He seated himself on Cammie’s other side, carefully positioning the tray in front of her. He picked up the hand that didn’t have the IV attached and curled his fingers around her palm.
“Listen to me, sweetheart. You and Eve and Travis are safe here. I’m not going to let your father come here. Okay? Eve has told me everything that happened. Your father is a bad person and I’m not going to let him ever scare you again. Now, what I’d like for you to do right now is eat. Swanny made a special dinner just for you. Think you’re up for that?”
“Did he make grilled cheeses?” Cammie mumbled around her thumb.
Donovan gave her an indulgent smile. “Not exactly. But it’s sort of like a grilled cheese. Only better. Promise. It has lots of yummy cheese. And noodles. Make you a deal. Try the lasagna and if you don’t like it, I’ll make you a grilled cheese instead.”
Cammie smiled. “’Kay.”
He pushed the tray toward her and Eve reached for the fork, cutting into the wedge and cutting small bites. Cammie looked eagerly at the cheesy noodles and meat sauce and opened her mouth when Eve forked a bite and lifted it to her lips.
Cammie chewed, her expression thoughtful, and then she gifted Donovan with a broad smile.
“Good?” he asked.
“Yummy,” Cammie replied, eager for the next bite.
Eve fed her, Cammie eating as fast as she could get the fork to Cammie’s mouth. She ate more than Eve had herself, and Eve smiled as Cammie smacked her lips appreciatively when the last was gone.
“That was good, Mr. Donovan.”
Donovan ruffled her hair affectionately. “How about you call me Van? That’s what my family and friends call me, and I’d very much like you to consider me family.”
Cammie looked delighted, and then she sobered and lowered her gaze.
“Hey, little bit. What’s that look for?” Donovan asked.
“I wish you were my daddy,” she said wistfully.
Eve’s heart lurched, and a knot formed in her throat. Tears clogged her eyes and she looked away so no one would see.
Donovan leaned in and brushed a tender kiss over Cammie’s brow. “I’d like that very much. Who knows? Maybe one day it’ll happen.”
Eve’s jaw dropped, and she turned a disapproving frown on Donovan, not even trying to hide her displeasure over his statement. The last thing she wanted was to give Cammie false hope. But Donovan returned Eve’s gaze evenly. Almost challengingly. As if to say he meant it and that it was up to Eve whether it came to pass.
Crazy. She was absolutely losing her mind. People didn’t forge connections this quickly and certainly not under the circumstances that had shoved Donovan and Eve together. She needed to remain objective and not set herself—or Cammie and Travis—up for inevitable heartbreak. They’d been through enough without adding more sorrow.
“I’m full, Van,” Cammie said, her mouth stretched into a huge yawn.
Donovan smiled and then glanced up at her IV bags. “I need to switch out your piggyback. It’s almost empty. And then I’m going to give your sister an injection for pain. Why don’t you snuggle up to her and hold her in case the shot hurts? You can make her feel better. Then I’ll leave you both to sleep. I’ll make you a good breakfast in the morning and if you’re a really good girl, I’ll serve it up in bed.”
Cammie grinned her delight. “Can I have pancakes? I love pancakes,” she said wistfully. “With lots of butter and syrup.”