Page 28 of A Daddy for Christmas 3: Rowan

He scrunches his lips up thoughtfully. “I can be good. Patient, I’m not so sure about.”

I chuckle. “Try, boy.”

“Okay, Daddy. I’ll try.”

10

ROWAN

Lunch is amazing. I offer to split the bill, but Damon insists on paying. Afterwards, we brave the gardens, which are beautiful in the snow.

“We should have bought coats, hats, and gloves at the charity shop,” I muse.

Damon holds my left hand, keeping it warm, and I stuff my right hand in the pocket of my new-to-me jeans. Along with a Pride T-shirt, I also picked up a thick, snuggly jumper this morning, so I’m chilly but not bone cold like I was before Damon offered to keep me warm in the car last night. He’s also wearing a new-to-him jumper and thick mustard-yellow corduroy trousers that look like they were made in the 1970s.

“If you’re cold, we can go inside,” he says.

“I’m fine. For now. I’ve got to know: do your parents know what kind of business you and Nigel have?”

“It’s Nigel’s business, really. I’m just a partner.”

“Just? From what you said earlier, you built it up together.”

Damon shrugs. “It was his vision; he dragged me along for the ride. I’m happy to be involved, but I leave all the big decisions to him.”

“Uh-huh. But do yourparentsknow what you design and sell?”

“Yes.”

I gape at him. “Really? Wow!”

“Do your parents know who you work for?” he asks.

“No. I’d be too embarrassed to have that conversation with them.”

He tilts his head. “Why?”

“Because there are things I don’t want them to know about me. My sex life, for a start.”

“Working for a sex toy company doesn’t tell them anything about your sex life.”

“Oh, no, of course not,” I say sarcastically. “Do you have any other siblings?”

“Just Nigel.”

“What’s it like, owning a business with your brother?”

He scratches his jaw. “It can be a pain in the arse, especially when he decides to dump all the work on me while he swans off to fuck knows where.”

“You don’t even know where he is?”

“No clue. Just that he got there via a plane.”

“Do you know when he’s coming back?”

“The New Year.”

“It was shitty of him to do that to you.”