Part 7 (2/2)

Damp-eyed, hiccuping, she nodded.

He jiggled some more. Under the tears and dirt, he decided she was a

taking little thing. And a McAvoy, he admitted with a sigh. A McAvoy

through and through. ”Got any we can pinch?”

She smiled then, and pointed to a high cupboard.

Thirty minutes later, they were finis.h.i.+ng up the plate of biscuits and

the sweet tea he'd brewed. Brian watched them from the kitchen doorway

as Johnno made faces so that Emma giggled. When the chips were down,

Brian thought, you could always depend on Johnno.

Going in, Brian ran a hand down his daughter's hair. ”Emma, would you

like to ride in my car?”

She licked crumbs from her lips. ”With Johnno?”

”Yeah, with Johnno.”

”I'm a hit.” Johnno popped the last biscuit into his mouth.

”I'd like you to stay with me, Emma, in my new house.”

”Bri-',

He cut Johnno off, lifting a hand palm up. ”It's a nice house, and you

could have your own room.”

”I have to?”

”I'm your dad, Emma, and I'd like you to live with me. You could try

it, and if you're not happy, we'll think of something else.”

Emma studied him, her full bottom lip pushed out in a pout. She was

used to his face, but it was different somehow from the pictures. She

didn't know or care why. His voice made her feel good, safe.

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