Page 145 of Mountain Daddy (Mountain Men #2)

Luther

The main door opens, and Joe rushes inside, drink carrier in hand.

I lift the arm not around Kendra’s shoulders and hold my finger to my mouth.

I work to keep my muscles relaxed. Because if I act guilty, I’ll look guilty. But there’s nothing wrong with my friend’s daughter falling asleep beside me after an emotionally taxing event.

The fact she’s in my clothes, curled into my body, with her mouth pressed against my side… minor details.

And if it plants a seed in Joe’s mind… so be it.

He’ll be learning the truth soon enough anyway.

He glances at the form next to me, inhales like he’s going to say something, then does a double take.

His brows lift in shock, then his eyes narrow as he looks at me.

I speak first, cutting him off but keeping my volume low. “Who’s the fourth drink for?”

Joe looks down at the cardboard carrier like he forgot he was holding it. “Uh, Ethan.”

I shake my head. “I told you no.”

“Yeah, well” is his great comeback.

“What did you get him? Maybe she’ll want it.” I use my head to gesture toward the front desk. The woman, Brenda, is currently doing something on her phone and not paying any attention to us.

I didn’t tell Joe about the twenty-grand price tag for Ethan’s involvement, so I’m sure I sound like a dick, but I don’t think the man needs a thank-you drink.

“Vanilla latte.” He shrugs. “I played it safe.”

Joe gives Kendra one more look, then moves to sit on the other side of me.

When he acts like he’s going to sit directly next to me, I shove him with my elbow. “Move over.”

He scoffs, offended, as he leaves an empty chair between us. “Gee, sorry for trying to sit next to my best friend.”

That old guy left about ten minutes ago, meaning every single seat is open.

I roll my eyes. “You’re close enough.”

“You let Kenny sit next to you,” he grumbles as he twists the to-go cups around to read the names written on the sides.

“Yeah and? She’s not a smelly man. And she was cold. It was pouring rain when the accident happened.” I add on, answering the question of why she’s wearing my clothes.

Joe’s shoulders slump like he just remembered why we’re here. “He’s okay?”

A fox-shaped weight presses down on my chest. “I don’t know. No one’s come out since?—”

I stop talking when I hear footsteps in the hall.

When Ethan comes into view, I squeeze Kendra’s shoulder.

I don’t want to wake her since she was clearly exhausted if she fell asleep sitting up, but I know she’ll want to hear the update with us.

She grumbles something that sounds dangerously close to Daddy in her sleep.

I clear my throat and give her shoulder a shake. “Kendra. Wake up—” I clear my throat a second time when I nearly call her Baby .

She lifts her head away from my body, and cool air fills the space.

The hat blocks me from seeing her sleepy face, and I hate it.

Joe leans forward, head turned toward Kendra. “Hey, Kenny.”

Kendra jumps in her seat, a shriek of surprise leaving her.

Joe jolts, Kendra startling him right back.

He grips the carrier in both hands. “Christ. Don’t yell at me.”

“Sorry, Dad.” Kendra lets out a strangled laugh. “Guess I’m a little out of it.”

I let my hand slide off Kendra’s shoulder.

Ethan’s brows raise when Kendra says Dad . I don’t think he knows Joe personally, but I know he’s seen us together.

And he’s seen me trying to fuck Kendra in his park .

Thirty , he mouths.

Fuck you , I mouth back.

He shrugs and opens his mouth.

I narrow my eyes and mouth, Fine. Then I mouth, Fuck you , again because he really is a bastard.

“I wasn’t trying to scare you.” Joe balances the carrier on his knees so he can slap a hand to his chest. “Didn’t Rocky tell you I was coming?”

“Yeah, but I fell asleep.”

“Well…” Joe seems to remember Ethan’s arrival. He holds the carrier with both hands again and sits up straight. “Hey, man.”

Ethan nods to him, and I uncross my legs while Kendra sits up on the edge of her seat.

He wouldn’t be milking me for another ten grand if Buddy was fatally injured, but I’m still bracing myself.

“The fox?—”

“Buddy,” Joe interrupts.

“Buddy…” Ethan says slowly. “Is going to be fine.”

The father-daughter duo on either side of me slump back in their seats with loud exhales.

Ethan’s lips twitch, but he continues. “He’s currently sedated, and Dr. Child is setting his broken leg.”

Kendra reaches over to me with her flannel-covered hand.

I think she’s forgotten about Joe. But I won’t deny her.

Not this. Not anything.

Not ever.

I wrap my fingers around hers, setting our joined hands on my thigh. And I keep my eyes forward, away from Joe.

“Will he have a cast?” Kendra asks, her voice sounding shaky again.

I rub my thumb over the back of her hand.

Ethan nods. “He’ll have a hard plastic brace that attaches with Velcro. There’s a chance the—Buddy can chew off the straps, but it’s better than him chewing on a plaster cast. And it won’t matter if he gets this one wet.”

“He won’t chew it off,” Joe says like he knows it for a fact.

Kendra nods in agreement.

