The Single Dad (The Dalton Brothers 3)

Five

Ford

“Daddy, what are we doing today?”

Everly’s voice pulled me from my dream, and I slowly opened my eyes, seeing my little girl’s head resting on my chest. She’d come in at some point in the middle of the night, waking me almost every hour with her feet. But this position, the way she looked up at me, soft and snuggly, made up for the lack of sleep.

“What do you want to do today, baby?”

“Hmm.” She rubbed my prickly beard, her fingers getting lost in my whiskers.

“We can do anything you want.”

She sat up, resting one of her legs across me, her eyes wide and lit. “Anythiiing?”

“Well, within reason.” I pushed her curls out of her face. “I know, given the opportunity, you’d pick Disney, which wouldn’t be practical today, or to go to Uncle Jenner’s house in Utah—also not an option.”

“I want to have pancakes with the girls.”

“What girls, baby?” The braid I’d put in her hair last night had fallen so loose, and her hair was a wild nest. I pulled the elastic out of the bottom and tried to form it all into a ponytail, tying it together.

“Hannah and Syd.”

I chuckled, trying to think of a way around this.

“Daddy, I’m going to help you make a big batch of chocolate chip pancakes. And wear my sparkly pink dress. And they can come over and eat them. Okaaay?”

“Eve, I don’t think Hannah is available today—”

“Just call her. Pleeease.”

I glanced at the tablet on my nightstand to check the time. My cousin was certainly awake at this hour. She barely slept. Hell, when I had been her age, in law school, I hadn’t either.

“You want me to call her right now and ask her?”

She nodded so furiously that the ends of her long curls hit her eyes.

I grabbed my phone next to the tablet and found Hannah’s number, holding my cell to my ear.

“Put it on speaker, Daddy.”

This child was far too smart. Soon, it would be impossible to get anything past her.

I hit the button for the speakerphone and set my cell on my chest.

“Ford,” Hannah started as she answered, “if you’re calling me to babysit—”

“Hannah!” Everly shouted. “Come over. I wanna have a pancake party.” Her sparkly pink nails were now playing with my fingers. “I will be the flipper. We can make them super gooey with a whole bunch of chocolate chips.”

“Oh, my little bestie, that sounds amazing,” Hannah replied.

“They will be so yummy. Because chocolate is our faaave. Besides, Daddy doesn’t make the gooey ones right. You have to come. Pleeease.”

“How can I turn down an offer like that?”

“Yay!” She clapped her hands together, her dimple so pronounced that I had to lean forward and kiss it. “Will Syd come?”

“Who?” Hannah asked.

“Your cookie friend,” Everly responded.

“The friend you gave a ride home to,” I added, reminding her of the clusterfuck she’d helped me get out of. “Isn’t she going out of town to visit family today?”

“Ohhh,” Hannah groaned. “Yes, you’re right; she is.”

Everly’s bottom lip stuck out. “She can’t come to my party?”

“No, bestie, but I’ll be there. Won’t that make up for it?”

“What about Uncle D and Uncle Jenner? Can they come?” Eve asked us. “And Mimi and Papa?”

“Mimi and Papa are in San Diego this weekend,” I said. “They won’t be able to come.”

“But I think you should call Dominick and Jenner,” Hannah suggested. “If they’re free, I bet they’d love some of your pancakes.”

“Can I call them, Daddy?”

I chuckled.

Only my daughter could put together a breakfast party at eight in the morning. But if this was what she chose to do—to spend time with her family over everything else—I knew I had one special kid.

“We’ll hang up with Hannah and give them a call, baby. How does that sound?”

“The bestest!” Eve sang.

“Good.” I took the phone off speaker mode and held it to my ear. “Hannah, you’re also the bestest.”

“You owe me. Again. I’m thinking a new car sounds like the perfect—”

“See you soon,” I said, laughing, and I hung up.

“Daaaddy, I need to go put on my dress.” She wiggled her leg off me and pushed her little butt to the end of the bed, jumping onto the floor.

“Don’t you think we should call your uncles first to make sure they can come over?”

“You call.” Her tiny, bare feet started to run. “I have to go get ready.”

“Don’t run!” I yelled as she rushed out of my room. “Be careful on the stairs. One at a time, and use the railing.”

“I knooow.”

That girl, I thought, shaking my head.

I didn’t want to call the boys in case they were still sleeping, so I pulled up the group text we constantly had going between the three of us and started typing.

Me: Your niece would like to cordially invite you to the breakfast party she’s having this morning. She’s in her room right now, putting on her party dress. She’ll be terribly disappointed if you can’t attend. No pressure.

Dominick: Is she doing the cooking?

Jenner: Because if it’s you making those pancakes and not her, I’m not coming.

Me: Dicks.

Dominick: Chef Craig is due at my place around 9. I’ll text him and send him to your house instead, letting him know we’re switching days.

Me: It’s just pancakes. I think I can handle it.