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  Praise for Lucy Eden

  Everything’s Better With You

  “Everything's Better With You is a rare gem in the romance novel world. It has depth, great characters and a totally believable story line.”

  - The Laundry Librarian

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  Everything’s Better With Kimberly

  “Engaging with attention to detail and kept me hooked from start to finish.”

  - Janine Caroline, Author of I Look at You and Smile

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  Cherishing The Goddess

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  Also by Lucy Eden

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  Melted

  Everything’s Better With You

  Everything’s Better With Kimberly

  Everything’s Better with Lisa (November 25th 2019)

  Cherishing the Goddess

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  Cover Design: Steamy Designs

  Cover Photo: Shutterstock

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  Copyright © 2019 by Lucy Eden

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are solely the product of the author’s imagination and/ or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, organizations, actual events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  The author acknowledges the trademark status of products referred to in this book and acknowledges the trademarks have been used without permission.

  This book is intended for mature, adult audiences only. It contains extremely sexually explicit and graphic scenes and language which may be considered offensive by some readers.

  This book is strictly intended for those over the age of 18.

  All sexually active characters in this work are 18 years of age or older. All acts of a sexual nature are completely consensual.

  Contents

  1. ruby

  2. spencer

  3. ruby

  4. spencer

  5. ruby

  6. spencer

  7. ruby

  8. spencer

  9. ruby

  Epilogue

  The Soundtrack

  Author’s Note

  Notes from Paradise

  Also by Lucy Eden

  one

  Cherishing the Goddess

  Everything’s Better with Lisa

  Everything’s Better with You

  Melted

  About the Author

  Every story is for my mom, who made me fall in love with reading & Ms. K, who made me fall in love with writing.

  An Angel for Daddy

  Ruby Hayes is intelligent, beautiful, great at her job and loves her students. She's not too fond of me because despite moving to this small coastal California town only a month ago, I've managed to get on her bad side by consistently arriving late to pick up my daughter, Nina. It's probably for the best. Between my job and adjusting to raising a little girl by myself, adding romance to the equation isn't something I have time for.

  Spencer Jones is successful, handsome, a doting father and terrible at reading a clock. His daughter, Nina also happens to my favorite student. Getting involved with the parent of a student is bad idea, no matter how witty and charming they might be. It's probably for the best. Between my job, taking care of my dad and climbing out debt, a new relationship is the last thing I need.

  Spencer and Ruby have plenty of reasons to stay apart, but can a little divine intervention and an assist from a pint-sized cupid teach them a lesson that will last a lifetime?

  * * *

  For Content Warnings for this book please visit:

  lucyeden.com/cwaafd

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  An Angel for Daddy

  Lucy Eden

  Edited by

  Rhonda Merwath

  ruby

  “You’re old.” Nina, my newest student, informed me as she dug her fingers into another pot of paint.

  “I’m not old. I’m twenty-seven,” I replied as I continued to tidy up my classroom while she worked.

  Nina’s eyes went wide as saucers and she paused mid finger-painting stroke.

  “I’m five and I’m a big girl,” she explained. “So, twenty-seven is old.” She nodded and turned back to her painting of what she told me was an elephant but more closely resembled a gray blob. I guessed the matter was settled.

  I went back to tidying up the art supplies while we waited for Nina’s dad to pick her up. This wasn’t the first time he’d be late and it probably wasn’t the last. It was frustrating and annoying but the look on Nina’s face as she watched her classmates leave one by one was the worst.

  So, nearly everyday after school, I would volunteer to stay with her, distract her really, until her dad showed up. Today we were finger-painting.

  “Hey, Little Bit!” A deep voice called from the doorway of my classroom.

  “Daddy!” Nina squealed and took off running in the direction of the impossibly tall, disturbingly handsome and mahogany hued man leaning on my door jamb. She leaped into his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck leaving a gray and purple hand print on his suit. He laughed. “Oops, sorry, daddy!”

  “That’s okay, baby girl. That is what dry cleaners are for.” He set her down on her feet. “Get your stuff.”

  Nina took of running to her cubby.

  “Hey, Ms. Hayes. Thank you again for staying with Nina. I had a meeting than ran—”

  “You know that pick up time is 3:30.”

  “Yes, but as I said—”

  “You know that because I told you on Tuesday when you showed up at 4:42.” I crossed my arms and glared at him.

  “Wow, it’s like that.” He smirked at me, threatening to give me a glimpse of his perfect teeth. “Not a quarter to five or 4:45. You hit me with the exact minute.”

  “Well, I thought it was imperative that you fully understood how much of an inconvenience it is when you’re late picking up Nina.”

