Page 49 of Who’s Your Daddy (Dadcoms #1)

Lola

“ C al,” I call as I get to the top of the stairs.

Please, please, please let all the plants be alive. The fish too .

All was well when I popped up here to check while Cal took Murphy to school. Though I can’t imagine the plants would wither this quickly, the same cannot be said about the fish.

He’ll be fine one minute, then bam , he’s belly up at the top of the tank. We’re currently on fish number six. Damn Madame E and her prediction. Every day it gets a little harder to doubt the woman.

Though this fish has been hanging on for almost two weeks, I don’t dare to hope.

At least I know the cat’s okay. Brian and the cat that definitely thinks its name is Damnit returned from their afternoon walk fifteen minutes ago. How he managed to get Fuzzy to come upstairs afterward rather than curl up on the couch in his office is a mystery, but he managed it.

If Brian hadn’t been such a dick about Cal and me, I’d feel bad. Instead, I can’t help but believe this is karma.

“Cal?” I call again as I turn the doorknob .

Sully insisted I come up here, but from the silence that greets me, I don’t think Cal is here.

As the door creaks open, my jaw drops to the floor.

Fuck. Roses are far more difficult to take care of than any of the other plants up here. Just as the thought crosses my mind, I realize that the dozens of them scattered around the room are already cut.

“Cal?” This time my tone is much less where are you and much more what the actual fuck are you doing now.

Because the man is standing in the middle of the half lit room surrounded by roses with a giant cat at his feet.

Fuzzy, who’s chewing on a black cube-shaped object—a new toy, maybe?—blinks at me, but is quickly preoccupied by his find.

“Lola.” Cal stands tall, his dark hair neatly combed and his face lit up. “You mean everything to me. You and Murphy. You’re my everything.”

Closing the door behind me, I survey the space more carefully. The pomp and circumstance with which he’s greeting me puts me on alert. God, if this is his way of asking me to move in…

Not that I don’t want to, but we haven’t been dating long, and this place is already packed full.

“I know you want job security,” he says, taking a step closer. “And a future with the firm. And you know what I always say, whatever Lola wants …”

“I’m not worried about my job, Cal.” After Sloane’s argument about my work situation, I sat her down and spelled it all out for her. And I really think I got through to her.

And that gives me hope that this wild year in Jersey might actually be a success.

“Good. You shouldn’t be.” He takes my hands in his. “I know just how to ensure the firm is always yours. We’ll put your name on it, too.”

This man is so sweet, but sometimes he’s so ridiculous. “Cal,” I hedge. Fuck, I hate to crush his spirit, but if I don’t stop this now, there’s no telling how far he’ll take the idea. “That’s not how this works. I’m not an attorney, you can’t just list my name along with yours and Brian’s.”

His smile grows, if that’s possible. “I don’t have to add anything to make it happen. Not if your name is mine.”

And then the man drops to his knee in front of me, head tipped back, eyes dancing with excitement.

Panic grips my chest. Oh no. What is he doing?

With a tug on his hand, I inhale sharply, but before I can open my mouth to shut him down, he says, “Shhh, you’ll ruin it.”

What? I’m not the one ruining anything.

“Lola,” he says. “All I need is us. You and me and Murphy. Together. Forever. So, will you do me the biggest honor of my life and marry me?”

I stare down at him, unable to breathe.

“Fuzzy.” With one hand still holding mine, he pulls a treat out of his pocket.

Instantly, the cat is at his side, the black toy pinched between his teeth, making one side of his mouth bulge.

“Give it to her buddy.” Cal holds out the treat.

Instead of dropping what I can now see is a ring box in favor of the treat, the cat swallows it.

“No.” Cal lunges at the giant feline, but it’s too late, the box is gone. Down his throat.

“No, fuzzy,” Cal whines. “You weren’t supposed to eat her ring.”

He clutches the cat’s snout and pulls, trying to pry his jaws open. It’s no use. Fuzzy scrambles away, then snatches the treat off the floor and swallows that too.

Well shit.

I press a hand to my forehead. “That’s a sign.”

Cal glares at his pet. “A sign I shouldn’t have bought the cat.”

“No. It’s a sign that I’m going to have to spend 5k to replace it.”

His lips tug down as he peers up at me. “I’m absolutely not that bloody cheap. Your ring cost way more than that.”

I sigh. “That’s not what I meant. ”

With a shake of his head, he wipes his hands on his pants, then clutches my wrist. “We’ll get a new one. You can have eight rings. Whatever you want. That’s not the important part. The important part is that we’re together.”

I ease myself to my knees and meet his eye. “I agree. That’s the most important thing here.” Which makes the rest of this sentence hard. “But.”

The smile that reappeared on his face even after the cat consumed a ridiculously expensive piece of jewelry fades.

God, I’m an ass. But this is the right thing to do.

“Cal…” I run my thumbs over his knuckles. “I can’t marry you.”

He sits back on his heels, his chest deflating. “Wow, didn’t see it going this way.”

“Listen, babe, I love you.”

He perks up a bit.

“But—”

He sinks even lower.

“We’ve been dating a handful of weeks. That’s it.”

His grin turns devilish. “But you love me.”

“Glad you’re listening. Way to focus on the positive.”

He drops my hand and cups my cheek. “I just don’t want you to leave.”

I frown. Leave? Where would he get an idea like that? “Why would I leave? And where would I go?”

His face hardens.This kind of serious expression is so foreign for this gregarious man. “To Sloane’s stupid firm.”

I suck in a breath. Ah. How is it that when I was trapped, not a soul heard me, yet the topic of my private conversation got out so easily?

“Why would I do that?”

“Because…” He tucks his chin and shakes his head. “Actually, I have no idea. It’s a terrible place to work. And you’d work for a terrible man. I guarantee he wouldn’t buy you coffee ev ery day.”

I nod, a rush of relief hitting me. “Right, so why would I leave this firm? Why would I leave my friends, and the man I love?”

Cal beams. “That’s a good point. Why would you if you love me?”

I cough out a laugh. “You really like hearing me say that, huh?”

“Yes, Lola.” He scoots forward on his knees. “I’d like to hear it a hundred times more. A hundred thousand, actually. Because even if you’re not ready to marry me, you’re mine and I’m never letting you go.”

“Good.” I angle in and stroke his smooth cheek. “Because I don’t want to be let go.”

Cal’s eyes widen. “You don’t?”

“No. As I told Sloane, not only am I not leaving, but I’m certain it would be a mistake if she didn’t move in with us. It’ll take all of us to save the firm. It’s our family’s legacy.”

He makes a strangled sound, his body locking up. “Our family?”

I nod. “Yes, I might not be ready to walk down the aisle yet, but I can see it happening someday.”

He pulls me to his chest, tucking my head beneath his. We’re both still on our knees, making the position awkward, but I’ll never complain about receiving a hug from the man I love.

“Does that mean you’re moving in?” he whispers against my hair.

Ten minutes ago, the idea was absurd. Now? It feels right.

“Yes, Cal, I’ll move into your terrible apartment with you. I love you, but the cat is not sleeping in our room.”

“That’s okay.” He buries his face in my neck and inhales deeply. “He prefers Brian’s anyway.”