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Park time was over. His careful timetable had just been blown to pieces. Some damage control was in order, but he couldn’t help feeling a tad smug.
Stella thought he was a better dad than darling Dennis.
Given Tyler’s sand-throwing proclivities, that wasa low bar, but Garrett had been a father for less than a day now. He’d take whatever victories he could get.
Chapter Fifty-Seven
EMMA
Her headache receded as the afternoon began to wane, but it was beginning to get dark before Emma finally felt human enough to open her eyes.
Guilt immediately set in. She had been home for less than a day before her stupid head wrecked things.
Stop that. You didn’t ruin anything.
They were her thoughts, but Emma heard them in Garrett’s voice.Yes, her quality time with Stella and her mom was dwindling fast. But Garrett could fly them over for Christmas in addition to their Thanksgiving visit.
Not that she’d wait that long to make it up to them. She would begin now, starting with getting out of bed.
Pushing herself up, Emma managed to sit up only to have to lie back down when a wave of dizziness overcame her.
Okay, a little slower. Stella had waited this long to play family with her stuffed animals, hadn’t she? Besides, they would have way more fun at Thanksgiving when she and Mariana came to San Diego.
She just hoped Garrett was getting along okay. The last thing she’d wanted to do was abandon him to her mother’s tender mercies.
Not that Mariana would be outright rude or unwelcoming.However, her perception of men tended to be influenced by how well her relationships were going. Emma wasn’t sure how she’d cope with having a man with Garrett’s presence around without her to act as a buffer.
It might have been better if he’d taken the opportunity to go and visit his aunt after taking Stella to the park. She’d fully expected him to, but she could hear him moving around downstairs. That heavy tread on the wood was unmistakable. That and he appeared to be having a very animated conversation with Stella.
She couldn’t hear the words, but the tone was everything. It sounded like bright sunshine, even through the floorboards. Emma took a moment to marvel at the miracle of falling in love with a genuinely good man.
Her savoring was cut short when a flurry of small footsteps signaled Stella’s imminent arrival. She was groggy, but happy as Stella pushed her door open, sticking her little face in the crack.
“Psst. Are you awake?” Stella said in a loud whisper-shout.
Emma rolled over. “Hey, peanut.”
Stella gasped and turned to look behind her. “She’s awake!”
The bed bounced and a warm sparkle-clad body pressed against her.
Garrett appeared at the threshold. He stopped and stared at them with an arrested look on his face. He lifted his phone, snapping a picture with an oddly wistful smile.
He walked around the bed and climbed on her other side, wrapping a hand around her waist before pressing a kiss to her hair. “Do you feel better?”
“A bit foggy but much better. Give me a minute and I will wash up and come down.” She turned back to Stella. “I’m sorry I missed the park.”
“It was fun!” her sister chirped. Then she made big eyes at Garrett. “Now?” she whispered.
“Almost,” he replied.
Bemused, Emma turned to look over her shoulder at her crafty husband. “What do you two rascals have planned?”
“It’s not a plan. It’s your secret! We know your secret!”
Turning back to Stella, Emma furrowed her brow.
“You do?” she asked, playing along. “What is it?”