"Yeah," Faith agreed. "But I want her to like you most."
"She likes me different," I clarified. "She likes to talk to Ash about clothes. She likes to let me sweep her off her feet. She likes when Cy is cute and shy around her. The three of us are different, and she likes the different things. She doesn't like me more or less. She just likes me different, Faith."
"And you don't care?" she asked.
I shook my head. "I love the idea of my girlfriend having everything she's ever wanted. I like knowing that I'm enough of a man to give that to her, even if it's not me. I also love that I know she'll always give back just as much as she takes. That's why the four of us work, because it's true for Ash and Cy too." I rocked my head from side to side at that. "I'm just not the best boyfriend yet because I'm still learning how, but Violet's been teaching me a bit."
That was what made Faith finally smile up at me. "Ok. Yeah, that makes me feel better. I might be weird, but just keep reminding me that this was your idea, ok?"
"Promise," I said.
So she nodded. "Then I think Ash and Violet should spend the night. Just tell him that he should stay all night if he loves her."
I leaned my head back to tap it on the siding. "Oh, Faith, your mother has some very strange ideas."
She huffed. "How do you know that Mom said that?"
"Did she?" I asked.
Once again, she scrunched up her face in an adorable grimace. "Yeah..."
"It's because your mom thinks that her value is based on what she can give a man," I said. "She thinks her place is to make him happy, so he should go out of his way to let her know when he is. I, however, think that a woman's place is to make herself happy, and that if a man loves her, he'll respect that she's not in this world for his amusement."
"Like Violet?" she asked.
"Just like Violet," I agreed.
"Then I want to be like Violet," Faith decided. "Maybe I'll even have three boyfriends too."
"Go for four," I told her. "Make it a round number. And if they get out of line, then Ash, Cy, Zeke, and I will take care of it."
Faith threw herself at my side, hugging me so hard that she scared the puppy. "Thanks, Daddy. That's why I want you to be happy, because you always want me to be."
"Always, Faith," I whispered into her hair. "Now take Sissy to bed. Don't forget the puppy pads."
"Already down," she promised as she hopped up and offered me a hand. "Thanks for telling me, though. I mean, you know, about Ash and Violet."
"I was going to explain all of this as soon as court was done," I swore. "I never wanted to keep this from you."
"I know," she said. "That's why I forgave you for it."
Chapter Thirteen
There was one downside to Lucy. The little dog was cute, sweet, and adorable - but she didn't want to be alone. She was in a new house, all alone, and didn't like it. Since I had Luke in my bed, my big plan was to leave her on the floor for a little bit so I could take advantage of him. Lucy had other ideas.
The moment I pushed that cowboy down on the bed and started kissing him, my dog began to whine. I tried to ignore her, but Luke was an even bigger sucker than me. As the whining got louder, he'd given in, and reached down to pick up the dog so he could put her on the bed. In other words, she was killing my sex life.
I still managed to sneak in a few kisses and a whole lot of cuddling. When our bodies had been pressed together, Lucy thought it was the perfect excuse to push in between us and get all the attention. We'd both given in, patting her for being so damned cute, and that was how we fell asleep.
I woke up the next morning to little kisses under my chin. I reached up to pet my dog, trying to convince her that she should go back to sleep, but Lucy was adamant. The kisses got faster and the wiggling became more intense. Cracking one eye open, I realized that she might need to go outside. Since I hadn't expected her to be potty-trained, this was one thing I definitely didn't want to mess up.
Not even five minutes later, I was jogging down the stairs with my dog in my arms. Still half asleep, I didn't think about where I was going, I simply headed for the closest door. That was the front door. As soon as I was outside, I set her down, and Lucy took off. The moment she hit the grass, she squatted to potty, so I praised her as loudly and enthusiastically as I could. My dog was a good girl.
Then came the wait for the rest of her needs. Walking over to the railing, I leaned over and rested my elbows on it. I wasn't about to give her the chance to run off, and since she'd been found on the side of the road, that meant it was a possibility. Never mind the fact that she was little enough that a bird could carry her off. She probably wasn't the best choice for a farm dog, but I didn't care. I liked that I could pick her up and cuddle with her. I loved that she got so excited and started licking me. I just loved my new dog.
It was while I was waiting for her to finish her business that a car pulled into the drive. Small, sleek, and black, this sports car was the expensive kind. When it pulled up to the gate, the driver had to reach up to press the buttons on the access box - not down. Then the gate began to open. Wait, what? I had my phone in my pocket, and it hadn't vibrated with an alert. Whoever was in that car knew how to get into our place.
"Lucy!" I called as I headed for the steps.
