The Daddy P.I. Casefiles: The First Collection by Frost, J (i love reading txt) 📗

was still a big enough person to bring his wife to celebrate with her ex. If he can be that generous, corkscrew curls and all, so can I.

“Luisa, Daddy said you moved to California, but I don’t remember where?”

“Bay area,” she responds. “I wasn’t sure if I could get used to San Francisco after living in New York for so long, but I actually love it. I’m so glad I was the one who ended up relocating. Vic would have been miserable in New York. He’d have weathered one winter and fled back west.”

I giggle. “I come from Syracuse. Winters there can be brutal.”

“Are you living with Logan in the City now?”

I nod. “I kind of moved in with him after he was injured over the summer.”

Luisa smiles, showing pearly teeth between lips a shade redder than her dress. “I was so happy to hear you were taking care of him. Did he make an unbearably grumpy patient?”

I giggle and from where she’s returned to sketching in the chair across from me, Brenna snorts.

“Yeth,” she says.

“What in heaven’s name happened to you, DirtyGurl?” Luisa asks.

“Broke m’ toof,” Brenna responds and then has to swipe at her lip with the back of her hand as a little drool escapes the gauze.

“Broke it?”

Brenna nods. “Iz all messed up in there. I gotta go back next week.”

“Oh, Bren,” I exclaim. “You have to come stay with us until you’re better. I’ll make you peanut butter and banana milkshakes.”

Brenna lifts a dark brow. “No seah feeds?”

“Chia seeds? No, I promise. Not a single one until you’re better.”

“Dewl.” She ducks her head like she’s going back to her sketching, but her digital pencil doesn’t move, and I can see a faint bloom to her cheeks. She’d never ask for help and always seems surprised when anyone tries to take care of her, which means to me she needs it more than most. I just wish she’d hook up with a decent Dom instead of Doms like Master Ten who only want her for a scene.

A few minutes later, as I’m reaching the mid-way point on Laurel’s crest and Luisa is telling us about a scene with Daddy that failed so epically, she slugged him in the face, Martyn appears and sets out fresh pots of tea. When he reaches Brenna, he puts a tall glass full of something pale and foamy at her elbow and pops a long, curly straw into the glass.

“Two bananas and one tablespoon of peanut butter,” he tells her with a pat on her colorful dreadlocks. “I’ll pack you another for the restaurant so you don’t have to miss the meal but you mustn’t try to chew anything if you’ve had dental surgery.”

Bren blinks up at him in surprise, then seizes the glass and takes a deep draw through the straw. “Fank you so muff.”

“You’re welcome.” Martyn whisks away again. Piper’s eyes follow him and the adoration and longing in them makes my heart ache.

Aggie leans across Luisa to whisper to me, “He’s such a daddy.”

I nod fervently and cast my eyes at Piper. Aggie glances at her, takes in the carefully cuddled teddy bear, and looks back at me.

“Project,” she mouths.

We haven’t had a project since we hooked Daddy’s friend Max up with our friend Cynnie with a sneaky game of Twister. We’re definitely overdue. I shield my thumbs-up against the side of Laurel’s head. Aggie giggles.

Luisa, who has been watching our furtive exchange, laughs. “Oh, you must keep Logan on his toes.”

“Me?” I wiggle my eyebrows. “Never.”

The laughter around the circle makes me grin.

Chapter Four Logan

I take out my handkerchief, hold it over the combatants’ interlocked hands, and drop it onto the table.

“Go, baba!” Aggie shouts.

The tendons in Warrin’s neck pop out as he strains against the pressure Mac immediately puts on his forearm. Mac doesn’t strain. He just looks intent, his eyes holding Warrin’s, but then I’ve never seen Mac sweat anything. I’ve rarely heard him raise his voice, even when we were under fire. If I’ve ever met anyone who fits one of my mother’s favorite sayings, “cool as a cucumber,” it’s Mac.

With nothing more than the slight rise of a vein in his forehead revealing his exertion, Mac steadily forces Warrin’s arm backwards toward the table.

“You don’t even look that strong,” Warrin grumbles, a flush spreading up his throat.

“Bet I could bench your girl there,” Mac responds coolly.

Warrin’s eyes flick to Aggie, who is clinging to Emily, Yumiko, Sammi, and Robyn in a circle of over-excited littles. Just that split-second of divided focus and Mac has him, slamming Warrin’s forearm to the table.

Warrin sits back, massaging his wrist and laughing at Mac’s subterfuge, while Aggie jumps into her daddy’s lap and peppers his cheeks with kisses. Mac watches them with a rueful smile; I can almost hear what he’s thinking. He’d rather have lost if it got him a lapful of adoring subbie as a consolation prize.

I slap Mac on the shoulder as I pick up my handkerchief. Since talking to Niall last night, I’ve been turning over ideas on how to gather my “family” around me, and I’ll be starting with Mac.

“Bring on that red-haired monster,” Mac says, rolling his shoulder.

A coin toss paired Niall with Javier for the first round of the battle royale. Although I had my doubts about Javier’s ability to play fair, he didn’t sabotage Niall that I could see and it didn’t affect Niall’s performance if he did. Although a longer bout than Mac’s speedy take-down of Warrin, Niall’s superior muscle mass eventually prevailed, and Javier conceded gracefully.

“Ready, old timer?” Niall asks, shouldering his way between Harry and Yumiko’s daddy, Bravo. Both men are ex-military and big bastards, but Niall towers over both of them.

Warrin lifts Aggie out of his lap and vacates the chair for Niall, who sits down with such emphasis, I’m surprised he doesn’t drive the chair several inches into the ground. We’ve returned to the inn after a raucous dinner. Martyn took all forty