Free Unexpected Love (Timid Souls Book 3) by Melanie Munton

crush on Gabe for months, had developed feelings for him before I had even realized it.
    I never expected the same to happen with his daughter.
     
    ##

Chapter Eight
     
    Gabe
    How had everything changed so drastically in just a few short weeks?
    Because seeing my daughter walk out of that bathroom holding the hand of the woman I had been crushing on for the past several months changed something in me. The two of them looked nothing alike, of course, but something about the image of them walking hand-in-hand just looked right. The happiness emanating from both of their faces, it was like magic.
    It had never been like that with Vanessa.
    I didn’t want Penny getting too attached to Felicity since she and I hadn’t even established what we were to each other yet. I knew that for my daughter’s sake, I should probably have kept my distance from the woman—be responsible—until we had more direction.
    But I couldn’t stay away from her anymore. Didn’t want to.
    As far as I was concerned, we were in a relationship and I didn’t want out of it. I wanted to be committed to it, to her. And I was going to let her know it, make sure she felt the same way, and assure myself that she was all mine.
    Starting now.
    “I’m clean, Daddy,” Penny told me, holding her hands out for my inspection.
    I quickly looked them over but immediately focused my stare back on Felicity. “Good job, Peanut. Did you help Felicity wash hers, too?”
    Felicity bit her lower lip and her cheeks flushed. I could see Penny nod out of my peripheral vision and she grabbed one of Felicity’s hands to hold out to me. “Hers are clean, too,” she said. Then, she reached over and tugged on my hand, drawing my attention back down to her. “Can Felicity come over to our house and play horsies with me? Pleeease?”
    I could see Felicity’s eyes widen and could sense the panic in her at my daughter’s question. I wasn’t sure where that panic was originating from, but I didn’t have a single problem with the idea. I met her gaze with a challenging expression. She usually rose to the occasion when I gave her that look and I definitely wanted her to this time. I wanted her to forget whatever was freaking her out and just have a night with me, just us.
    “It’s fine with me,” I said to both girls, though my eyes never left Felicity’s. “Penny and I would love it if you came over for dinner tonight.”
    She swallowed so thickly I could practically hear it as I waited for her answer. My daughter, however, was not as patient. She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around Felicity’s tiny waist and pleaded with her, “Yeah, you have to come over! Daddy and I cook dinner together and he lets me have ice cream for dessert sometimes. Please, please, please come!”
    Felicity laughed as she hugged Penny back. When she raised her head to me again, I could tell that some of the tension had left her body.
    “What do you say, Felicity?” I asked her, the challenge still in my voice. “Want to have a sleepover?”
    She flashed me that sexy smirk that communicated seductive intention, letting me know things weren’t going to be so sweet and innocent when she got me alone. “You’re on.”
     
    ##
     
    If I thought Felicity looked good walking side-by-side with my daughter, seeing her in my home was an even bigger punch to the gut. This was our temporary home, sure, and we would be moving into our real home soon. But it didn’t matter. She still fit in perfectly with the dynamic that Penny and I had created.
    “See, you gotta do it like this, Felicity,” Penny instructed as she spread the ricotta cheese over the meat and noodles with a plastic spatula.
    We were making lasagna. I watched in fascinated amusement as my little girl showed my woman “how Daddy said to do it” when creating the layers of meat, noodles, cheese and tomato sauce. I had always wanted Penny to have a well-rounded education, wanted her to be as self-sufficient as possible. And