The Daddy Box Set

by Claire Adams

  While the girls played Frisbee, I sat back in my chair and lifted my chin to the sky, soaking in as much sun as I could before the weather was too cold to do this.

  My phone rang, and I jumped up, startled by the sound.

  I searched around for it and realized it was in the pocket of my pants.

  I rarely brought my cell to the beach, but today I happened to have it when we came out to the sand. I lifted the phone and checked the Caller ID.

  Jess looked over at me, and I mouthed the name, “Brandon”. She nodded and continued playing Frisbee with Gina.

  “Hey, man,” I said into the phone.

  “Where’s the g’day?” Brandon asked.

  I rolled my eyes. “You know I’m still from the States, right?”

  “Not anymore!” Jess called.

  I smiled and waved her away. “Did you hear that?”

  “I did,” Brandon said, laughing.

  “How have you been?” I asked him.

  “We just got back from another trip. This time to Greece.”

  “Sounds beautiful.”

  “It was,” he said. “Amelia sends her love and wants to know if you’re in for a trip with us next year?”

  “How about you come down here?” I said. “There’s plenty of space at our house, and I know an excellent tour guide.”

  There was a pause. “Yeah, I think that would work.”

  “Great.”

  “So, how’s retired life?” he asked. “I’m jealous that after going away I have to go to work and make up for all the crap I missed.”

  I definitely didn’t miss that. But I didn’t say anything to make Brandon feel bad about him working. I was the strange one in the friendship. Who retired in their thirties? Someone who worked like a dog and nearly missed out on his life because of it, that’s who.

  “It’s great,” I said. “You were right, man. I needed to do this.”

  “I know,” he said. “But it wasn’t all me. You have a great girl with a good head on her shoulders. I only nudged you toward where you were supposed to go.”

  “Yeah,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. My gaze fell to Gina and Jess, laughing and throwing the Frisbee back and forth. Over the summer, they practiced playing a lot and rarely dropped it. “I would have missed out on so much.” I wasn’t just talking about Gina. I almost missed out on the second love of my life. It was something rare and to be treasured, and I intended on holding Jess close to me for as long as I could.

  “In any case,” I continued. “If it wasn’t for your nudge, then I wouldn’t be here. So, thanks.”

  “No problem,” Brandon said. “Just be sure to make me the best man at your wedding.”

  “You were already the best man at my wedding.”

  “Your second one,” he said. “When is the proposal anyway?”

  “We’re not rushing into things,” I said.

  “Says the guy who moved his entire life down there within two weeks.”

  “I’m not rushing, anymore,” I amended. “We’re happy the way things are.”

  “Wow, a lot has changed with you,” Brandon said.

  “Yes,” I said. “Yes, it has.”

  Brandon caught me up with his life over the past few weeks. And while he spoke, I kept my gaze on Jess and Gina. My body filled with such pride as I watched the two loves of my life play carefree on the beach of our forever home.

  Epilogue

  Jess

  After doing the final touches on Gina’s braid, I scooped her up into a hug then stood up and walked over to the mirror.

  “You look adorable,” I said.

  She looked into the mirror. “So beautiful.”

  “How about we find a bow to match your dress?”

  “Yes! Yes!”

  Gina wriggled out of my arms and shot out of the bathroom. I checked my hair, tucking a stray strand back into place. Noah wanted Gina and me to get dressed up for dinner tonight. We continued their tradition of getting all dolled up before heading out to a fancy restaurant. On top of our regular weekly date nights, where Mom graciously took Gina for the evening, this was another night I highlighted in my calendar and couldn’t wait for each month. Since Noah didn’t need to wear a suit every day, the three of us tended to dress on the casual side most days.

  It was nice to take our time to get dressed up for a night out. And including Gina made it that much more special.

  My little black dress hung on the hook outside of my closet, waiting for me to slip it on. There was no shortage of sticky fingers from Gina, so I always got dressed last. Once she was in her dressy clothes, Gina had an air of a princess and didn’t do anything to mess up her “pretty clothes.”

  I went into Gina’s bedroom to help her with her dress. She had several of them out on the floor and she was trying to get one over her head.

  “My braid!” she cried, and I hurried over to her.

  “One second, hold still,” I said.

  “Did I mess it up?” she said then stuck out her lower lip.

  “No, it’s fine,” I said. “I put enough hairspray in there to keep it in place.”

  She sighed heavily.

  I adjusted the navy blue dress with silver sequins over her shoulders. I zipped it up and then fluffed the tulle out around her legs.

  She twirled in place and then ran off to her closet to get a pair of black patent leather shoes. “I want to wear these.”

  “All right, take a seat, milady,” I said with a deep bow.

  Gina giggled into her hands and sat down in a chair usually reserved for tea parties. Gina looked the part of a princess going off to a fancy tea party. She kicked out her feet, and I slipped the shoes on over them.

  “I’m so excited!” she said, clicking her heels together when I was finished with her shoes. “When is Daddy getting home?”

  “He should be home soon, so now I’m going to go get ready,” I said.

  “Can I watch?”

