Page 69 of Her Gentle Daddy

Did he still want Maddie? Or think about her while he touched himself? Or while they had sex? Getting up to her feet, Gabby made her way to the door and looked down the hall both ways before figuring out where the staircase was. Maddie jumped up and ran after her.

“Gabby? I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

Shaking her head, Gabby went downstairs and somehow found the front door, swinging it open and walking outside, not wanting to break down and have a panic attack in front of everyone. Olly was in the house with Sean so he wasn’t around to help her.

Walking down the long driveway, tears began to fall as thoughts of Sean and Maddie filled her mind. It was probably stupid. Nothing had happened between them, but he had been interested in her and that meant that he could still have feelings for her.

“Gabby!”

Sean’s voice yelled from the doorway of the house as he scanned his surroundings looking for her. Instead of going to him, she continued walking toward the end of the driveway, unsure of where she was going to go, but just knowing that she needed to get away. She didn’t want to be a second choice or watch her Daddy drool over another woman in front of her, especially since they were sisters and would probably be around each other often.

She heard Sean jogging up behind her, catching up with her quickly and wrapping his hand around her elbow, stopping her in her tracks. Yanking her arm from his grasp, she started walking again, wiping at her eyes.

“Gabby, stop, right now.”

His tone was stern, and a shiver ran down her spine at his command, making her stop in her tracks, but she didn’t turn to look at him. Walking around her so he was standing in front of her, he cupped her chin and tilted her head back until she was looking up into his scowling face.

“What’s going on, little girl?”

Shrugging her shoulders, Gabby shook her head, unable to speak.

“Young lady, you just walked right out of the house without telling me what’s going on, scaring Maddie and myself half to death, so tell me what’s going on because I have no idea what the hell is wrong.”

“You wanted her!” she shouted.

Taking a step back, Sean looked at her with confusion, his brows furrowed together.

“What are you talking about?”

“You wanted Maddie. You tried to get with her at The Playground. You wanted her, and you probably still want her because she’s so much prettier and better than I am. You settled for me because you couldn’t have her because of Ian.”

Sean stared at her in disbelief for several seconds before he opened his mouth to say something, but she cut him off.

“I want to go home.”

Watching his expression change from disbelief to concern, he reached out to touch her, but she pulled away and started walking back up the driveway, stopping at the passenger side of his car. He followed, stopping in front of her and leaning down until he was eye level with her.

“Baby girl, there is no one in this world I have ever wanted more than I want you. Nothing happened between Maddie and me. She was there alone, she looked a little unsure, so I offered to read her a book, hoping to ease her. I could tell it was her first time there.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, Gabby refused to look up at him. She wanted to believe him but comparing Maddie to herself, it was no match. Maddie was prettier, curvier, well educated, and everything else that was better.

“I want to go home,” she whispered.

Letting out a sigh, Sean stepped back and nodded, pulling his car key from his pocket and unlocking the doors. Snatching open the door and climbing in before he had the chance to help her. She closed herself into the car and waited while he walked back toward the house and emerged again after several minutes, carrying their bags and the puppy.

She wasn’t sure if she was being irrational or not but it felt like her heart was shattering at the thought of her Daddy being interested in another woman, and that seemed to be all that she could focus on.

Sean didn’t say anything when he opened the passenger door and set Olly on her lap, closing them back into the car and making his way to the driver’s side. Cuddling her little furball close, Gabby let out a shaky sigh, trying to will the tears away until she could be somewhere alone.

The drive home was silent. She could feel her phone vibrate several times in her back pocket, but the only other person who had her number and would actually text her was Maddie, and the thought that she had ruined their new relationship made her feel even worse, so she ignored it.

As soon as the car was parked in the driveway and Sean pressed the button to open the garage door, Gabby unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car, carrying Olly in her arms into the house. She went straight up to the nursery, and for the first time since she’d been living with Sean, she closed the door behind her.

27

SEAN

Fuck.