  “Again, I’m sorry. Please, also apologize to your husband for me.” His eyes flitted to my left hand and I shoved it the pocket of my skirt.

  “Really?” I rolled my eyes. He smiled sheepishly and Nina came running back to us carrying her jacket and backpack.

  “Hey, Daddy. Miss Ruby is old too.”

  “Is she?” He raised his eyebrows and shot me a glance, still smiling.

  “She’s not as old as you and grandma but she is way older than me.”

  “I’m not as old as grandma, sweetie.” He chuckled.

  “Grandma is fifty-seven, Grandpa is sixty, Auntie Simi is thirty-five, you are thirty.” He shot me an exasperated glance in reaction to Nina’s words. “Mommy was twenty-five when she went to heaven and I’m five.”

  His face fell and the mood in the room shifted. Nina had only been in my class for a month. I assumed she was being raised by a single dad because I’d never seen anyone else pick her up, but I didn’t know she’d lost her mom. I’d been so overwhelmed lately that I was now kicking myself for not going over Nina’s file more closely. She also had an affinity for angels and I was disappointed in myself for not making the connection. It was also a little surprising that she never mentioned it during our after school hang out sessions. I was replaying every interaction wondering if there were clues I missed or hoping to God I didn’t say anything hurtful or insensitive.

  “Okay, sweetie,” Her dad said in a sigh. “Great job remembering all those ages. Let’s go home.”

  “But my painting…” She pointed at the easel.

  “It’s still drying, Nina. You can get it tomorrow. I’ll keep it safe and I’ll make sure you remember to take it home.” I smiled at her.

  “Thanks again, Miss Hayes. I’ll see you tomorrow at 3:30.”

  “Yup,” I sighed and nodded, trying to sound cheerful but feeling like a complete asshole. “3:30.”

  He nodded and turned with Nina’s tiny hand wrapped in his big one before leaving my classroom.

  “Daddy,” Nina said in a terrible imitation of a whisper. “Miss Ruby is twenty-seven.”

  “Oh, yeah?” He tossed a glance over his shoulder. It was at that moment that I realized that I’d been staring at them walk away. It was also the same moment that I’d realized he was going to catch me watching them walk away and there was no way to prevent it. We locked eyes for a moment. I gave a small awkward wave and smiled with a little nod.

  “Yes.” Nina nodded, seriously. “She’s old like you.”

  “Hey, Daddy! I’m here. Sorry I’m late.” I rushed into the living room and threw my tote bag and coat in the armchair on my way to the kitchen.

  “Would you calm down, Ruby? The house isn’t on fire.” Dad was sitting on the couch watching an episode of Columbo.

/>   “Not this time,” I muttered under my breath.

  “That happened once,” he said.

  “Once is too many.” I wrapped my arms around his shoulders and kissed him on my way to the kitchen. I opened the fridge and started pulling out ingredients. “What do you want for dinner: roasted chicken or spaghetti with meatballs?”

  “Are you planning on seasoning the chicken?” His face was screwed up when I turned to look at him.

  “Are you insulting my cooking? You know you can’t have salt anymore.”

  “Hmm,” was the response I got, so I resumed cooking. I reached behind the stove and turned the gas valve to the on position. I plugged in the oven and fished the stove top knobs out of the cabinet under the sink where I’d hidden them. Within fifteen minutes I had water boiling for rice, and chopped vegetables with two lightly seasoned chicken breasts arranged in a roasting pan sitting on the middle rack of the oven.

  “So, did you give any thought to that senior living community?” I was setting the table and doing my best to feign nonchalance. My dad was the strongest person I’d ever known but he was just as stubborn. The longer he chose to ignore his deteriorating condition the more I worried about him being alone.

  “No, I did not. I do not need to live in no old folks rest home.” He huffed out a mirthless chuckle.

  “Dad, it’s not an old folks home.” I seated myself beside him and clasped his hand. “I just worry about you here all day by yourself.”

  “I’m not by myself.” He brought my hand to his lips. “I have you.” He smiled at me. “I’ve been taking care of us all this time. That isn’t going to change anytime soon.”

  I squeezed his hand and stood to finish making dinner but also so he couldn’t see how his words affected me. Losing my mother was hard on us both, but there was never a moment in my life when I needed my father and he wasn’t there for me. My eyes began to sting with tears.

  I knew that things would be changing sooner than later. My dad’s recovery after his stroke was nothing short of miraculous but that stroke was brought on by years of working too much, eating poorly, smoking and the stress of being a single father raising a girl.

  After weeks in the hospital, followed many months of rehab. Dad had become forgetful, resentful of his strict lifestyle changes and loss of independence.

