Page 55 of Property of Anchor

But before I could open my mouth, Bernice clapped her hands.“Oh, don’t look at her like that.You’re all blind if you didn’t see this coming.That biker had eyes on her the second her paintbrush touched the walls.”

Molly looked between us.“I mean… yeah.I see it now.”She shrugged and smiled.“Whatever makes you happy, girl.”

Brian and Jake made matching grunts and headed off to their paint stations, like two teenage boys who didn’t want to talk about feelings.

That left Dad and me.

He stayed behind, his eyes still on me.

I stepped toward him, feeling about ten years old.“Dad…”

He held up his hand.“You’re twenty-nine, Pearl.You don’t owe me an explanation.”

I blinked.“I, what?”

He sighed, his shoulders slumping.“I just want you to be careful.”

His words hit me harder than I expected.The last few days had been a whirlwind, and careful hadn’t exactly been in my vocabulary.Not when Anchor was involved.

“I will be,” I promised.

He looked at me then, his expression softening.“You like him?”

The question caught me off guard.I flashed back to the time I told him I was going to prom with Darren Whitmore.He’d asked the same question, and I’d said yes.That ended with me walking home barefoot after Darren tried to slide his hand up my dress and got a high heel to the groin.

“Yes,” I said quietly.“I like him.I’m also pretty sure he likes me, too.”

Dad let out a low humph.“From the way he was looking at you, I’d say so.I remember looking at your mom that way.”

The lump in my throat came out of nowhere.

“If he breaks your heart,” Dad added, “I’m gonna break his nose.”

From the corner, Lost let out a snort of laughter.

I bit back my own smile.Dad didn’t stand a chance against Anchor if it ever came to that, but I appreciated the sentiment.

“I’m sure you will,” I whispered.

He leaned forward, wrapped me in a hug, and pressed a kiss to the top of my head.“You’ll always be my baby girl.”

“I know.”

Dad climbed the stairs to work on the second floor, and I turned to Lost.

“You don’t have to stay in here, you know.The porch is fine.”

Lost shook his head.“Anchor said eyes on you at all times.”

“Well, shit,” I muttered, pulling my hair into a ponytail.“Then I guess you’re learning how to paint today.”

I grabbed one of the extra brushes from the tray and held it out to him.

Lost stared at it like it was a rattlesnake.

“You serious?”

“As a heart attack.”