.”

“Yes?”

“I’m going for the holy grail.”

August’s eyes went w

ide. “Dude, I said get your woman back, not propose.”

“It’s all or nothing at this point.”

He whistled and held out a hand. “Good luck.”

I hauled him in for a hard hug. “If you could put the finished armoire in Macy’s office here, I’d appreciate it.”

“You got it.”

I strode out of The Haunt and to my truck in the back. I wasn’t sure if this was smart, but I had a feeling August was right. Macy needed all the big gestures. I’d all but told her I loved her earlier today. And I’d seen the shock under the hurt.

The fact that she didn’t know I loved her already was definitely on me.

Before I went to The Hummingbird’s Nest, I called every damn pumpkin patch in the county. I’d need a damn lot of pumpkins for this plan to work.

There were a ton of cars parked near the bed and breakfast, and the squeal of children greeted me as soon as I opened the door to the dining room.

Sage Hamilton was in the middle of it all, clad in a crazy orange shirt with flashing lights set in the pumpkin face. She was directing parents and children in the fine art of using a template. Oliver, her husband, was off to the side with their daughter, cutting precise circles for the eyeholes of her jack-o-lantern.

I spotted my daughter and my ex with a clear poncho over her clothes. I was surprised to see as much pumpkin juice near her and on her makeshift smock. Dani spotted me and gave me a huge gap-toothed smile.