Page 112 of The Summer of Us

Sunny huffed out a long breath. “How’d she take it?”

“Well, actually. I think she knows it could have been worse. She’s crazy for this boy, Sunny.” I sighed. “Christ, she is too young.”

She laughed, her breath blowing over my arm. “We were in love young too, Linc.”

“I know, that’s what scares me. She’s so similar to you. Even to me, emotionally. She feels things so deeply.”

“Then we need to watch over her.”

“I told her to invite this Damon boy over for dinner. Officially. I want to talk to him.”

“We did meet him. He seemed very nice. His parents are lovely people, although they both work a lot. He comes to the center at times and helps out.”

“We met him casually. Like we have all her friends. He’s more.” I snorted. “‘Special,’ Amanda said. He’s more than a crush. I can feel it, Sunny. I want to get to know him.”

“Good plan.”

“I think she’s been seeing more of him than we know. I think at a lot of the group outings, the two of them are pairing off. It’s time to take this seriously and set some rules.”

“All right, Linc. We will.”

I sighed. “She wants to hear our story.”

Sunny was quiet for a moment.

“I think she’s old enough. She knows you had a terrible relationship with your father, and by telling her, it will explain why. She has always wondered how you couldn’t love your dad the way she loves you.” She paused. “It might help her understand.”

“Do we tell her everything?”

“You may want to gloss over a few things.”

“Yeah. We only spent the night in the cabin, talking, before I disappeared. And we never had sex until we got married. I’ll emphasize those parts.”

Sunny buried her face, laughing. “Okay, Daddy. Good plan. I meant some of your later, ah, decisions when it came to your father.”

I huffed out a sigh. “Yeah, we’ll stick to the basics there.”

“We’ll tell her together.”

“Good.” With Sunny beside me, it would be easier.

“Just so you know, I changed the password on her laptop. She can’t message at all tomorrow.”

“Dammit, woman, you are tough.”

“One of us has to be. I’ll make her suffer until the afternoon and then let her have it back. You can do it and be the hero again.”

I laughed. My kids knew I was a pushover. But they were good kids—Amanda included. Smart, funny, kind, and loving, they all had my heart.

And they knew it.

The room was silent for a moment. “Are you asleep?” I asked.

Sunny growled. “I was trying.”

“Oh. I was feeling hungry.”

“It’s called emotional eating.”