I heave a sigh. “I am not mad, Adam. Just the opposite, actually. I am thankful he called you, really I am. So once again, thank you for always looking out for Lucy and me.”
Before he can respond, Lucy comes down the stairs and notices Adam. She runs into his arms and starts talking a mile a minute, asking about the animals at the fair and how soon they can leave.
“Let’s get you some breakfast first. Then when you’re cleaned up, we can go.”
Adam grabs the bag and a plate and pours her some milk, setting her pink sprinkled doughnut in front of her.
“Thank you, Uncle Adam.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart.”
Lucy looks up excitedly at her uncle. “Uncle Adam, did you know I have a Daddy?”
“I did, Lucy.”
After taking a drink of her milk, Lucy tells Adam all about her Daddy. My heart just melts at the sight of how happy she is and the little way she scrunches up her nose as she describes some of the things they talked about with each other. She’s so excited that he will be coming to her birthday party. I really need to start planning it. Her birthday is in a few weeks.
Lucy and I finish getting ready for the day. We’re deciding on what to wear when I hear Luke’s voice coming from downstairs. Just like that my girl is gone, screaming down the hallway.
“Daddy! Daddy!”
Standing at the top of the stairs I catch a glimpse of him picking Lucy up and placing a kiss on her cheek. She puts her arms around his neck and whispers in his ear; I can only assume she is giving him her hug and kiss and secret routine. As she pulls her face away from him, I take a good look at Luke.
Adam’s words from earlier come back to me, about how he loved hearing my laugh. For the first time I understand what Adam was talking about. The big smile spread across Luke’s face is a look of pure love and happiness. He truly loves his daughter, and seeing them together makes me love him all the more.
Luke finally takes his eyes off of Lucy and turns them towards me. He slowly traces them up and down my body, stopping at my bare legs and traveling back up until his gaze locks with mine. I can’t help but internally let out a little moan of need. I want this man so bad. Gently setting Lucy down on the floor, he comes over to me and lightly places a kiss on my lips.
“You look absolutely beautiful, Shayne,” he says, staring down at my short, pale pink spaghetti strap dress.
“Thank you,” I reply breathlessly, staring back.
Adam clears his throat to bring us out of our mutual trance.
“What do the two of you have planned for the day?” he asks.
“I just thought we would just hang out at my house,” says Luke. “If that is okay with you, Shayne.”
I nod. I’m totally fine with that plan.
“Well, if it is okay with the two of you, I would like to take Lucy over to Bubba and Jen’s so she can meet them and Zoe.”
“Sure, that’s fine with me. Is it ok with you, Luke?”
Before he can answer, Lucy pipes up.
“Can I spend the night at Uncle Adam’s house tonight, too? Please, Mommy?”
“You’d better make sure it’s okay with Uncle Adam first before asking, honey.”
Lucy turns to Adam, already knowing what his answer will be.
“Is it ok?” she chirps. “I want to see Muppet.”
“Who’s Muppet?” Luke asks.
“That’s Uncle Adam’s dog! He’s a big black mutt dog but I didn’t like the name Mutt, so I named him Muppet.”
Luke lets out a slight chuckle and bends down to Lucy.
“Well, I think you’d better go see Muppet, then.”
Taking Lucy back upstairs, I pack her an overnight bag. Once we are back downstairs she gives both Luke and me a quick hug and grabs Adam by the hand, practically pulling him out the door.
As soon as the door shuts behind them, Luke pulls me close to him and presses his lips to mine, pulling my ponytail holder out so he can run his hands through my hair. He pulls slightly on it, then takes his mouth from mine and brings it close to my ear.
“Why doesn’t Mommy go pack an overnight bag to stay at Daddy’s house?” he whispers.
Panting and out of breath from his kiss, I pull out of his embrace to go pack my bag as he swats my ass.
Running up the stairs scared half to death with nerves, I grab a few things out of my drawers and closet and toss them into my bag. After stopping in the bathroom and throwing some toiletries on top of it all, I sprint back downstairs in search of Luke.
Not seeing him anywhere, I turn around and notice that the sliding door is open to the deck. When I approach, I can hear him talking softly to whoever is on the other end of the phone.
“I don’t care what you have to do, but you find out who it is and you make sure they stay away from her. This fucking bullshit is getting way out of hand and until we find out everything we need to know-”