Daddy in Disguise (Crescent Cove 7)

At least she was on board. Whew.

“Okay. Now I’ve got a plan. But I think I need help from everyone in here.” I stood up and took her sticky hand. It was probably going to get a lot stickier. “Let’s go talk to Miss Sage.”

I crossed the room to where Sage was counting pumpkins. “Oliver, did you pick out a pumpkin to carve stars into for our little girl?”

Oliver had their curly-haired daughter on his hip. “We’ve carved three pumpkins already.”

“Our little Star deserves all the pumpkins.” She turned around and gave me a wide smile. “Why, John Gideon, I’m so glad you made it. Your little girl is a master pumpkin carver.”

I shook her hand and smiled down at her. “Good thing. I’m going to need some assistance. I’ve got three different farms delivering pumpkins.”

She looked down at the pallet of pumpkins. “I think we have enough.”

“Not for what I have in mind. I’m going to need a lot of help.” I turned to Oliver. “And a big favor, which may turn into a sale if I’m lucky.”

“Sale? Those are magic words for a realtor.” Oliver brushed a kiss along his daughter’s temple. “I’m intrigued. Guess we have some things to discuss.”

“It’s going to take a lot of pumpkins and a lot of help from my friends.” Plus a metric ton of luck.

And love, but hopefully we had that part squared away.

Sage grinned. “Is there romance in this little favor?”

“Of course there is.”

Sage clapped just like Dani had a moment ago. “I’m so in.”

Twenty

“You can do this. You can do this.” I stared at myself in the mirror in my bathroom. I’d been hiding in my freaking apartment for the last thirty minutes. I couldn’t face watching the door to see if people would actually arrive.

“Of course you can do this, you’re a badass.”

I whirled at the sound of Rylee’s voice, my heart racing. “You’re like one of my damn cats.”

Ry grinned, propping her hand on her scarlet red-clad hip. She wore a form-fitting wrap dress that belied the fact that she’d been pregnant recently. “My child is a ninja. I had to adapt.”

“More like you’re a Houdini.”

She flipped me off. “It’s not breaking in if you gave me a key.”

“Obviously, I had a moment of insanity.” I stepped out of my bathroom to find we weren’t alone.

Dahlia was using my full-length mirror to fluff out her midnight skirt. Little crystal chips sparkled like stars as the hem of the skirt floated around her knees. “Did I just hear you being a bitch ass in there?”

“Sue me, I’m a little nervous.”

“You’re the most capable woman I know. You’re going to rock this shit tonight.” She narrowed her eyes at me. “I’m wearing a dress. You should be too.”

I smoothed my hands over my hips. I was wearing a short skirt with matching black tights. “I’m not a dress girl. But hey, you got me in a skirt.” I actually had a dress for the Halloween grand opening for the public. This was just a dry run for friends and family to show off my place.

I squashed down the quick pang that none of my family would be there. My mom and dad hadn’t been a big part of my life for years, but I hated that I’d lost touch with my brother. I hated that he hadn’t believed in me. And the man who should be my family wasn’t here either.

Gideon.

Oh, he might be at the party because his company had worked on The Haunt, but he wouldn’t be there for me.

Your own fault.