  “Sure.”

  Gina came into the master bedroom, and I set her up on one of the chairs near the window.

  I pulled out my dress, and she let out an appreciative, “Oooh.”

  “You like it?”

  “I do.”

  “I’ll be right back.”

  I went inside the walk-in closet and shed my bathrobe. I found this dress a few months ago at a boutique during one of our trips. Gina and Noah had gone off on their own for the afternoon, so I walked the area and window shopped.

  When I saw this dress, I knew it was special. And I was proved correct when I tried it on. The strapless dress was fitted at the waist, and the bottom flowed down my legs in waves. A golden fabric peeked out the bottom of the dress that reached my mid-thigh.

  I hadn’t worn it before, waiting for a special occasion. Even though we’d had plenty of fancy dinner nights in the past, none of those nights felt right. That is, until today. There was an electricity in the air that I couldn’t ignore and I had a feeling this night was going to be special.

  I slipped on the dress, and it still fit me, even after all these months. I grabbed a pair of high heels and slipped them on, adding almost four inches to my height and accentuating my calf muscles.

  When I came out of the closet, Gina jumped out of her seat. “Wow, Jess.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  Then I heard the front door slam downstairs.

  “Daddy!” she said and took off.

  I heard his voice floating up the stairwell and knew Gina would be preoccupied. I took a moment to check myself out in the full-length mirror and couldn’t help but smile. I’d tied my hair back into a simple bun at the back of my neck, and I went over to my jewelry box to pick out a bracelet and earrings. The dress was simple enough that I didn’t want to overdo it on the accessories, but I needed something to make it pop just a teeny bit more.

  When I was finished, I looked at myself in the mirror one more time before heading downstairs.

  Noah’s briefcase sat next to th
e stairs, and I heard their voices in the living room.

  Noah went into the satellite office once a week to consult on the operations of his company. I knew he couldn’t stay away forever, but since he “retired,” he was particular about the amount of time he spent there. And since going back, he had weekends off to travel with us, and he was always home before five. I was happy that he could fit in his job with his new lifestyle. It only took him a year to figure it all out.

  I walked into the kitchen and smiled when I saw Noah sitting on the couch with Gina. He wore a suit from work, but this one was a little more dressy than normal. I’d been right about tonight. I didn’t pry, but I had a feeling that Noah thought tonight would be special too.

  He stood up and crossed the room.

  When he reached me, he took my hands in his. “You look absolutely breathtaking.”

  “Thanks.”

  He turned to Gina. “Shall we?”

  Noah hadn’t told us where we were going for dinner that night. But I was surprised when he got onto the highway toward Sydney.

  For other dinners, we stayed local to Mona Vale or one or two towns over. But this time it appeared I’d been right about tonight being more special than just a regular dinner out with the family.

  Gina kept Noah preoccupied with the events of the day, so I didn’t get a chance to ask where we were going.

  Though, when the Sydney Harbor Bridge came into view, I knew for a fact that Noah had something up his sleeve. We hadn’t traveled that far before during our monthly family night.

  What was he up to?

  Gina openly gaped out the window at the brilliant lights around the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor Bridge. She distracted me enough that I didn’t realize it when we reached our distraction.

  Noah pulled the car up to the curb of a restaurant. He lifted my hand and kissed it before getting out of the car to greet the valet. Two other valets came around to open the doors for Gina and me.

  “Thank you,” I said to the valet.

  Noah rounded the car and took Gina and my hand in his.

  “Where did you find out about this place?” I asked him.

  “I wanted to do something new for tonight,” he said. “I did my research.”

  We entered the restaurant, and it was definitely one of the more expensive places. I knew my outfit was fine for the occasion, but my mind was unprepared for the elegant venue.

  Noah strode over to the hostess and announced our arrival. The young girl beamed up at Noah and then signaled for us to follow her. I had no issue with the way women responded to Noah. It was almost like second nature for them to be attracted to his charm and good looks.

  The hostess’ ponytail swished around as she walked through the restaurant toward our table.

  Noah held tight onto my hand, and with my free hand, I held Gina’s. The place was packed, though I know Noah liked to have a window seat for these dinners. Gina’s manners weren’t of concern, but he really liked nice views. And I couldn’t imagine him making a reservation at this place without having a view.

  As we neared the floor-to-ceiling windows facing the water, the Opera House appeared to float right in front of us.

  The hostess pushed through the glass doors leading to the outside deck.

  The edges of the deck were adorned with twinkle lights strung across the entire perimeter. There were hundreds of flowers in various clusters around the deck. A table set for three was the focal point of the space. And other than a bucket with champagne chilling inside, the table and chairs were the only other pieces of furniture.

  “Noah,” I breathed. “Is this for us?”

  “Yes,” he said.

  The hostess retreated back inside the restaurant, and we went toward the table. A single red rose adorned two of the plates. Noah went over to Gina and helped her into the chair with the booster, and then he came over to me. I was still a little stunned and he had to prompt me to sit down.

  I glanced around our general vicinity. It had been a warm day, and the heat still lingered under the cool breeze rippling off the water.

