My daughter sighed dramatically, and on impulse, I told her we could get both.

“Are you sure that wouldn’t cost too much, Daddy?” she asked earnestly, her big blue eyes blinking up at me with concern.

I sat in a chair and pulled her into my lap. “I think I can cover it. Let’s try them on.” They both fit, so Meg set them aside while Reagan smirked at me. Yes, I was a total pushover. “Okay, next, she needs casual shoes,” I told Meg.

Reagan spoke up. “I was thinking something like this or this,” she said, holding up some brown loafers and some short black boots she called booties.

Booties. Mary Janes. Girls were fucking confusing. Maybe there was a class at the local community college I could take on all this stuff.

I ended up agreeing to both of them, and Reagan laughed and said, “Okay, I think my work is done here. I have to go pick up my daughter from daycare now.”

By the time we left the store almost two hours later, Meg, the master fucking saleslady, helped us carry the packages to the SUV. It was the least she could have done, really, after the huge commission check I knew she would be getting.

Carrie was wearing a pink sparkly dress and a black leather and rhinestone jacket with black combat boots that she decided to wear home after Meg helped her try them on in the dressing room. She had deemed this her ninja princess outfit, whatever the fuck that meant. But she looked like a sparkly little badass, and it made her happy, so I was happy, too.

When we arrived at Beau’s house, she busted through the front door like she owned the place, and I followed her in. I heard Cam say, “Whoa! That is a kick-ass outfit, little chick,” and Carrie giggled.

“It’s my ninja princess outfit,” she informed the room, soaking up the admiration as they all fussed over her. I could see why Blaire was so close with these men. They absolutely doted on our daughter.

“You gotta have a beer with us tonight, Ax,” Woody said, tossing me a long neck from an iced metal bucket. “And Cam made his mother’s famous lasagna. You probably need sustenance because shopping with Carrie can be brutal.”

“Yeah, it was brutal on my wallet,” I said with a laugh as I twisted off the top. “Just one beer, though, and then I’m going to take Blaire some food since she’s barely eaten today.” Bode gave me an approving nod and a fist bump.

Dammit, I was really starting to like these guys… even fucking Bode.

34. Blaire

Blaire

“Doctor Cavanaugh. Hey, Doctor Cavanaugh.” A loud whisper and a gentle hand on my shoulder woke me up. I popped off the bed and smoothed out my dark-blue scrubs, my body trained to wake immediately.