He held her for a minute, thinking. ‘I did the same thing, didn’t I?’
She chuckled. ‘You’re both naughty and terribly guilty of loving me just a little too much but I adore you both immensely for it.’
‘I thought you would hate me after how I acted when I saw you last. I’ve been standing here, worried about what you might say when you saw me. I didn’t even feel up to whacking Conom, which may I say is all I’ve wanted to do for the past couple of days! I’m so sorry I hurt you, Cassandra. I keep doing that, don’t I?’
‘No, Pops, you only hurt me if you don’t do what we’re doing now, and that’s to talk it through. You’re just like me, you’re learning about something new. Let’s face it, I’m not your normal run-of-the-mill daughter. But then you are not a normal run-of-the-mill father either. Sometimes we’re bound to stuff up. That doesn’t mean we don’t love each other anymore, does it?’
Aldebaran grinned, pleased. ‘No, it doesn’t mean that at all. I love you more than I have loved anything else in my whole life, although I do need to come to terms with the fact that you aren’t a little girl and are all grown up. I just wish I hadn’t missed all those important years. I know you would have been a delight.’
‘Don’t worry, Pops. Wait till I start popping out the grandkids. You’ll be sorry you ever wished that.’ Cassie knew Kayden had told her it would be up to the gods if she were to fall pregnant. But stuff it! He needs a bit of shaking up. Get moody with me, the bastard! She chuckled under her breath at the look on his face. Perfect payback!
He laughed aloud this time. ‘Don’t you dare, Cassandra!’ he said, still laughing. ‘One of you has been quite a handful so far. Don’t scare me by making me do this over again.’
She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him now that he was happy. ‘Not now, but maybe in the future I’ll make you a grandpa. Mark my words, you aren’t getting out of it that easy. You may have been cunning enough to stay out of my childhood but I’ll not be letting you escape grandfather-hood that easily,’ she joked with him.
He laughed again. ‘You better stop threatening me, young lady or I’ll hand you back to Conom to save me.’
‘And he’ll make an excellent uncle for my kids, seeing as they won’t have any real ones,’ she said, leaning back in his arms. ‘Grandpa Ald and Uncle Con … com.’ She chuckled.
‘That’s it, young lady,’ he said, picking her up as she wiggled and squirmed, enjoying his good mood. He took her over and plonked her in Conom’s arms. Cassie looked at the stunned Conom.
‘Here, you deal with her, Uncle Con … com,’ Aldebaran laughed. ‘I am going to have a drink and a cigar with Kayden. We deserve it.’ Still chuckling, he walked over to Kayden and put his arm around him. ‘She’s your wife,’ he said, teasing still.
Kayden laughed and joined in. ‘She is your daughter.’
Conom looked down at her, smiling. ‘She’s my girl,’ he said, putting her down.
She took his hand and dragged him back over to her father. ‘You were naughty, Conom, so say sorry to Pops.’
Conom screwed up his face at her and she put on a stern expression. Aldebaran just stood looking at them with amusement in his eyes. The words seemed stuck in Conom’s throat so she nudged him. ‘Conom!’ she growled sweetly.
He sighed. ‘Sorry, old friend. I lost it—but I can’t promise I’ll never do it again. This daughter of yours stirs me up like no other woman I’ve ever met.’
Dad put out his hand and they shook hands. ‘She has us both a little rattled. I think it’s time we discussed more serious issues.’
He turned to Kayden. ‘Give us a minute and I think we’ll be requiring your expertise.’ He touched her face. ‘Don’t stress, little one, it’s just time for me to become a real father.’
Lepius Spellbound
Lepius and Covin sat back and watched as Cassie worked her magic on the two most notorious rulers in the galaxy.
‘Check her out now, Lepius,’ Covin said quietly as he poured them another drink.
You could have bowled them over with a feather as Aldebaran picked her up, laughing, and came over to them, playfully dumping her into Conom’s lap. How the hell she had turned Ald’s mood around so quickly was beyond them. The mood he was in when he arrived, Lepius felt sure it was going to be on for young and old. Now they watched as she dragged Conom to Ald and was making him apologise.
No, surely not! I must be hearing things . Is that Conom saying sorry? Lepius was gob-smacked. She was amazing and they found it hard not to admire the power of such a little bundle of joy.