I wake up and see Tiana lying on Butcher’s chest. My heart melts at the sight, and I slip out of bed and tiptoe out of the room.

I walk downstairs and gather the ingredients for pancakes. I make the batter, and then I take some bacon out of the fridge. I put it on and get busy making the pancakes.

Fifteen minutes later everything is done. I plate everything and begin the process of taking everything to the table. The jug of milk, three cups, three plates, and then the plates of food.

Once I am finished I hear a creak on the steps, and I see Butcher carrying Tiana, whose hair is sticking up everywhere.

“Smells good, baby.” He kisses me and sets Tiana down in her seat. She rubs her little eyes and yawns.

I sit down and scoot my chair closer to Tiana to help her with her pancakes if she needs it. She takes her fork in her fist and stabs a piece of pancake, the plate rattling as she does so, then brings it up and puts it in her mouth.

“Butcher, we need to buy a car seat before we can leave to get Tiana everything for her room.”

He nods and sets his fork down. “While you girls are getting ready, I will run out and get a car seat.”

“Thank you.” I blow him a kiss, and he shakes his head and goes back to his food.

I look at Tiana, who has abandoned her fork and is using her fingers to eat the pancake. She catches me looking and gives me a pancake-filled smile. I laugh and let her eat however she wants to—the fork is too big for her anyway.

We pull up outside a kids’ department store. We are in Butcher’s truck, so we will have plenty of room for everything because, basically, we have to start from scratch.

I step out of the truck, which earns a glare from Butcher since he told me to wait on him. Butcher opens the back door and unbuckles Tiana from her seat, then lifts her out and places her on her feet.

Tiana slips her little hand in mine, and Butcher takes my free hand. We walk through the parking lot, and Tiana jumps up on the sidewalk and bounces on her feet. I laugh at her goofiness.

Butcher opens the door for us, and we step through the entrance. Tiana takes her hand from mine and grabs the sides of her little dress, twisting it as she walks in front of us. I love that she is letting loose more and more with us.

Butcher puts his hand on the small of my back as we follow her through the store. Tiana checks out everything she comes across, and she makes a beeline straight to the toy aisle ahead of us.

Butcher and I speed up to catch up to her. Tiana grabs a stuffed kitty and hugs her to her chest then swings from side to side. I bend down next to her. “Do you know what this is?” I touch the kitty’s head.

“Titty.”

I suck my lips in my mouth so I won’t laugh, but Butcher doesn’t care enough to hold it in. He laughs behind me.

Someone left a shopping cart and I pull it over to us, lift Tiana, and put her in the front part of the basket. She is still holding on to the kitty. As we go down the aisle, she points at some things she likes and we get them for her, because she literally has no toys at all.

Thirty minutes later we leave the toy aisle and head to the furniture section. I immediately spot a bed that is light pink, with princess crowns on the poles on every corner of the bed. The sides are pink, and the top is skimmed in gold. They have a dresser, vanity, toy chest, lamp, nightlight, curtains, and everything we need for the room, right down to blankets, pillows, and bean bag chairs. Perfect.

“Hi, how can I help you?” A worker pops out of nowhere, and Tiana and I both jump. Butcher growls loudly and moves around us to face the worker. “Do you deliver?”

She nods and smiles, all too chipper for my liking. Why is she looking at Butcher like that? Hell, no.

“Well, we would like the bedroom suite here.” I point to the princess room.

She nods and moves to a computer. “Would you like it delivered today and set up?”

I look at Butcher and he nods. “Yes, that would be perfect.”

“Would you like to go to your dad’s while we get everything set up? I think your dad needs to know, and I got a call when I was out today to get the car seat. We got to go in and sign some papers—then she is ours.”

“I can’t wait.” I smile and kiss the top of her head.

I step around the buggy to the counter, and I hand my credit card to the worker before Butcher can do anything about it.

“Shaylin,” he growls and I laugh.

Honestly, I am not hard up for money. My bakery is doing very well, plus I am a trust fund kid. I have barely touched my trust fund. I rented my house out and used it to buy my bakery, along with all of my equipment.

“I will let you buy the clothes and toys.”

He gives me a death glare and I wink. He gives me that look that says I am getting it later, not that I mind. I missed him last night, if you know what I mean.

My ring catches the light, and my stomach flips because it’s so surreal that I am going to be getting married.

“Is that all for you, ma’am?” I take my card from her outstretched hand. “That’s it. Thank you.” I take my receipt.

“Fill out this form with your address, so they can deliver. They should be there in three hours,” she tells us.

Butcher steps up and fills out the form, and I see her watching his every move. I glare at her. She looks at me, and I cock my head to the side and arch my eyebrows at her, letting her know she is caught.

She looks down at the ground and turns to Tiana, who is holding her stuffed animals.

“You like them?” I ask and place a stray hair behind her ear. She nods and hugs the stuffed animals under her neck.

“Ready, baby?” Butcher says and I look up from Tiana.

“Yeah.”

He takes the buggy from me and pushes it toward the clothes department. I turn to look at the worker, who is staring at us. I smirk and scoot up next to Butcher, and I reach down and grab his butt.

I hear her gasp and I laugh.

“Someone is being naughty,” Butcher teases and I give him a look.

“You love it.”

He doesn’t say anything, but I know he does because I love it when he gets all possessive.

From the clothes that Myra sent, I know Tiara’s size. Butcher stays outside the kids’ clothes section with Tiana. I comb through the clothes, getting dressy clothes, pajamas, socks, undies, play clothes, a bathing suit, hair bows, and everything else I can possibly think of. I get an armload and drop it in the buggy.

An hour later I am finished. I can always come back and get whatever else we need. I drop the last load.

“We need to go to Walmart next to get other things she needs.” We have an hour before Butcher needs to go back to the house to meet the delivery people.

