Imperfect Match (Elixir Bachelor Billionaires #1)

“I’m not your babysitter or your personal comedian.” Daisy folds her arms over her chest, looking away from me. But in the tinted windows, our gazes connect, and I’m not the only one smiling.

Steve parks outside my father-in-law’s home. Daisy is dressed casually today. Blue jeans. Black sweater. Canvas shoes. There’s a pearl-and-rhinestone clip on her hair and minimal makeup on her face. Without trying, she’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen in my life.

I place my hand forward, and the diamond of her engagement ring digs into my palm.

I love how it feels. I love what it says.

She’s mine.

We walk past the small iron gate and reach the porch. Daisy’s dad is sitting on a wingback chair with his head buried in his phone, and he looks up.

“Doodles? Charles? What a surprise!”

He looks much happier and healthier since I last saw him in his home, with numerous reporters as our audience.

“Dad, why are you so dressed up?” Daisy asks hesitantly. “Did you go out?”

“No, no. Kai just took some pictures for my social media,” Jason replies, leading us inside. “I’m a social media influencer now, Doodles. Do you know I’ve made three hundred friends in just a matter of days?”

“And what do you talk about with these new friends?”

“Cooking. Lifestyle. Alzheimer’s. A lot of my online friends are patients like me who are in the early stages of the disease. We crack jokes about forgetting everything and doing stupid things like brushing our teeth multiple times a day, but also good things like forgetting our asshole ex-bosses.” Jason grins.

As much as I hate everything with the word social in it, I’m glad Daisy’s father has found something that’s helping him keep his spirits high.

“Wow!” Daisy looks at him and then at me with a mix of surprise and shock.

“Your mom used to say there’s a silver lining in every dark cloud, we just have to find it. I think I’ve finally found mine.” He pats her cheek affectionately.

Of course she grew up with ample love and affection in her life. That’s the reason she wants to marry for love and possibly also have kids.

Before my mood takes a turn into a dark alley, Jason slaps me on the back. “Enough about me. How’s the business world?”

Daisy gasps, and I turn to look at her while her father asks, “Something the matter, Doodles?”

25

CRAP. CRAP. CRAPPITY CRAP.

DAISY

“He’s Charles Hawthorne, Dad!” I hiss under my breath, as if that’ll prevent Charles’ bat-like hearing to make out my words. “You can’t smack his back. I’ve seen him ruin people’s lives for much less, like someone stepping inside his invisible personal space.”

“In this house, he’s your husband and my son-in-law. Right, Charlie?”

Charlie! I haven’t heard anyone except Charles’ family call him that.

I’m about to get between Dad and Charles to protect my lovely but stupid father, when Charles scowls—at me.

“Absolutely! Your daughter just enjoys imagining me as some sort of evil king.”

“See? Even when he’s evil, he has to be the king. Why can’t you be an evil soldier?”

“You both are too cute. Fighting like cats and dogs but also unable to stay apart for longer than a minute. Daisy’s mom and I were exactly the same, until this girl walked into our lives.” His eyes shine the way they did when I literally walked into this house.

He then turns toward Charles.

“I have everything ready for peanut butter pancakes, Charles. After the way you protected my Doodles yesterday, I want to pass down all our special family secrets to you before I forget.” He winks.