“Now that’s a dang good offer,” Sabre jokes. I shoot him a disgusted look, but the bastard just laughs.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s just?—”
“I have a better idea,” Daphne says. Everyone turns to stare at her and I can see the nervousness on her face and the way her cheeks heat with embarrassment.
“What is it?” Sabre asks before I can get a chance to.
“Well, Eli has an empty storefront he’s offered to rent me. I’d like to go look at the equipment and the layout. Someone I trust told me he thought I could open a bakery and make a success of it. I think I’ve decided I’d like to try,” Daphne replies, biting her lip nervously.
“I didn’t say rent. I said I bought itforyou,” I correct her, letting mild irritation show at her choice of words. There’s no way I’m charging her rent.
“You’re making payments on the place. My rent should at least cover those. If I can make a go of the place, then I’ll buy it so you won’t be out anything,” she reasons, making me shake my head.
“A brake-ery?” Cammie asks.
Daphne leans in closer to me, and the scent of strawberries hits me from her hair. I drag it into my lungs, wanting to bury my nose in her copper strands. “Yeah. Mommy wants to make cookies, cakes, pies and stuff and sell it. There’s an apartment above it where we could live and there’s a big park across from it, too.”
“We’d move?” Cammie asks, studying her mom.
“Yes, but we’d still be together. Plus, we’d live closer to Eli and your Papaw. Would you like that?”
“His name's Pez,” Cammie argues, making me laugh.
“Well, you call him Pez and I’ll call him Eli.”
“Okay, but you wrong Mama.”
Daphne stretches up and kisses her nose. “That’s okay,” she says softly. “What do you think about moving?”
Cammie’s little hand touches my jaw, and she tries to turn my face to look at her. I happily cooperate. “Will you live with us?”
Her simple question makes my heart hurt. She has no idea how much I want that—even if I shouldn’t.
“I’d be able to visit a lot. We could eat together every night your mommy would let me, and I could read you a story and tuck you in, too,” I say instead. It’s not what I want, but it’s what I can readily agree to.
“Ev-a-wee night?” she asks.
“If Mommy says yes, then yeah.”
“This is why you wanted to buy the place?” Sabre asks.
“Yeah.” I answer, not taking my eyes away from my girls.
“Why didn’t you say so? There’s no rent, no payment.”
“Dad—”
“If the asshole had told the club what it was going to be used for, the club would have just said yes. The place is empty and costing us money anyway. You’d be saving us money if anything,” Sabre replies. “Besides, I get my girls closer to me. You don’t think I’d move heaven and earth to make that happen?”
“Daddy,” Daphne murmurs, tears gathering in the corner of her eyes.
“I know I’ve been a screw-up, Daph, but I promise you and Cammie, I’m going to be better,” Sabre responds, sounding almost like he’s pleading.
It’s a tender moment for Daphne, so I let it slide, but I’ll have to pull Sabre aside later. The club is not going to stop this. I bought that building for her, and I’ve already started the process of putting the property in her name. It’s my gift to her. Even if we can’t make this thing work between us because of my past, I want her to live her dream, and selfishly, I want to be the man who gives that to her.
“Can you take me and Cammie to look at the property tomorrow, Eli?” she asks, looking at me with those glowing green eyes that makes me putty in her hands.
“Absolutely,” I answer at once.