  “I can’t believe you did this,” I said.

  “Well, tonight is special for us,” he said. “For all of us. Jess, before you came into our lives, we were a strong family unit. But we were missing something. I was missing a partner to fill my heart while Gina missed a mother to fill hers. I thank whoever is up there looking down on us for sending you into our lives. I don’t know where we would be today without you. And I know you’ve been a member of our family since the moment you stepped into our lives, but tonight, I wanted to make it official.”

  I opened my mouth to say something when Noah got up from his chair and knelt next to mine. He took my hand in his and lifted a black velvet box from his jacket pocket.

  “Jessica Holland, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?” Noah asked.

  My head spun, and my jaw slackened. I wanted to scream out a big fat YES, but there was one thing I had to do first.

  I glanced over at Gina. “Gina, I want to make sure this is what you want too.”

  “I want you to be my mom,” Gina said with a big smile on her face.

  My eyes teared up, and I turned back to Noah, nodding my head. “Yes, of course, I will marry you.”

  Noah opened the box, revealing a massive diamond ring. He slipped in on my finger, and I jumped up out of my chair and kissed him. One of the thousands of kisses that we’d share as an engaged and married couple.

  Gina came around the table to hug my leg. I broke the kiss and Noah reached down, lifting his daughter to his hip. The three of us embraced each other. And I’d never felt more whole or happier in my entire life.

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  EXTENSIVE

  By Claire Adams

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2018 Claire Adams

  Chapter One

  Ryan

  “Johnson and Carnahan Landscaping,” I said, thinking about how I really needed to remove the Carnahan from the name of my company. “How can I help you?”

  I was sitting at my breakfast counter, waiting for my daughter to get moving. She was 7, but her attitude screamed 17, just like her mother. Kayla had a tough time when her mother, Christina, or “the bitch,” as I liked to call her around friends, took off with my best friend, Dale. How was I supposed to tell Kayla that was why her mother abandoned her? What was I supposed to say? “Sorry, your mom left us because she’s selfish.”

  It was the truth, but it would break Kayla’s heart, and I would do anything to keep my baby girl from getting hurt.

  I turned my attention back to the phone call. The lady on the phone was serious about getting this landscaping done by the weekend. Although it was a huge job that I would have to bring in a pretty big crew for, the money was so good, I couldn’t turn it down. Kayla was going to have a field day with this one, especially since it meant I wouldn’t be around for the weekend, which was our time together. At 7, I couldn’t be mad at that mentality, but she had no idea what it took to keep a family and a household together all on your own, nor should she. I was just going to have to figure it out and make it up to her later.

  “Yes, Mrs. Taylor,” I said, writing down her list of demands. “No, it won’t be a problem to get it done in that amount of time. Yes, I understand this is a big deal for you. No, we will make sure that there is not a single crewman left on the day of the event.”

  As I finished up the conversation, Kayla walked in, rolling her eyes at me and grabbing a bowl from the counter for her cereal. She was dressed and ready for school, and
I was supposed to cook breakfast, but I got this call. I gave her a pouty face and shrugged my shoulders, motioning to the phone. She sighed and filled her bowl. When the phone call finally ended, I put the phone on the table and let out a deep sigh.

  “What’s wrong with you?” she asked.

  “First of all, nothing,” I said, looking at her. “Second, is that any way to talk to your father?”

  “I thought you were going to cook breakfast this morning,” she said, holding her spoon up and letting the cereal plop back into the bowl.

  “I thought you were going to be more understanding of dear old Dad,” I said, looking up at her. “I had a call for a rush emergency job that needs to be done by the end of the weekend.”

  “That’s cool,” she said, trying to sound happy.

  “Well, I have to be there for the whole thing,” I said, waiting for the explosion.

  “What?” she asked. “You said that we were going to do movies, and you were going to help me with my homework.”

  “If I don’t go, I can’t trust that the guys will get this done on their own,” I said with irritation in my voice. “I’m going to get you a babysitter, and they will help you with your homework.”

  “I can stay by myself,” she said. “It’s not like you will be gone that late.”

  “I am not leaving my 7-year-old daughter home alone,” I scoffed, picking up the phone again.

  “I miss Mom,” she grumbled.

  “Yeah, well next time she comes around, you can tell her that,” I said, tired of the attitude. “I am doing the best I can here, Kayla.”

  “Whatever,” she said, with tears pulling at her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” I sighed. “I promise to make all of this up to you. I’m sorry that your mom isn’t here.”

  “I know,” she said, taking in a deep breath. “Just call Jessica. She’s my normal babysitter.”

  “I’ll give it a try,” I said sarcastically, as if I didn’t know who her babysitter was. I swore 7 was going to be the end of me.

  I dialed Jessica’s number and waited for her to answer. It made me feel strange every time I called because she was like 16 years old. I told her what was going on and asked if she was available. She apologized and told me she’d already made plans for the week and the weekend. I thanked her and hung up, Kayla watching me intently. If she thought I was going to change my mind about her staying alone, she was crazy.