“No. I said it was for my sister who got her appendix out. Making up stories when it’s not for a book is bad, Daddy.”

Vaughan tried not to smile so Kelly tried not to sigh wistfully. There were few things sexier than a man being a good dad.

“You’re totally right.” Vaughan kissed the top of her head as he made his way to the couch. “What are our plans for the evening, ladies?” Vaughan asked, tucking in on Kelly’s other side without even a by-your-leave.

“Kensey has reading to do.” Kelly looked through the stuff for Maddie. “You can do all this homework in your sleep, bug. If you do one piece every day, you can enjoy the weekend and still be ready for school Monday.”

“I think if you have to get cut open you should get a pass for all homework while you’re out sick,” Maddie declared.

“Thinking is good for you.” Kelly smiled when Kensey wormed her way between Kelly and Vaughan.

“I have to do homework. You should, too. Aaron Bertis asked about you today,” Kensey explained to her sister, eyes wide. “He said to tell you he said hi.”

“Who’s Aaron Bertis?” Vaughan asked.

“He’s Maddie’s boyfriend.”

Maddie squealed, “No, he is not! He’s a boy in my class. He’s nice and his hair is perfect.” She looked to her dad. “Like, as nice as yours. But he’s not my boyfriend.”

“Boyfriend? No way.” Vaughan’s features hardened and Kelly snorted a laugh.

“He does have great hair genes, but she knows the rules. She’s only in fifth grade.” Kelly winked at Maddie, who blushed so hard. “If he still has perfect hair and an interest when she’s fifteen, we’ll talk.”

“Fifteen?” Vaughan’s voice cracked. “That’s too early!”

“When did you have your first girlfriend, Vaughan?” Kelly asked, pretending to be innocent.

He blushed. “That was different.”

“Why, Daddy?” Maddie asked.

Kelly nodded. “Yes, why is that?”

He frowned at her and she still didn’t laugh, though she wanted to.

“I think seventeen is better.”

Both girls started to argue and Kelly got up, leaving them to it. His reason was that he was a boy and their daughters weren’t. He deserved to be pecked by two little girls over that logic.

Her phone rang and when she saw who it was she sighed. “Vaughan? I need to take this. I’ll be back in a few.”

Concern lit his eyes but he nodded.

* * *

SHE STEELED HERSELF and answered, heading down the hall and outside. She did her best to shield the girls from their maternal grandmother.

“It’s been weeks since you’ve called me last.” Rebecca complained without bothering to say hello.

“Been a little busy. What’s up?”

“You need to let your employees know I’m your mother and deserve a discount at your Manhattan store.”

“We’ve talked about this before. Is this what you called about?” Rebecca believed Kelly owed her a piece of everything she had. And to keep her satisfied—and on the other side of the country—Kelly kept her mother’s bank account full and sent clothes to the house in the Hamptons she’d bought her mother before she’d even turned eighteen.

“I was in the neighborhood!”

“I’ve told you before, you’re not allowed inside the store. You won’t get a discount. You won’t get anything. I send you all the stuff you’d like and that will fit you. Leave my employees alone.”

Kami must not have been at work when Rebecca stopped by. Her business partner and friend loathed Kelly’s mother and had zero issue with saying so straight to Rebecca’s face.

“Just for once you could take my side. But you tossed all my advice when you moved to Oregon and started popping out babies instead of making all your money while you were still young and beautiful. Now look at you. Over thirty, twenty pounds fatter than you were. Couldn’t keep your cash ticket and divorced him. You don’t know what it takes to survive.”

It did no good to engage and yet, Kelly found herself at the end of her rope and the words came anyway. “Yes, look at me. Gosh, it must have sucked for you when your cash cow decided to be an actual parent. However do you survive me supporting you since I was fourteen? Your bills are paid, stop crying about it.”

“I can’t believe the way you talk to me.”

If only it drove her away. “I’m hanging up now. Stay away from the store or I’ll let Kami get a restraining order.”

Her mother didn’t comment on that, but she wasn’t done. “Your employee told me your daughter was sick. I said I had no idea as you didn’t bother to inform me.”

“I don’t know why I would bother to tell you. Also, nice that you bitched at me for ten minutes and didn’t ask after her until now. Even when you comment it’s about you and your feelings. Why are you really calling me?”

“I hope your daughters are more grateful than mine.”

Kelly sure hoped so as she was working to be a better mother than she had. “Have a nice night, Rebecca. I have things to do.”

Kelly hung up and turned her phone off. There would be at least a call back or a text and she didn’t want to deal with either just then. Or ever.

CHAPTER EIGHT

VAUGHAN TUCKED MADDIE IN, kissing her forehead. “Night, baby.”