Before Lily has a chance to answer, I shake my head. “No.”
Meredith gives me the look of hers that says “calm down, Dad” and then focuses all her attention back on her mother.
Lily frowns at the dress. “Where did you get that?”
“It’s Chloe’s.”
“You’re not wearing that tomorrow,” I say.
Now,Lilygives me thecalm downlook. “King.” She then looks at her daughter again. “What happened to the dress we bought? I thought you loved it.”
“I do,” Meredith says, “but I think I love this one more. Chloe said she’d swap with me for tomorrow if I want.”
The front door slams and I hear Cade come in from work. I also hear the voice of his best mate as they make their way towards the kitchen.
“I like it,” Travis says to his sister on his way out of the kitchen.
Meredith beams at him. “Me too. I think it’s the one.”
“It’s not the one,” I say with more force, to which my wife makes wide eyes at me.
“Holy shit,” Cade says as he dumps his backpack on the floor at the kitchen island. “Is that the dress you’re wearing tomorrow?” He eyes me. “I’m surprised you’d even consider allowing that.”
Meredith glares at her brother. “Not helpful, Cade.” She then eyes Stone, his best friend, and fuck me, she blushes. “Hey, Stone.” More of that blush spreads across her cheeks as she uses the softest voice I’ve ever heard her use when she greets him.
Stone smiles at her. “Hey, Mare.”
Every muscle in my body tenses as I take in this interaction. And then, I catch sight of Lily doing the same thing, and fuck if I don’t have my answer to the question I asked her in the shower this morning.
Thisis what’s going on with the party. The reason why Lily’s so fucking worked up. It has nothing to do with her mother and everything to do with her daughter.
Meredith has never had a boyfriend. She’s always favoured books over boys. I’ve never seen her look at a guy, let alone look at one the way she’s looking at Stone.
I know Lily’s been waiting for this moment, and I know she’s put time into stressing over it. Our experience with Zara made sure of that. Zara’s dedication to boys as a teen was something fucking else and it caused her mother no end of worry.
Until this moment, I was convinced we were going to escape most of that with Meredith. She’s never been into any of theusual girl shit. Clothes, makeup, parties, and boys have never been on her agenda. But fuck me, they clearly are now. Between that dress, the lipstick on her lips, that flick of her hair she just gave Stone, and the way she’s watching him, my daughter’s agenda has changed, and I missed the fucking memo.
I’m about to tell her there’s no fucking way she’s wearing that dress tomorrow when Lily says, “Let’s go to your room and try on the other dress so we can compare.” She’s got Meredith’s hand in hers and is leading her out of the kitchen faster than I can keep up.
Cade whistles low as he watches them go. He then brings his gaze to me. “This is gonna be fun to watch.”
Stone laughs as he plants his ass on one of the stools at the island.
I’ve known this kid since he was fifteen. Cade met him through a mate from the state football team he was on. That kid is no longer a mate of Cade’s, but Stone stuck, and has been a regular fixture at our place for three years now.
I’ve always liked Stone, but right now, I want him out of this house. I don’t want him anywhere near my daughter.
Fuck.
This is gonna be Zara all over again.
I can feel it in my fucking bones.
I reach for the list Lily was working on and hand it to Cade. “Make yourself useful and start on this.”
Without waiting for his response, I stride from the kitchen to the back deck and downstairs to my shed.
I need a moment to think.
