One Night with Sole Regret 03 Take Me Read Free

even invited Shade to his own daughter’s party. He was not at fault here. Or was he missing something?
    "Can I sit out on the step with her for a minute?” Shade asked. “I won't even come inside."
    "Daddy!" Julie screamed.
    He wasn't sure if he was capable of calming Julie at this point, but he couldn't stand to see her so distraught. Maybe it would be better if he stayed away. Maybe they were all better off without him. But j ust the thought of missing these few stolen moments with his princess made his eyes sting and his chest ache.
    "Fine. Ten minutes, Shade. And then you're leaving."
    He nodded, willing to agree to any concession.
    A sobbing little girl was thrust in his direction.
    Shade held Julie perched in the crook of one arm. Her arms tightened around his neck and she buried her wet, little face against his shoulder.
    Julie gasped and sniffled for several minutes, but she’d stopped wailing immediately. Shade just held her, rocking her slightly and stroking her silky blond hair. He heard the door close , and was surprised that Tina didn't think she needed to supervise the two of them.
    "Mommy said you forgot about my birthday," Julie said.
    "Of course I didn't forget about your birthday, princess. I tried to get here as soon as I could."
    "She said you had to sing at the loud pwace today , so you wasn’t coming."
    "No, I don’t have a concert tonight, but I do have to sing. I have to sing to the birthday girl."
    Julie drew back and looked him in the eyes. Scowling, she grabbed his sunglasses by the nosepiece and pulled them off. "Take these off. I can't see you."
    Eyes exposed, he stared down at her, his heart filled with love and loss, joy and sorrow all at once.
    "Can you see me now?" he whispered.
    She nodded and squashed his face between two sticky hands. He made fish lips at her until she giggled.
    "What do you want me to sing?"
    "The Cinderella song!"
    He chuckled. "I don't think I know that one."
    "I'll teach you."
    "Okay."
    "A dweam is a wish when you fast asweep," she sang, using her arms and hands expressively to punctuate her heartfelt words. He’d have paid for front row seats to watch her perform.
    Shade opened his mouth to sing after her , and she covered his mouth with her hand. "Wait. I messed up."
    “I know,” he said when she moved her hand. “How about some Aerosmith?”
    She sucked in a deep excited breath, her eyes alight with eagerness. “Yes, D addy . Sing the angel song. See my wings.” She reached over her shoulder and tugged at one of her flimsy, sparkly wings. “I’m an angel.”
    “You sure are,” he said. “An angel princess.”
    He cleared his throat and sang to her, backing the lyrics , as always, with his entire heart and soul. “I’m alone, yeah…” By the time he was belting out the end of the second line , she was squirming in anticipation. He knew what she wanted. She just liked the chorus , so he skipped the majority of the first stanza and went straight to her favorite part.
    Julie beamed as he sang to her. She looked at him with such utter adoration that his throat closed off and he choked over the next few words. She bounced excitedly , and he lifted his free hand to support her back so she didn’t jostle her way out of his arms and onto the brick steps at his feet. She hugged him when he’d finished and fisted her little hand around the cross hanging from the chain at his neck.
    “Now sing the babe song,” she requested.
    He smiled. Couldn’t help it. She always called Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” the babe song.
    “Don’t you want to open your present?” he asked.
    She jerked backward and smiled up at him broadly. She nodded, squirming to get down. He set her on her feet and squatted down in front of her to hand her the pink bag. He wished his gift was better wrapped , s omething Julie could tear into the way a little kid was supposed to open a birthday present. She tugged out the tissue paper and struggled to remove the