  I had no problem moving in with him. My old room was still untouched and I was able to give up my apartment, freeing up a sizable chunk of my salary. Though, I had no hope of ever paying off my student loan debt, it was nice not to have to endure the daily calls. I would be roommates with my dad forever if I could, but his condition was quickly becoming unmanageable and I hated even leaving him to go to work.

  “Dad, you should let me hire a home health aide to stay with you during the day?”

  “Ruby, I don’t need a babysitter. And it’s too expensive.”

  “Your insurance will cover most of it. I’ll cover the rest.”

  “No. You won’t. Your money is for you. Stop fussing over me and feed me some of that bland ass chicken and that nasty sugar free ice tea.” He laughed and I joined him.

  “Fine,” I conceded and set a plate in front of him before joining him at the table. “This isn’t over.”

  “So, why were you getting home so late again? Same fella late picking up his daughter?”

  “Yes.” I nodded and cast my eyes down at my plate, not wanting to look Dad in the eye. I was suddenly ashamed of all of the times I’d complained about him to my father remembering how much my dad struggled to raise me and work a full time job. I depended a lot on my aunts and cousins, especially when it came to things my dad couldn’t help me with. I had no idea what Nina’s father must be dealing with and I felt bad for judging him.

  “I’ll bet he keeps coming around after everyone’s gone because he’s sweet on you.”

  I laughed.

  “Dad, maybe that worked in your day, but they call that stalking now and it’s no longer cute. It’s illegal.”

  “I’m just sayin…” He laughed and took a bite of his chicken, chewing a couple times before leaning his head to the side. “Not bad, Peanut. What’s different?”

  “A pinch of Lawry’s.”

  “That’s my girl. Lawry’s makes everything better.” He laughed.

  “But just a pinch.”

  “How about a pinch of hot sauce?” He raised his eyebrows at me with a clever smirk.

  “No way.”

  “Fine.”

  spencer

  “Daddy?” Nina was wearing beard made of bath suds.

  “What’s up, Little Bit?” I was sitting on the edge of the bathtub with my sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

  “Do you think Miss Ruby is pretty?” she asked.

  Nina’s big brown eyes were boring into me the way her mother’s used to. She was asking me a question while simultaneously reading my face to get her own answer.

  “Why are you asking?”

  Good job, Spencer. Answer all questions you don’t want to answer with a question until she gets distracted.

  “Because you were looking at her today like you thought she was pretty.”

  Shit. This kid doesn’t miss anything.

  I took a deep breath and let out a sigh. I didn’t think it was possible to look at her teacher without looking at her like she was pretty. She was breathtaking.

  She was tall, slim but with the kind of hips that you could curve the palm of your hand around while you danced. Her hair was a crown of reddish brown coils. Her skin was the color of bronze and cocoa butter kissed making it glow. The rare occasion I’d heard her laugh it was like a musical tinkling of bells. She didn’t smile at me, but I could tell she really cared about Nina. I hadn’t looked at anyone like that since we lost Sarai and it felt good, but also strange. And to know that Nina noticed and was now asking questions was starting to make my head hurt.

  I also wondered about the ring on her finger. When I asked about it, she didn’t give me an answer and she hid it.

  What was that about?

  “Daddy?” Most of Nina’s bubble beard had fallen away and she was still staring at me, waiting for a response.

  “Yes, Nina. I think Miss Ruby is pretty. But I also think you are pretty and I also think you are ready to rinse your hair and get out of the tub.”

  She groaned. I inwardly groaned. Combing Nina’s hair wasn’t fun for either of us. I dunked the back of her head in the tub to rinse out the conditioner and ran the wide tooth comb through it to detangle it. Then I parted it into two sections and plaited them into two braids. We’d gotten the semi-weekly routine down to twenty-five minutes.

  I let her play with her tub toys as the water drained before wrapping her in a terry cloth robe. I let her lotion herself and put on her pajamas.

  “—where Max’s dinner was still waiting for him,” I said, preparing to close her favorite bedtime story.

  “And it was still hot,” she finished.

  “The End.” We said in unison.

  “Goodnight Daddy.” She blew me a kiss. “Goodnight, Mommy.” She blew a kiss to Sarai’s photo on her dresser.

  “Goodnight, Little Bit.”

  I pulled the door closed, but not completely shut.

  “I found her.” I heard Nina whisper.

  “What baby?” I poked my head in the room.

  “I wasn’t talking to you, Daddy.”

  “Who were you talking to?”

  “Mommy.”

  “Ah, okay,” I said. Her therapist said that it was normal for kids who’ve lost parents to talk to their photos. Lord knows I talked to Sarai a lot in the months after I lost her.