We arrive back at his house fifteen minutes before we need to. Walmart was hell. We had to get shampoo, toothpaste, cups, plates, forks, meds, a booster seat, brushes, and lotion. Then Butcher found the snack section for toddlers, and he insisted that we load up on that because it’s good for her.

Gotta love that man.

We put Tiana on the couch with some toys as I help Butcher load all of the stuff into the house, at my insistence. He wanted me to relax with Tiana, but I wouldn’t. I dread hanging up all the clothes tonight once I get home from Dad’s.

I wonder how he will react once he finds out that Butcher and I are adopting Tiana. You know what? I am not going to worry about it, because once he sees her he is going to fall in love.

Paisley and Joslyn are running the bakery for me today, and they are a godsend at times like this, but I need to find a babysitter who can watch Tiana when Butcher and I are working. Butcher’s schedule is lenient though.

“That’s all of it.” I dust my hands and wrap my arms around Butcher’s middle. He kisses the top of my head and runs his hand up and down my back. I sigh and close my eyes.

“Call me once you get to your dad’s?” he asks and I nod then pull out of his arms.

“I will. Love you.” I rise on my tiptoes and kiss him chastely, but he digs his hands in my hair and pulls me hard against him, deepening the kiss.

I smack his ass hard and he bites my lip. “Promise for later?” I ask.

His answer is his signature smirk.

“Tiana, come here angel!” I hear her little feet hitting the hardwood floor. She pops around the corner, and I smile because she is carrying the stuffed kitty under her arm.

I open one of the Walmart bags and take out a couple of snacks, along with some juice boxes. She steps up next to me, and I take her free hand. Butcher opens the front door, and I reach behind my back to make sure I have my gun.

“Love you,” I call over my shoulder as I walk to my car.

“Love you more.”

I rub my chest and open the back door to the car. Tiana steps inside and climbs into her car seat, and I lean in and buckle her in. I open her juice for her and set it in the cup holder and then open some snacks. I set the pack in the cup holder.

I slide out and shut the door, and I wave up at Butcher, who is watching us. He is too hot, standing there all broody like.

The gate is already open, thanks to Butcher, and it shuts after I drive out. I click the button on the steering wheel. “Call Dad.”

The phone rings a couple of times before he picks up. “Hey, baby girl.”

“Dad, I will be there in forty minutes—is that okay?”

He laughs. “Of course it is. See you in a bit.” I click the button again to end the phone call.

I arrive at Dad’s forty minutes later, and that’s when the nerves kick in. I have two bombshells. One, I am engaged and two, I am adopting Tiana.

Oh boy.

I park the car and I take a couple of deep breaths, controlling myself. He steps out onto the porch, and I see him scoping out the yard, my guess is to check for dogs.

Oh my god, I repeat over and over in my head.

You can do this.

I pop open my door and wave at him. He smiles at me and I smile back. I turn my back to him and then open the door behind me. I reach inside and unbuckle Tiana, and she climbs out, then steps out of the car.

I shut the door, and I see a million different emotions come across my father’s face in one split second. I lick my now-too-dry lips. Tiana has her stuffed kitty under her arm.

“What is going on, Shay?” Dad asks and I shake my head. I won’t do this in front of her. When we are in the house, I lead her straight to the living room. “Play with your toy in here, okay? I will be right in here.” I point toward the kitchen. She climbs on the couch and starts playing with her new toy.

I step into the kitchen, and my dad is already sitting at the table, giving me that signature Smiley glare. I pull out my chair and sit down facing him.

“Butcher and I are adopting Tiana,” I begin. Then I tell him everything that happened. I tell him every detail, including Butcher paying the social worker.

“Shay, you did the right thing,” he says, and I am instantly relieved because I just wanted his approval.

“She stole my heart, and Butcher was ready to rip everyone apart who dared to take her from him. She affected us both.”

Dad gives me a pointed look. “Little girls do that to you.”

I laugh and run my hand over my face.

“So he finally got that ring on your finger?”

My eyes widen and I wince on the inside.

“Shay, he already asked me and I don’t think anyone is good enough for you, but I do know Butcher is gone for you.”

“I love him, Dad, I really do.”

Dad smiles at me softly. “I know you do, Smiles.” His smile drops. “If he fucks up, he is dead.”

I laugh and I hear little footsteps. Tiana crosses the room and stands by me, and she looks at my dad with wide, curious eyes.

“Fuck, Shay, her eyes.”

“I know.”

Her eyes are something else; that’s for sure. They are beautiful.

Dad lifts his hands toward her, and she looks at him, unsure, for a few seconds before lifting her arms for him to pick her up. He puts her in his lap. They stay like this for an hour, until she falls asleep in his arms, and I fall more in love with her by the second. Everything she does I find amazing.

“Shay, she has already taken my heart,” Dad informs me and I knew it would happen.

“I know how you feel, Dad.” I run my finger up her cheek.

“I wish you was a baby again, Shay, you grew up too fast.”

“Aww, Dad.” I kiss his cheek and lay my head on his shoulder. I love my dad. He was always my best friend growing up. He, Lane, and I were best friends. We spent every weekend together. We went camping, fishing—whatever we were up for.

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I take it out.

Butcher: Everything is done.

Me: Leaving now.

“Dad, I am going to head home. It’s been a long day. Would you mind carrying her out for me?”

He gives me a look telling me he doesn’t fucking mind, and I don’t ask again. I know my dad like the back of my hand.

I step out of the house, and Dad follows me. I open the back door, and Dad sets her gently in the car seat, without waking her up, then buckles her in.

“Bye, Smiles.” He hugs me and I hug him back. “Bye, Dad.”

I climb in and gently shut the door so I don’t wake her. I text Butcher that I am pulling out of the driveway and start the car.