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Hector liked that name. They should look into changing Zoe’s last name.
“Yeah. That’s my kid.” He bellowed Zoe’s name up the stairs.
“I’m here!” Zoe announced dramatically as she jumped off the last few steps of the stairs.
He caught her mid-air and she clasped her arms and legs around him. The kid was quite the monkey.
“Who’s it from?”
The guy looked on his clipboard. “Some Kristoff, no last name.”
“Uncle Kris sent me a present!”
He winced when Zoe nearly blew up his ear. He signed the paper that was shoved under his nose, and the courier left the package in the corridor.
As soon as Hector closed the door behind him, Zoe climbed off him and attacked the box. The piece of carton didn’t stand a chance against a six-year-old.
“Uncle Kris got me a Wii!”
“That’s very nice of him,” Mary said.
Hector cocked a brow. “How come he gets to buy her stuff and when I want to, you tell me no?”
“I want her to learn the value of money,” Mary explained.
“Clearly, Kristoff didn’t get that memo.”
“Clearly.”
“I have to thank Uncle Kris,” Zoe decided.
“Why don’t you let me do that?” Mary said, as she took out her phone. “You’re going to be late for your friend’s party.”
Hector grinned. “Don’t forget to give him hell for spoiling her.”
“Of course,” she hastily agreed.
He pulled her close and whispered, “You’re so full of shit.”
“I’m totally going to scold him!” she shouted after him.
She so wasn’t.
After taking Zoe to her friend Kim’s house, he returned home. He wanted to see Mary before she left for her night out.
She was standing in front of the hallway mirror, putting on her shoes. Fuck, she was beautiful. A sight for sore eyes in her deep purple skirt that ended just above her knees, her silver pumps that made her long legs go on for miles, and her top that…
“Where’s the rest of your shirt?”
She spun around, an arm cocked on her hip. “Do you like it? It was Jazzy’s turn to pick the theme this month.”
No, he didn’t fucking like it.
“Theme?” he forced himself to ask.
“Every month, one of us gets to pick a dress code. Jazzy went for backless.” She gave a wicked smile. “Next month, it’s my turn. I was thinking of boho chic with animal print. I can’t wait to see what Tommie will come up with. He always has this crazy apparel. No idea where he finds the stuff.”
“Hold on. I’m coming with.” He put his boots back on.