Page 48

Taking Hallie to my favorite place to eat means everything to me. I can’t wait to bring her here with Matt and our baby—our little family eating in a booth like normal families do.

I’ve been brought up with luxury and fine dining, but I’ve always shied away from any of that, forging my own path. My father allowed me the freedom to dress how I like and ride a motorbike while my brothers were chauffeur driven for one of two reasons. One, he didn’t want to push me away like he had my brother Ricardo, and two, I was the youngest of the family, so the chances of needing me to become the heir were slim. Therefore, I didn’t matter too much. Not that he ever made me feel that way, but the freedom I was allowed compared to my brothers proved it.

So, while my brothers were robbed of their freedom, I was given mine with a veiled understanding that I would one day marry the girl expected of me. Of course, there was only ever me who knew that day would never come.

The bell chimes as I open the diner door and step inside, pulling Hallie in with me.

Celia spins on her tennis shoes and faces me before registering my girl. Then she claps. “There she is!”

Celia is in her midsixties, with her silver hair in a bun, a typical diner waitress uniform, and an apron around her waist. She practically springs toward us, making me chuckle at her overenthusiasm. Then she throws her arms around a shell-shocked Hallie, and I grin from ear to ear. “Oh my, she’s beautiful. Isn’t she beautiful?”

“She is.” I nod.

“, you have yourself a beauty right here. You better look after her, do you hear me?” She glares at me.

“Yes, ma’am.”

Then she swats at my arm. “You charmer, you. Come, I have saved you the booth you like.” She takes Hallie by the hand, and I follow behind, chuckling at the way Hallie looks like a deer caught in the headlights. Celia practically pushes Hallie into the booth, and I follow, taking up the space beside her. She quickly hands over the menus while her bright-blue eyes trace every part of Hallie, as if in awe at finally getting to meet the girl I’ve told her so much about.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your order.” Celia winks, then rushes off toward the kitchen.

“You know there’s a space right there, don’t you?” Hallie points toward the vacant seat in front of us, and I widen my legs farther.

“I like to be next to you.” I grin.

“Of course you do.” She rolls her eyes. “What’s all that about?” She waves her hand toward Celia’s retreating form.

“I told her about you.”

“I gathered.”

“I needed to tell someone about Daddy’s little obsession.” Her breath hitches when I bury my face in her neck, placing gentle kisses beneath her ear, and she squirms in her seat.

“More like Daddy’s deception.”

I chuckle at her words. “That too.” She has no idea how deep the deceit runs, and hopefully, she will never find out, but with my plans falling into place, we will be too far gone for it to make a difference.

Celia clears her throat. “Do you two love birds know what you’d like to order?”

“We’ll have two Cokes with ice and lemon and two bacon cheeseburgers and smothered fries,” I say, without lifting my head from Hallie’s neck.

“I’ll be right back with those drinks.” She giggles as she retreats.

I nip at Hallie’s neck, leaving a mark, and she pulls back. “Seriously, ? You’re marking me?”

“Little Red, you’ve no idea what mark I plan on leaving on you tonight.”

She pulls back with furrowed brows, and I grin.

“Here we are, two Cokes with ice and lemon.” Celia places the drinks down on the table, then claps. “So, tell me, when’s the little one due?”