“Hey, Chloe?” I ask, making my way through town.
“Are we there yet?” she asks, her face full of excitement.
“Not quite yet, sweetheart. Just a few more minutes.” I adjust myself in my seat. “I have a question for you. About Miss Haven.”
“She’s going to be there too, right?”
“She is, yes.” I swallow hard. Why is this so difficult to talk to my daughter? “Anyway, I wanted to, well, I just wanted to ask if you like Miss Haven. Do you? Like her, I mean?” Jesus, I’m sweating.
“I love her, Daddy. She’s my bestest friend, besides Kimmy at preschool who lets me pick my Barbie first. And we share grapes because it’s good to share, right, Daddy?”
“Yes, baby, it’s good to share. And I’m really glad you like Miss Haven.”
“Can we get pizza with her later?”
“No, not tonight. You’re going to Mommy’s after we see the animals, and you’ll stay with her for two nights,” I say, turning off the roadway and heading toward Haven’s country home.
“Yay! But will you have pizza with Miss Haven tonight?” she asks innocently.
“Yeah, I will probably take her to a nice dinner somewhere.”
“’Cause that’s what boys do when they love girls?”
She’s making this easier than I expected.
“Actually, yes, that’s what they do. It’s always good to spend time together. Is that okay? If I spend time with her?”
“Yep, Daddy! ’Cause you’re gonna marry her, like Mommy and Dave. And then I can be the big sister, but only if I gets a little sister. I don’t want a smelly brother.”
I can’t help but laugh as I pull into the Deckers’ farm. I park out of the way by the barn, turn off the ignition, and hop out of the truck. The moment my daughter is unbuckled with both feet on the ground, I crouch down and meet her eye. “Are you okay with me going to dinner with Miss Haven? And having her at the house?”
“Can she sleep in my room, Daddy? We can snuggle in my bed,” she asks with big, innocent eyes.
Grinning, I reply, “She’ll have more room in my bed though. You like to kick, remember?”
“Oh, right!” she declares. We both turn toward the house and see Haven headed our way, a picnic basket in her hand and a wide smile across her stunning face. “Can I go now?”
I place a kiss on Chloe’s forehead. “Yes, sweetheart, you can go now.”
She takes off like she’s shot from a gun and practically knocks Haven over when she reaches her legs. I trail slightly behind as they walk hand in hand toward the big barn, Haven telling Chloe all about the animals they have. When we reach the barn, Mr. and Mrs. Decker are there and pause from the chores they’re doing to offer polite greetings.
Chloe listens intently as Haven takes her from the horses to the goats before finally heading back outside to the large coop behind the barn. “Are these the chickens?” my daughter asks, her eyes dancing with excitement.
“They are,” Haven confirms, releasing the latch and opening the gate.
“Daddy, look! Chickens!” Chloe hollers, heading over to where they roam freely in a large fenced area. The moment she gets close to any, they flap their wings and run away.
“You’ve made her entire day,” I say to Haven as I step up beside her.
She’s grinning, her eyes watching my daughter try to catch a chicken. “She has made mine,” she whispers.
“Daddy, do you see that one? He looks like my chicken at home.”
“You’re right, he does,” I confirm, as Haven’s mom, Barb, comes out of the main barn with a basket.
“Are you ready to help collect eggs? I saved some just for you, sweet girl,” she says as she enters the fenced-in area. Barb takes Chloe over to the coop and shows her how to retrieve the eggs. She hangs on Barb’s every word, doing exactly as she instructs.
“Would you like to get dinner tonight?” I ask, keeping one eye on my daughter.
Haven steps up beside me and leans her head against my shoulder. “I’d love to. Will Chloe be joining us?”
I shake my head. “She’s with her mom until Monday. We get the rest of the weekend,” I answer, wiggling my eyebrows suggestively.
The most breathtaking grin spreads across her face. “That sounds nice, but we could just stay in if you’d prefer.”
My cock jumps in my pants. “As much as I’d love to keep you locked in my room all weekend, I’d rather take you to dinner first so I can show you off. How about the steakhouse on Main Street?”
“Oliver’s? Do they still serve that hash brown croquette?”
“God, yes. My stomach just growled thinking about it,” I confirm. “Do you remember ordering a bunch of those to-go, grabbing chocolate milkshakes, and heading out to that hill back behind your parents’ barn?”