Page 100 of Mountain Daddy (Mountain Men #2)

Kendra

“What’s all this?” Dad’s voice startles me, and I almost drop the plate of bacon.

“I need to put a bell on you,” I say loudly so Dad can hear me over the music.

He crosses to the counter where my phone is blaring the nineties pop music and hits pause. “What’s, uh, going on?” Dad eyes the piles of food I have spread throughout the kitchen.

“It’s breakfast for dinner.” I set the bacon down next to the sausage links.

“I can see that. And how many other people are coming?”

“Har, har.” Then I take in the cheesy scrambled eggs, French toast sticks, hashbrowns, and cinnamon rolls.

Dad lifts his brows at me. “Something you want to talk about?”

I puff out my cheeks.

Clearly, I showed a little too much of my hand with this spread.

I was just trying to distract myself. And I was hungry.

And breakfast food is my favorite thing to make when I’m feeling down, but I couldn’t decide what to make since pancakes are my usual go-to, but those remind me of Luther now…

I feel myself start to tear up.

Dad’s eyes widen. “Is it your period?”

The scoff that bursts out of me is enough to put my waterworks on hold. “No, but thank you for asking.” I don’t tell him that I don’t get those anymore. Today is certainly not the day for that particular conversation.

“Then…?”

“I found a fox.”

I wasn’t sure I should tell Dad about Buddy. Figured I’d wait and see if he even stuck around first.

But I’m still not really okay at the moment. And if I’m honest with myself, I think it’s going to be a while until I’m okay again.

I know I’ll get there. Eventually.

But in the meantime, I’m going to need to find other things to talk to my dad about. So it might as well be Buddy.

“Was it… dead?” Dad grimaces.

“Was what…? No!” The tears build in my eyes all over again at the mere thought of finding Buddy dead. “He’s fine.”

My voice cracks, my tears start to fall, and my dad looks absolutely horrified.

He waves his hands around. “Then why are you crying?”

“Because you asked if he’s dead!” I practically yell.

Now that I’ve started crying, I can’t stop.

“I don’t even know who he is!” Panic fills his voice.

“He’s Buddy!”

I use the back of my hands to brush off my face as I try to even out my breathing.

“Kenny.” Dad lowers his voice like I’m the wild animal. “You know I love you, right?”

I choke on a laugh. “I know.”

“So if you tell me you met a fox named Buddy, then I’ll believe you, okay?”

This time I snort. “I didn’t make him up.”

He nods. “I believe you.”

I brush away another tear as I smile. “Dad.”

“Yeah?”

I point past him to the back door.

He glances to where I’m pointing, then rears back. “Holy shit.”

Buddy, who is sitting just on the other side of the glass door, lets out a scratchy shout.

Dad slowly turns his head back to me. “It’s a fox.”

I grin. “It’s a fox.”

“Night.”

“Night, Dad,” I call over my shoulder as I walk down the hall.

“I was talking to Buddy,” he calls back, heading to his room.

I shake my head.

We ate our breakfast for dinner while watching Indiana Jones .

It’s a favorite from when I was younger and had just the right amount of violence and humor to distract me from my mood.

But as I step into the bathroom, my thoughts are no longer distracted, and I have to focus on getting ready for bed.

I concentrate on brushing my teeth and washing my face.

I take care applying lotion.

I avoid my reflection in the mirror.

And when I enter my bedroom, I push my cute pajamas aside in the drawer and choose my frumpiest pair. Ones Luther has never seen.

Clothing Luther has never touched.

And it’s not until I turn my light off…

It’s not until I climb into bed. Not until I’m under my covers.

It’s not until then that I let myself think of him .