My queasiness stayed with me for most of the afternoon, making me short-tempered, and the fifteen or so people running around the floor learned real quick to steer clear of me. While I was glad that they avoided me, I didn’t want them to think that one of their bosses was a tyrant to be afraid of.

Around four that afternoon I finally got a text from Mieke telling me she was out with her cousins as well as Jenna Stevenson and Lucy Thornton. She said she would meet me at Emmie’s house at eight. Apparently she was doing some Christmas shopping. I didn’t worry about her, knowing that Lucy Thornton’s bodyguard would keep my baby girl safe.

There were still no messages from Zander though, and that bugged me more than I knew it should. It wasn’t like I didn’t know I’d see him that night, and since we’d gotten back together in September, we’d basically been inseparable. I saw him throughout the day, every day. Even when I didn’t get to see him as often as I wanted, he texted me religiously and even sent me flowers at the small office I now had in Nashville every Friday.

I didn’t know why I was feeling so hurt over not seeing him or hearing from him all day, though. It was stupid. Maybe it was just because I was feeling sick and emotional. Whatever. I wouldn’t let it make me feel insecure. Our relationship was a strong one. He told me he loved me every day and he was always doing things to make me feel special, proving to me just as he had promised, that I meant more to him than anything else in the world.

It hadn’t been easy, finding our way back to the place in our relationship where we were at now. I’d had some days where I was so happy that we were back together. Some days, however, I’d been full-on pissed at the world that it had taken us this long to have our happily ever after. I tried not to think about the past—the wasted years we’d been apart—and for the most part I succeeded. But those few days that I didn’t—couldn’t—put the years we spent apart behind me, those days had kind of made us stronger. Zander knew that on those days I needed some extra TLC, and he always gave it to me. He always did something that made me realize that the past didn’t matter. All that mattered was right now.

We were happy, all three of us. Even Mieke seemed happier than I’d ever seen her and I was so glad that she was enjoying having her dad around. Then again, what girl wouldn’t want their father around if all he did was spoil her rotten? It had only been a few months since Zander had been in Mieke’s life, but from the way those two adored each other no one would ever know that.

Thinking of what an amazing father Z was turning into, I finally felt a smile teasing at my lips. Finally getting over my bitchy mood, I gathered my things and left the office. It was getting late and I still had to get back to the apartment and change before going out to Malibu for Emmie’s party.

I was just getting out of the shower when another wave of queasiness washed over me and I felt slightly lightheaded. Alone in the apartment, I was momentarily scared as I sat down on the closed toilet seat and waited for the dizziness to pass. With a shaky hand, I reached for my cell where I’d left it on the sink. My fingers trembling, I pulled up Zander’s name and hit connect.

It went straight to voicemail just as I was swallowing back another wave of nausea. Fuck, what was wrong with me? There wasn’t a bug going around and even if there was I’d have been surprised if I’d caught it. I rarely got ill, but there was always a first for everything.

After several minutes the dizziness passed and I wondered if I should just call Emmie and tell her I couldn’t make it. I didn’t want to get anyone else sick if I really did have a bug, yet at the same time I didn’t want to miss out on the fun. This Christmas party was important to Emmie and her family, and now that she considered me a part of her family, I wanted to be there.

Sighing, I reached for my hairdryer, determined to make it to the party.

With my hair done and a nice green dress on, I finished up my makeup. Putting on just a little gloss, I nearly jumped out of my skin when my cell buzzed. It was a text from Mieke and I smiled at the goofy picture of my daughter that was in my messages. She was standing with her new friends and cousins in front of a Christmas tree in Emmie’s living room.

Shaking my head, I closed my texts and briefly saw the date on the screen along with the time. It didn’t immediately hit me, but for some reason I glanced back down at the date…

Holy shit.

Zander

She was running late and I was running out of nerves. I knew if I’d looked in a mirror right then I’d see that my eyes were complete green. It was probably why most of my bandmates were sticking to the opposite sides of the room. Even Emmie was shooting me strange, questioning looks that I tried to ignore.

Stuffing my hands into the dress pants I’d decided to wear, instead of the usual jeans I preferred, I glared out the glass wall that looked at the Pacific Ocean. With all the lights on in the huge living room, I couldn’t see the crashing waves as they hit the beach, but I knew they were there. They mimicked the feelings crashing through me right at that moment.

Was it too soon? Was I moving things too fast? Had I been suffocating her?

The questions kept coming, each one of them sending my fucked-up head into even deeper chaos. I was probably moving too fast, but Annabelle had seemed happy over the last several months. She smiled all the time, laughed like she was the happiest she’d ever been in her life. When I wrapped my arms around her at night and pulled her close, she would cuddle against me and breathe me in deeply as if she never wanted our connection to end.

I’d promised her I’d wait until I knew she was ready, until I’d proven to her fully that she was my world and nothing else except her mattered. I wasn’t sure if I’d done that yet. Fuck, it had only been a few months. It could take years before she was truly ready for a bigger commitment with me. Yet there I was, stressing over what I wanted to do right at that second.

Soft, warm hands touched my arm and I relaxed a little as I wrapped my arm around Mieke’s slender shoulders. “Any word from your mom?”

“I sent her a text about an hour ago, Daddy. Relax. She’s just running a little late. Everything is going to be alright, okay?” She reached up and kissed my cheek, squeezing my hand as she did so.

Mieke was the only one who knew what was going on, the only one who knew why I was acting like the crazy man I’d always been accused of being. There were no smiles from me that night; no making others laugh. I was lost in my own head and I would stay lost until I had Annabelle in my arms again.

“There you are!” I heard Emmie call out with a laugh and turned to find her stepping away from a small group that included Nik, Axton, and Dallas.

She hugged the newcomer before stepping back and my breath froze in my lungs at the breathtaking sight of Annabelle in the green dress and black ballet slippers. She looked perfect, but there was something in her sky-blue eyes that told me she wasn’t feeling well.

I dropped a kiss on top of Mieke’s head without glancing at her and moved across the living room toward the only thing that brought me peace. She was talking in a quiet tone with Emmie but quickly closed her mouth when she saw me coming toward her.

The little redhead faded away, probably going back to her husband as I reached Annabelle and wrapped her tightly in my arms. Her hair was pulled back into a sexy little up-do thing and I buried my face in her neck, inhaling her clean, delicious scent like a dying man taking his last breath. I felt her shiver and couldn’t help the way my body hardened for her.

“Hey, stranger,” she murmured with a little sass in her tone.