“Yeah, baby girl. I’m fine. Just mad at myself.”
“Why are you mad at yourself?” she asked. “None of that was your fault.”
“I left you with him,” Jared said. “I knew things weren’t good for you. But I left you.”
She shook her head. “You can’t take that on, Jared. If you’d tried to help me then it would have gone badly for you. You would have been in danger. He might have hurt you.”
“Better he hurt me than you.”
Yeah, he didn’t think he would ever forgive himself for not helping her. But he could try and make it up to her.
“Come on, baby. What would you like to do? Maybe we could have a tea party,” he suggested.
“A tea party? I would love that!”
As she started getting things ready for the tea party, he took North to one side. “If no one has heard from Rex in the next couple of hours, go hunting. And send a message to Antony, set up a meeting away from the house.”
North nodded. “I’m on it.”
Jared turned back to her. “Right, baby. How is this tea party coming along?”
“It’s great, Daddy!” she said. “But you’re not dressed properly.”
“I’m not?” He glanced down at himself. “What do I need to put on?”
“A hat and a scarf and some prettier clothes. Northie, do we have any stylish hats?”
North glanced over. “We do not.”
Thank God for that.
“But I’ll order some. Lacy? Flowery? Bright? Pastels? Or all of the above.”
“All of it! All of it!”
“That’s what I thought.” North moved away.
Jared made a mental note to take that out on his ass later as Angie moved around, dressing him.
If anyone saw Jared Bartolli dressed in a tutu, with a flowery scarf while sipping on a pretend cup of tea.
Well, he’d kill them too.
44
Jared watched her yawn for the third time in as many minutes.
Someone needed a nap.
It was kind of late in the day for a nap, but he didn’t think she was going to last until bedtime.
They’d been playing with her new tea set for the last forty minutes. And frankly, this tutu was starting to dig into his skin.
Standing, he pulled off his play clothes.
“Daddy! What are you doing?”
North was off doing some work, so it was just the two of them.
