Mine to Promise (Southern Wedding #6)(69)

I don’t even feel the time go by. “We should order in food if we are going to keep going,” Levi suggests, and I look down at the corner of the computer screen and see that it’s a little past eight thirty at night, and I start to panic.

“I have to head home,” I hear someone say as I look beside my computer for my phone and I find it empty. I jump out of my chair, ignoring everyone voting on staying or going. “I’m with whatever,” I say, rushing to my office and finding my phone on my desk. I turn it over to see Addison tried to call me once, but then I have ten missed FaceTimes from Avery.

I sit in the chair and call Addison first. She answers after two rings, and I can tell she was sleeping. “Hey, did I wake you?”

“Yeah,” she mumbles, “I must have fallen asleep with Avery,” she whispers.

“She’s sleeping?” I say, putting my head back and my eyes closing.

“Yeah, she had a busy day. Apparently, she was teaching the class how to wave like a princess.

It’s hard being Avery.” She chuckles, and picturing her is just making it worse, even with my eyes closed. “How is your day?”

“Good, we just stopped to get something to eat or finish, I’m not sure. I saw the time and ran to call you,” I tell her, looking up when I hear people start walking in the hallway. “I think we are going to be ending it. I’ll call you when I get to the hotel.”

She yawns at the same time that she says, “Okay.” I disconnect the phone and put it back on my desk.

Levi sticks his head into my office. “We will reconvene tomorrow at ten,” he says. “Get some sleep. You look like shit.”

“Thanks,” I mumble, getting up and making my way over to the hotel two doors from the office. I check in and make my way up to the bedroom. The sound of the door clicks closed once I walk in.

I toss my bag by the bed and call Addison right away; she answers after one ring. “Hi,” she grumbles, and I press the FaceTime button. The sound of ringing fills the phone. “Are you FaceTiming me?”

“Yes,” I confirm, putting the phone in front of me as the white circle goes around until she fills the screen. “Hi, beautiful,” I say softly.

“You look tired,” she notes. “Why don’t you get a shower and go to bed?”

“I will in a bit. I miss you,” I admit to her and her mouth goes from a smirk to a full-blown smile.

“Do you?” she asks me, turning on her side, and I wish I was sliding into bed with her.

“I do.” I smirk at her. “How is Avery?”

“She’s good,” she says, and I can feel her holding back something.

“She tried to FaceTime me,” I tell her and she smiles sadly.

“Yeah. We called you from my phone together and then she went to her bedroom.” She trails off.

“I found her under the covers trying to call you.”

I close my eyes and it feels like someone kicked me in the balls, and then came back to kick me in the mouth after I fell to my knees to cup my balls. “What did you tell her?”

“You were at work, and you would call her when you weren’t busy. It’s totally normal for a parent to go away for work. Your dad used to do it.”

“I know, but I didn’t. He didn’t come into my life after deserting me for four years,” I groan.

“You didn’t desert her, and I see what Sofia was talking about being dramatic with the family.”

She softly giggles. “Go take a shower, and you can call her tomorrow. Then she can guilt-trip you and you can come home and bring all the stuffies you find in the airport.”

“Should I order them now?” I ask, and her eyes go big.

“That was sarcasm,” she retorts. “You aren’t going to buy her anything because then she is going to think that she is going to get something every time you go away.”

“But she will,” I assure her and she rolls her eyes.

“Goodbye,” she says, “call me tomorrow.”

“Night, baby.” I look at her and she disconnects. I order some food before taking a shower and eat in my bed before going to sleep. “This is my life,” I say, hunkering under the covers.

I don’t even know when I fall asleep, but the phone ringing fills the room.

I sit up in bed, looking around before I realize where I am. I get the phone and see that it’s Avery calling me. I press the connect button and see her sitting in the car. “Dad,” she says, her voice high.

“See, Momma, I told you he would answer.”

“Hey,” I say, lying back down in the bed, “how are you, my beautiful girl?”

“Good, I’m at daycare,” she reports, and the back door opens and she jumps out.

“Already? Okay, have a great day,” I tell her and she hands the phone to Addison.

“Why didn’t you call me?” I ask her.

“Because I knew you would be sleeping, and if you are anything like me, you tossed and turned all night long, so I was being nice.”

“You missed me.” I smile into the phone.

“I have to go,” she deflects. “Say bye.”

“Bye, Dad, call me tonight,” Avery says, and then the phone hangs up. I lie back down in the bed, turning to the side and seeing it’s just after eight. I get up and get dressed to go to work, grabbing a cup of coffee right before walking back into the office. The joy I used to get walking into the office feels like it’s gone.