Prudence by L.H. Cosway

Author:L.H. Cosway [Cosway, L.H.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2025-09-29T00:00:00+00:00

15.

Milly

A tension lingered between us as we returned to watch over the girls. Deirdre and Gigi looked like they were having the time of their lives. Their carefree joy as they sang along and danced to the upbeat pop songs had me smiling despite myself.

The crowd swelled around us, more energised now that the concert was in full swing, causing Derek to stand close behind me. I felt his heat on the back of my neck, his tall presence almost shielding me from the excitement of the other concertgoers. My face heated, and a buzz filled my ears at his proximity, and when a young woman who looked a little intoxicated moved by us, a plastic cup of beer sloshing about as she clumsily made her way past, I felt Derek’s arm go around my middle, pulling me close so the beer didn’t spill on my shoes. His hand gripped my hip, causing a flutter in my belly.

When I chanced a peek at him, I saw he was smiling as he stared ahead, eyes on his daughter. It warmed my heart because he clearly loved Gigi very much, and seeing her happy obviously meant a lot to him. Suddenly, his gaze flicked down, his fingers flexing on my hip when he seemed to realise he was still holding onto me. Had it been so instinctual for him to move me to safety? It was like he did it without even thinking, and my pulse thudded at the thought.

He let me go, putting the tiniest bit of distance between us but still standing close, leaving me entirely discombobulated.

When the show was over, the girls hurried through the crowd to find us, both starry eyed and breathless.

“Dad!” Gigi exclaimed. “What are you still doing here?”

“I decided to stick around and see what all the fuss was about,” he responded indulgently, and Gigi grinned.

“Well, what did you think?”

“Amazing. I think I might buy one of those shirts they’re selling out front and become a proper fan,” he teased.

“No!” she giggled while Deirdre looked to me.

“Speaking of merch, can I …?” she trailed off, pressing her palms together, prayerlike.

“You can get one item,” I allowed, and Derek handed his credit card over to Gigi so she could do the same. The two of them raced to the merch stand while Derek and I followed after them.

“You’re very good,” I said, and he glanced my way, his look questioning. “With Gigi, I mean. You’re a great dad.”

Something vulnerable flickered across his expression, like it meant a lot to him to hear me say that. Then his jaw worked as he bobbed his head. “Thank you.” His voice was low, rough, and my heart pounded at the way he was staring at me, though I couldn’t quite decipher what his look meant.

A few minutes later, we were headed to Derek’s car. Deirdre had managed to convince me to let her buy two extra items, and Gigi carried two bags stuffed to the brim with band merchandise.

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