Page 102 of Puppy Christmas

“No, she didn’t,” he agreed. “And we miss her every day, but we still love her, don’t we?”

Emily thought about it for a moment before nodding. “But I don’t love her as much as I love you.”

It was all he could do to resist squeezing his daughter in his arms until his strength gave out. “Me too, moppet,” he said and kissed the top of her head. “Me too.”

They stayed that way for a moment before Emily added, “I’m sorry I pretended about Jeeves.”

Ford remembered, belatedly, that his daughter had told one whopper of a lie and should probably be punished accordingly. But how could he punish his little girl for loving someone too much? How could he teach her that it was wrong to throw all caution aside and fight for what you wanted?

He couldn’t. In that moment, bedecked in a pirate costume and holding his child in his arms, he knew there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her.Or for Lila.He’d already learned so much from having Emily in his life, but nothing she gave him would be greater than this gift right here. If a six-year-old would bite her own hand to keep Lila in her life, then the least Ford could do was own up to the truth.

He loved Lila so much that the idea of moving on without her sliced him like a pirate’s blade straight to the gut. As ridiculous as it sounded, there was nothing to laugh about in that. No joke that could gloss it over and make it okay.

Lila was right about that, too.

As hard as it was for him to drop every pretense, she deserved to hear the truth with no varnish on it. She deserved to see Ford Ford exactly as he was.

A little lonely. A lot uncertain.

And one hundred percent in love.