Page 15 of Caught By the Chief of Staff

“None,” I answer. “But maybe it’s time I get back out there. I don’t want your parade of women in front of my daughter.”

“Our daughter,” he corrects.

“I don’t want your parade of women in front of our daughter.” Or me. But mostly Rachel. I haven’t dated at all, so she wouldn’t understand. She’s not a baby anymore, but she’s also still a child.

“Do you know what they called me in the Navy?” he asks after an awkward moment of us sitting across from each other, neither willing to break the silence. “What theystillcall me?”

“No,” I answer softly.

“Monk. Do you know why?”

“No.”

“Because the last woman I fucked was my wife before she ran out on me nine years ago,” he says calmly, like he didn’t just rock me down to my very foundation. “Now, I’m going to go show my daughter what a badass I am at the SeaWolf game. Someone told me it’s soul healing, and I think we could all use a little of that tonight.”

And then he’s gone, chasing after the beautiful little girl we made together in a time when there was nothing but love.