Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 86364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86364 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 432(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 288(@300wpm)
No, Parker wasn’t my boyfriend or spouse. We weren’t technically anything more than fuck-buddies at best. And yet, something inside me still rose and growled “Mine” when I thought of him. Especially at the sight of the blackened and hollowed-out remains of the apartment where I’d met him so many times.
Mine had been threatened.
Mine was hurting.
And I needed to fix this.
So, of course, work disrupted my plans to have dinner with Parker and discuss his future. Specifically, an overseas branch of Courtland Enterprises. While I dealt with that weekend meltdown, I asked Franks and Chef Donovan to see that Parker and Joy were fed and settled for the night.
After dealing with three hours of chaos in Asia, Franks reported that both guests had eaten. An additional food delivery order was on its way, ensuring that Joy had what she needed for the next few days. Chef Donovan also mentioned his disappointment that Mr. Cain had refused to provide a list of foods he liked and didn’t like because he hadn’t wanted to “mess up Mr. Foster’s routine.” Afterward, they’d retreated to the guest room and gone back to sleep. Not that I could blame either of them for needing more rest after their eventful day.
But this morning, I wanted to start things off on the right foot.
I was descending the stairs to go into the dining room for breakfast when a bleary-eyed Parker exited his bedroom—wearing the sleep pants and T-shirt Franks had gotten to him—with Joy in his arms. Surprise shot through me. Parker had never struck me as an early-morning person, but it soon hit me that Parker was likely awake because of the smiling child in his arms.
Parker stopped at the sight of me watching him. He blinked, and his gaze darted away as if he were embarrassed. “Oh. Hey.”
“Did you sleep well?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
“Please, don’t thank me anymore,” I murmured and continued down the stairs, leading him to the dining room. “I’m sorry I couldn’t join you for dinner last night. Problems in Seoul.”
“Was it that thing we spent all last week crunching the numbers for?”
“Yes.”
I looked over my shoulder to see Parker wince before giving a little chuckle. “Can’t say I miss that life.”
“If you were still on the company payroll, I would have called you in to assist me.”
“Ha! Not a chance. Now I’m really glad my contract is up.” I saw that old spark of life light his eyes, but it disappeared as we entered the dining room, where Franks was waiting for us with two place settings and a large array of food. Next to one chair was a brand-new high chair with a bib featuring a grinning apple.
“Whoa…I…do you do this every morning for breakfast?”
“No,” I said firmly, while leveling a hard look at Franks.
My assistant swallowed hard, and a faint flush colored his ears. “Forgive us. Chef Donovan was worried that he didn’t know what Mr. Cain would like for breakfast, so he wanted to provide a variety of options to learn his preferences. For Miss Cain, the jars of food have arrived if you would like me to bring them instead of a bottle for her breakfast.”
“Okay. Thanks. Um…I was thinking of doing half a bottle and some carrots and beef this morning.”
Franks nodded and hurried away to the kitchen while Parker got Joy settled in her high chair. I wanted to remark on the strange selection for the baby’s breakfast, but I kept that to myself since I didn’t know a damn thing about babies.
“I didn’t know she was eating solid food,” I stated instead, then wanted to slap myself in the face. Of course, I didn’t know what she ate. I didn’t know a damn thing about this child.
Yet, despite my asinine comment, Parker flashed me a broad smile over his shoulder as he secured Joy’s bib around her neck. “Right? Though solid food is a misnomer. This stuff has been pureed so thoroughly that it’s barely a step above water in terms of consistency. There’s a cereal she can eat first, but I haven’t tried it yet. She likes her carrots and green beans so far. I can’t wait for her to try some fruit, but I read people advise against doing the fruits too soon. Babies love the sweetness, and it becomes harder to get them to eat anything else. Not that I can blame her. I—” Parker stopped and cringed, shoving one hand through his hair as he sat. “Sorry. I get carried away. You aren’t interested in this.”
Actually, I was. I didn’t know a damn thing about babies, and learning this information was interesting.
“How do you know how much to feed her?”
Parker’s smile returned to his lips, along with the light in his eye. “I found most of the information on parenting websites and Reddit. Joy is also happy to tell me when she’s full by spitting food out or flat-out refusing to eat.”