Stay With Me (Hope Valley Book 5) by Jessica Prince

Author:Jessica Prince [Prince, Jessica]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-06T16:00:00+00:00

“Damn, baby,” Cord said the moment he stepped into my kitchen. “You weren’t kidding. That cake looks delicious, and I’m not even a real big fan of carrot cake.”

He rounded the island and placed the three large pizza boxes on the counter while I slumped down on one of the awesome countrified barstools I’d picked out to go with the equally awesome countrified décor of my whole house. I propped an elbow on the kick-ass butcher block counter I’d paid a mint to have custom made and rested my chin in my hand as I pouted. “Yeah, well, like I told Zach before he shut himself and his bad mood in his bedroom, I hardly put any carrots in it.”

Cord went on alert at that, and his gaze shot from the cake to me. “Zach came home in a bad mood?”

“Yep. I’ve been reduced to trying to bribe him into liking me with cake, and that’s not even working,” I answered sullenly. “And when I tried to talk to him about it, he shut down and closed me out.”

Cord’s expression went tender as looked down at me. “He likes you, dollface. He’s just adjusting.”

My chest went heavy with sadness, and I slumped deeper into my defeated position and stared down at my pretty countertop. “I want to believe you, I just don’t know….”

“Rory.”

“Huh?”

“Baby, would you look at me?” My head stayed pointed down, but my eyes went up to him. “When your dad and I were with him last weekend for his punishment, it took him a while to get comfortable enough to open up, but once he did, he spent the rest of that time and the entire time we fished to ask questions about you.”

Okay, so that got my attention. I sat up a bit straighter. “He did?”

Cord’s mouth hooked up on one side in a small grin that still packed quite a punch on his gorgeous face. “Yeah, he did. He wants to know you, Rory. He just doesn’t know how to go about it. You show him the way, and he’ll follow your lead.”

Oh god.

Oh god!

“I’m such an idiot,” I breathed, dropping my face into my hands. “I’m such an idiot!” My head shot up as I continued, “He’s been with me for days, Cord. Days, and not once have I asked him about... well, him! God, I’m so bad at this! I have no business taking care of a child.” I dropped my head onto the island and covered it with my arms as shame ate away at me.

His heavy boots clomped against my wood floors as he came around to my side of the island, and a second later, I felt the heat of his palm on my back. “Rory, stop,” he said with gentle authority. “You need to cut yourself some slack. You aren’t bad at this, you’re just new.”

Lifting up, I turned his way, not ready to give up on my self-recrimination just yet, and asked, “What kind of person doesn’t try

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