They’re probably right.

“He had a scrape on his head, but it’s small enough that the doc just cleaned it. No stitches needed. She x-rayed his whole body while looking at his leg, and there are no other breaks. No cracked ribs. So the chance of internal organ damage is minimal.”

Kendra sniffs, and I rub my thumb over her knuckles again. “He’ll really be okay?”

“A broken leg isn’t nothing. I’d like him to keep the cast on for at least four weeks. Longer if he’ll leave it alone. But if he keeps his weight off it, it should heal back to normal.” Ethan sighs. “I feel required to add that wild animals can be dangerous. And?—”

“Yeah, yeah.” Joe waves off his concern. And again, I think he’s probably right. Buddy might be a furry little maniac, but he’s not going to bite these two. “Can he have some painkillers or something? Even with the cast, I gotta think that leg will hurt.”

Ethan nods. “Yeah. He’ll have some meds for a bit. Foxes usually eat things pretty fast, so if you stick the pills into some sort of food, he should take them just fine.”

“One of us’ll stop for some more meat on the way home,” Joe states.

Ethan’s jaw works. “He won’t be able to hunt with a cast. So, if you want him to stay strong and healthy, you’ll have to feed him.

And if you do that, he will become dependent on you, and you’ll have to continue to feed him.

Which”—he holds up a hand to punctuate the importance of this next part—“I do not recommend. Wild animals are not pets.” He drops his hand.

“But I have a feeling none of that will deter you.”

“Thank you,” Kendra says earnestly.

I shake my head.

She and Joe will absolutely ignore the last part of Ethan’s little speech.

“In normal circumstances, we’d probably keep the animal overnight for observation, but I think Buddy would do best in familiar surroundings.

It’s gonna be a bit before he’s awake enough to go, but we’ll send him home tonight.

Though I will insist you transport him using one of our travel crates. You can return it next week.”

“We can do that. And truly, we really appreciate the help.” Joe pulls one of the cups free from the carrier. “I brought this as a thank-you.”

Ethan looks uncomfortable accepting the gift. Like he’s not used to another man buying him a latte.

I smirk.

He takes a sip, then nods to Joe. “Tastes like thirty grand.”

My smirk drops, and I mouth, Fuck you . Again.

Ethan dips his chin to Kendra, then turns and heads back down the hall.

“I don’t get it,” Joe mumbles. “Is that a thing people say?”

Kendra leans forward to look around me. “Is one of those for me?”

“Huh?” Joe’s eyes move to our joined hands.

“The coffee.” Kendra points at the drinks with her other hand.

When Joe moves his attention to his lap, she slips her fingers free from mine.

I hand Kendra’s drink across to her, then take the one Joe hands me.

“I don’t know how long a little while is. Maybe I should’ve brought dinner too.” Joe sets the empty carrier next to him.

“We can have something delivered,” I offer before he can suggest that I leave for food.

I’m not leaving Kendra.

Two hours later, with the empty pizza box jammed into the trash, we get permission to bring Buddy home.

I try to help pay for the procedure, but when Joe insists on covering it, I don’t press the issue. I’m already practically paying for Buddy’s college tuition.

But I do insist on helping Buddy get settled back at the house.

They decide they have plenty of food for the next couple days, so we all drive straight to the house, leaving the grocery trip for later.

Buddy does fine on the car ride and slowly hobbles into his doghouse after I carry his crate to the backyard.

Kendra brings him fresh water and a chicken breast with a pill hidden inside.

We all watch him eat it. And when we can’t stare at a sleeping fox any longer, we head inside.

“What if something comes after him?” Kendra asks, standing in the living room, wringing her hands together.

She’s changed out of her stained jeans into sweatpants. But she’s still wearing my flannel.

And she looks so fucking cute I want to sit her on my lap again.

“I’m going to sleep on the couch,” Joe states as he heads toward his room. “That way, I’ll hear him if he needs anything.”

He disappears from view.

“Well, shit,” I sigh.

I’d already accepted that Kendra wouldn’t be coming over tonight, but I was still holding out hope that I could sleep here.

But with Joe sleeping in the living room, that won’t be possible.

Even if I could sneak in and out through the window, I can’t risk running into him when I have to pee in the middle of the night. And tomorrow’s Saturday, so he won’t even be leaving in the morning.

“Sorry.” Kendra reaches for me, and she closes her fingers around my wrist.

I step closer and lift my other hand, cradling the side of her neck. “Don’t apologize, Baby.”

I drag my thumb along her jawline.

“I was looking forward to tonight,” she whispers up at me.

“Me too.” I bend down and press my lips to hers.

Footsteps sound, and I drop my hand.

Joe appears, arms filled with pillows and blankets.

I step to the side, toward the front door. “Keep me posted on the patient.”

Joe grunts his reply as he drops his bedding on the couch.

“Thank you. For… everything.” Kendra’s voice is soft.

I want to remind her that she doesn’t need to thank me.

But I nod instead.

Then I turn away from my girl and walk out of the house, even though it’s the very last thing I want to do.