Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter

Author:Denise Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2017-09-23T04:00:00+00:00

chapter twenty-four

Cruz’s palms sweated against the leather steering wheel. He’d had a few hours to simmer down, and it was a good thing. He didn’t want to scare Gracie by scowling all night.

Gracie—his daughter. He was about to see his daughter.

The words sounded foreign in his mind. Strange. Wonderful. Terrifying.

What did he know about kids? About little girls? What would he do with her? What would he say to her? What if she didn’t like him?

She already likes you, idiota.

He’d been wondering since he’d left Zoe standing alone in the barn what Gracie had been told about her father. Clearly she knew Kyle wasn’t her dad. He could be grateful for that at least.

Cruz had come to a decision in the three hours he’d spent pacing his house like a madman. He wanted Gracie to know he was her dad, and he wanted her to know tonight. Zoe had waited long enough. It was time the little girl knew she had a daddy who loved her.

And he did, he thought, half dazed by the realization. He couldn’t wait to be with her. He wanted to spend a few hours just staring at her, memorizing her features. He wanted to make her giggle and watch her eyes light up again when he called her Bella.

He might not know anything about being a dad or about little girls, but he knew one thing. He was going to make sure Gracie knew her daddy loved and wanted her. He knew all too well the repercussions when a child didn’t have that assurance.

As he turned into the farm’s gravel drive his mind whirled with memories of Zoe and the past. The anguish he’d experienced when she’d left with Kyle, when he’d heard of her pregnancy and nearly doubled over. Kyle had not only lied to him about Zoe and him being together back then, he’d been all too happy to let everyone believe Gracie was his. Cruz wished more than ever that he’d gotten in a few more good swings that night at the Rusty Nail. Kyle’d had it coming more than he’d even known.

He took the slight bend in the drive and blew out a deep breath. He had to forget about all that. Put it all aside for now. His anger toward Kyle and Zoe would have to wait. The only thing that mattered tonight was Gracie.

His daughter.

His lips curled upward at the thought, and he pressed the accelerator a little harder, kicking up dust in the rearview mirror.

He was going to take her for a burger. Every kid liked burgers, right? Then he’d take her to his house.

And do what, genius? Watch the Braves? Play poker? He didn’t have so much as a crayon at his place.

He’d take her to Toy Depot first. She needed some things to keep at his house. He’d let her pick out some toys. Anything she wanted. Good grief, it hadn’t even been one day, and she already had him wrapped around her little finger.

His legs were shaking a little as he made his way up the porch steps.

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