Page 62 of Mountain Daddy (Mountain Men #2)

Luther

Jessie looks at me. Again.

I set down the glass I was washing and turn to face her. “What?”

She lifts her shoulders. “Didn’t say anything.”

“You’re not saying anything louder than a…” I trail off, unable to think of something loud.

Jessie widens her eyes at me. “Good one.”

“Shut up.” I grab the glass and start washing it again.

“You okay? You seem a little… tense?” she says with a teasing tone, so I ignore her.

I’m not okay.

It’s been days since I’ve seen Kendra. Since our day of interruptions that ended at Lonely Peak State Park.

My balls feel perpetually blue, no matter how much I jerk off.

And it’s getting harder to ignore the guilt.

And the guilt isn’t just about hiding the sex from Joe. It’s about hiding my emotions too.

If I were experiencing these strong feelings for anyone else, I’d talk to Joe about it. We’d sit here, at my bar, and talk it out.

He’d tell me to keep seeing her.

He’d tell me to keep having fun and let what happens happen.

But if he knew it was his daughter we were talking about… He’d punch me.

I’m sure of it.

“Marching band,” I blurt out, with a little more volume than I meant to.

Now Jessie is looking at me like I’ve completely lost the plot.

Probably because I have.

She slowly sets down the rag she’s holding. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Talk about what?”

Jessie sighs. “About your little one-night stand with Joe’s kid.”

My shoulders drop. “Who told you?”

I know she’s a good sister when she doesn’t laugh at me. I can tell she wants to. Know she will eventually. But I’m pretty sure she can see how not well I’m doing.

“One of the guys from the Lodge.” She doesn’t name names, but the list of suspects is short. “I wasn’t sure I believed them, but the description of the girl and your reaction just now…” She puffs out her cheeks, still fighting that laugh. “Man, Rock, that must’ve been a mind fuck.”

I don’t want to talk to my sister about my sex life. But with Joe unavailable for the task, I need someone to talk to.

“You have no idea.” I put the twice-cleaned glass back in the sink and drag my damp hand over my face. “I went over there for breakfast the next week before fishing, and… there she was.”

Jessie sucks in a breath. “Oh fuck.” Then she laughs. “Sorry. Sorry.”

I wave her off. “Just get it out of your system.”

She tries to school her features. “So, what? You walked in, and she was just sitting at the table?”

“Not exactly.” I don’t know if that scenario would’ve been better or worse. “I literally ran into her as she was coming out of the bathroom.”

“Bet that took you back a step.”

I recall the moment and let out a deranged chuckle. “I accused her of sleeping with Joe.”

Jessie’s burst of laughter is so loud it draws the attention of half the bar.

She slaps her hand over her mouth and steps closer, lowering her voice. “You didn’t.”

“I did.”

“Did she slap you?”

My mouth slowly pulls up into a smirk.

She didn’t slap me.

She clung to me as I held her in place with my hand on her throat.

I might be fucked in the head, but I kind of want to role-play that moment. Only in the replay, I can shove her back into the bathroom and pound into her over the sink.

I’m definitely fucked in the head.

“What’s this?” Jessie gestures toward my face. “I don’t like it.”

I drop my smirk. “She didn’t slap me.”

Jessie’s still giving me a narrow look. “Okay. And then what? You just pretended like you didn’t know each other.”

“Pretty much.” I also put my hands on her the second I got Joe out of the room, but she doesn’t need to know that.

She purses her lips while she nods. “And that’s what’s eating you up? You feel bad about sleeping with her?”

I chew on my lip.

Jessie thinks it was just the once.

Just the one-night stand.

I blow out a breath. “You really want to know about this?”

Her nod is way too enthusiastic. “I don’t need to know what happened in the motel room, but the aftermath? Hell yeah, I want to know. This is better than Dawns of Agony .”

I give her a look for comparing my life to a soap opera.

“Fine. You want to know? I’ll tell you.” Jessie suddenly looks unsure.

But too bad for her. “We pretended we didn’t know each other.

Joe has no idea. But I gave her my number.

We snuck off for a… rendezvous during the welcome barbecue thing Joe hosted.

I slept in her bed that night. Every day since, we’ve texted, talked, or video called.

I brought her lunch. Got caught by Joe and had to pretend the second meal was for him.

I took her to the bake sale a few days ago.

Almost got caught by Joe. She had to go hide with Courtney.

” Jessie’s eyes widen as I go. “I took her to Lonely Peak, got caught by the fucking ranger. And today’s, what, Thursday?

And I’m hosting Ashley’s grad party Saturday, so I should be thinking about that.

But instead, I’m thinking about Kendra. Who, by the way, I already invited to the party.

So when you see her there, you need to pretend like you haven’t met. ”

Jessie whistles. “Damn, Bro. You’re in deep .”

I slump against the bar. “What do I do?”

“What do you want to do?”

I answer her honestly. “I want to keep seeing Kendra.”

She watches me but doesn’t act surprised by my answer. “You gonna tell Joe?”

Slowly, I shake my head. “No. Not yet. I… I need to know where this is going. If it’s a forever thing, then I’ll tell him. But…”

“But?” She lifts a brow, prompting me.

“I’m too old for her.”

Jessie snorts.

I narrow my eyes. “What?”

“You were too old for her when she first stepped foot in this bar, ya fucking creep. But it didn’t stop you then, so why should it stop you now?”

She has a point, but… “That was just supposed to be a one-time thing.” My fucking chest hurts as I say it. One time was never going to be enough with Kendra.

“You have things in common?”

Jessie’s question catches me off guard, but I nod.

Surprisingly, we do.

She might not be into fishing and the outdoor shit I do, but that day—sitting in the two-person chair—we talked about so much. Movies, music, politics, food, space travel, houseplants. We talked about her job, her ideas, and I fell even more…

My throat dries up.

I feel my spine stiffen.

Oh fuck.

“What?” Jessie steps closer to me. “What just happened?”

I love her.

I lift my hand and rub it against my chest.

“Are you having a heart attack? Oh my god!” Jessie reaches into her apron like she’s going for her phone.

“I’m not having a heart attack.” My voice is a little croaky.

“You sure?”

It feels like I am. But it’s not a heart attack.

It’s fucking love.

The front door opens, and we both look over.

It’s Jessie’s replacement.

Jessie lifts her hand in a wave but speaks to me. “If you want me to stay…”

I shake my head.

I don’t remember why she needed to leave work early tonight, but my misery doesn’t need company.

“You sure?” She’s looking at me warily.

“I’m sure.”

Then my phone notifies me of a text.

I take it out of my pocket.

Baby Doll: My dad just left. For the night.

Me: As in overnight?

My blood starts to sizzle.

And oh, how quickly my guilt can turn into lust.

Baby Doll: Overnight.

Me: Pack a bag. I’m leaving the Inn now.

Baby Doll: A bag?

Me: I’m bringing you to my house.

Sliding my phone back in my pocket, I take a step back. “See you Saturday.”

“Where you off to?” Jessie lifts her brows.

“Saturday,” I reply, then turn around and stride out of my bar.