“It’s about a two-thousand-dollar donation from everyone, so it goes further. If we didn’t pool our money, we’d almost always be doing straight donations instead of buying and then donating. Our local cartel gets a little bit higher.” Daddy said it all like it was the most natural thing in the world, which, in Comfort, I guess it was.
“Same name?”
“Uh, not quite.”
“Oh yeah? What is it?”
“Chute Chasers.”
“Oh dear lord.”
Daddy threw back his head and laughed at his own joke. A few people looked our way, but it didn’t seem to bother him. He laughed harder, bent in half with tears in his eyes.
“Please tell me that’s not the real name.”
“Yep, it sure is.”
“Who came up with that?”
“You know Riley—the one who was supposed to be here? Yeah, it was all him. He’s fucking ridiculous, but then Faust heard it and…well, no one’s gonna overrule him once he’s on board.”
“You make him sound like a dictator. He was very nice at the party.”
“Oh, he’s nice. He just likes to get his own way, and Bert’s mission in life is to make sure it happens.”
“Is that relationship goals?
“I think it should be for you.”
“Why for me?”
Daddy reached over and squeezed my fingers. “Because I want to make sure you get every goddamn thing you want.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I was too flustered to say anything, which sent Daddy into another round of laughter. This time, though, I didn’t wonder if he meant it. I knew he was laughing at my blushing, but I absolutely felt it in my bones that he meant what he said.
After so many shitty relationships, it was hard to believe that the world’s sexiest, most handsome, best Daddy in the world had fallen into my lap in the middle of Comfort, Texas. I felt a little like a princess in a castle, and I didn’t want to wake up. I didn’t want the fairy-tale ending. I just wanted everything to stay the same. I didn’t know how to make that happen, but I was going to try. Daddy had said we’d see how it worked out, and he wasn’t wrong—that’s exactly what we were supposed to do.
Still, I wanted a guarantee. I wanted him to say forever. Because every day I fell a little more in love with him—his drive, his intelligence, the way he loved Mac back but still let him be independent. I loved the way he was my Daddy. I couldn’t do it right then, but the only thing I wanted to do was crawl into his lap and let him take care of everything.
Every little bit.
“Daddy, I had no idea that going to an auction was gonna make me so tired,” I said as we finally returned to our hotel room.
It was well past midnight, but after all the excitement of the bidding and the adrenaline, I was still too wound up to even think about falling into bed. I bounced from one side of the room and back to him. The carpet was spongy and soft, and for a second, I thought I might be part Tigger.
Daddy laughed as we dumped our stuff in a big pile on the dresser. I’d kept the paddles and the receipts for our bids. We’d supported twelve kids with our donations and another one that Daddy paid for separately. He said that one was for a friend who didn’t know about the auction until it was too late.
“It’s easy to get wrapped up in everything. I hope you had a good time.”
“Oh my goshness, Daddy, I had thebesttime. Thank you for inviting me, even though I’m pretty sure you weren’t planning to come.”
“I mean, technically I wasn’t planning on it, but I’m glad I did.”
“Thank you for inviting me.”
“You already told me that,” Daddy said with a soft smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and two creases, never wrinkles, appeared on the side of his mouth.
“I know, but I had to say it twice so you’d believe that I had the bestest good time.”
