“I invited her to dinner,” Mom replied, like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Why would you do that?”
Mom shrugged and set the lasagna on the table in the kitchen nook that I just now noticed was set for four. “I like her. A lot. Besides, I knew her mother, and she’s great with Junie. You should have seen how cute she was reading to her. And she took great care of her and made sure I immediately knew where Junie had gone to.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. “You realize I’m not supposed to have contact with her outside of the show. You’ve seen the headlines today. People already think I’m smitten with her.”
“Are you?” Mom grinned.
“No.”Maybe. Damn it.
“Well, then, there’s no harm. Demi’s cute friend Cassie is taking care of hexing the whole place.”
“Oh, hell.”
“Don’t you mean,Oh, Pluto, Daddy?” Junie deadpanned far too well for her age. It was enough to make my mom snicker.
“I heard a rumor that Hades and Pluto are tired of having their names invoked every time something goes wrong.”
“That’s strange,” Mom mused. “I met them at a few parties a long time ago, and I thought they enjoyed it.”
“Who knows, but I don’t need them against me right now.” It was bad enough that Zeus was interfering in my life. “And we’re getting off topic.”
“What topic is that?” Mom’s tone said she found this humorous.
It was anything but.
“Demi,” I growled. “She shouldn’t be coming here.”
“But Daddy, she has to,” Junie said earnestly. “My dreams have to come true.”
I knelt in front of her, more than worried now. Her dreams were notoriously accurate. They didn’t just predict—they took on a life of their own. Her mom and I had learned it was best not to get in the way of them.
“Honey, what dreams?” I could barely mask the trepidation in my voice.
Junie leaned in, eyes wide. “They’re secret,” she whispered. “I can’t tell anyone yet.”
Brilliant. This was just getting better and better.
To make it worse, there was a knock on the door.
“You better get that,” Mom sang.
I stood, clenched my fists, and stretched my neck from side to side. All I’d wanted was a few hours of peace with my family before I put Junie to bed and went back to work and all the chaos.
Junie grabbed my hand and pulled me along.
“Hurry, Daddy.”
I muttered a string of Latin swear words under my breath, praying my daughter hadn’t picked up on any of them.
Before I could steel myself, Junie flung the door open.
There she was.
The bane of my existence, looking too beautiful in her black jogging suit that highlighted her perfect figure. Her red hair was pulled up in a sexy messy bun that begged to be let loose. And I hated that I had thoughts of being the one to do the job. Worse, she wasn’t wearing glasses again. I was starting to miss them and the protection they’d unknowingly given me all these years.
Demi bit her lip. “Hi. I know I shouldn’t be here, and you don’t want me here, but I felt like I needed to come.”
