Page 85 of Mountain Daddy (Mountain Men #2)

Kendra

I hold my breath as a girl, who has to be Ashley, hurries toward us.

We meet right at the threshold of the garage. And as much as I want to keep hiding behind my sunglasses, I push them up onto the top of my head.

My dad holds his arms out, and Ashley goes right to him, giving him a hug in greeting.

And that’s when I realize Luther’s daughter is tall. Like… way taller than I am.

My dad is just about six feet tall, and she’s practically the same height.

I glance down to see if she’s rocking six-inch heels, but no. Her sandals have maybe an inch-thick platform sole, but that’s it.

Her jean shorts are tattered but expensive looking, and her purple hair is beautiful against her sparkly gold tank top.

She’s stunning and not at all what I expected.

Not that Luther wouldn’t have beautiful children. She just looks nothing like him.

Must look like her mom.

I blink.

How have I never asked about her mom?

“How’s that big old brain feeling?” Dad asks as he releases her.

Ashley laughs and taps a finger to the side of her head. “The brain is happy finals are over and that we never have to take another test, ever.”

Dad nods. “It’s a good feeling. I’m proud of you, kid.”

She beams.

And guilt claws at my stomach.

Then she turns her attention to me, giant smile still in place.

Even though we’re only an arm’s length away from each other, Ashley lifts her hand, giving me a wave. “Hi.”

“Hello.” I wave back, feeling so incredibly awkward.

There’s a beat of uncomfortable silence before she shrugs. “Sorry, I’m a hugger.”

By the time I register her words, she’s stepping into me and pulling me into a hug.

After a second, I gently hug her back, the card in my hand crinkling with the motion. “It’s, um, nice to meet you.”

I can barely see over her shoulder, but I still widen my eyes at Luther as he walks up behind her.

His jaw twitches, and I can’t tell if he’s amused or as stressed out as I am.

“Totally same.” Ashley gives me a squeeze before she lets me go and steps back.

Luther stops beside her, in front of my dad.

“Welcome to the party.” Luther’s voice settles some of my nerves.

Dad reaches out and slaps him on the shoulder.

“Thanks for having us.” I try to say it as normal as possible, but I still feel overwhelmed with awkwardness.

Dad says something about the weather, and I open my mouth to tell Ashley I like her hair, but when I glance at her, I find her looking down.

At my feet.

I glance down, wondering if I stepped in something.

But I don’t…

My heart stops.

My sandals.

The same sandals I was wearing the other night when I was here.

When I left them by the door.

When I got trapped in Luther’s bedroom because Ashley came home early.

I swallow and look away, not wanting to meet her eyes.

She saw them.

She had to.

My pulse revs. And the stress sweat comes back with a vengeance.

Why didn’t I think of that?

Will she ask me about them?

Do I try to think of a lie?

“Alright, what smells so good?” Dad rubs his stomach.

“Diego’s cooking.” Luther steps to the side, making a path for my dad. “I’m sure we have too much, so please help yourself to multiple servings.”

Dad nods as he heads toward the food tables. “Can do.”

Who could eat at a time like this?

Before my body can decide between puking and passing out, Ashley hooks her arm in mine, startling me.

I glance up, waiting for her to drag me out back, but she just follows my dad. “I’m so excited you’re here. Joe’s always talking about you.”

Ahead of us, Dad grins over his shoulder. “I didn’t even pay her to say that.” Then he pretends to sneakily hand Ashley the card he brought.

Ashley laughs as she takes it.

Taking the opening, I hold out the card I brought as well.

“Aww, thanks, you guys.” Ashley holds the cards against her chest with her free hand, our arms still hooked together.

“Ashley, let the woman get some food. You can smother her with your affection later.” Luther holds a plate out for me.

Ashley huffs but drops my arm. “Okay, food first.”

I take the plate, and Dad and I take our time loading up on savory items, while Luther and Ashley go to the dessert table.

As I grab a fork and napkin, I tell myself that I imagined her staring at my sandals. That it was night when she got home and the lights were on low. She probably didn’t even see them.

She was probably just looking at my nail polish. I did put on a fresh coat last night. And maybe she loves periwinkle just as much as her dad does.

While I try to convince myself of this, I look around for a place to sit.

I step toward the closest table, and I smile at the woman sitting there.

Then I pause. Because I recognize the woman.

And it takes me a beat. But then I remember. And I can feel the color drain from my face.

It’s the woman from the Inn.

The bartender.

Sweet guilt-laden Jesus, I’m not going to survive today.

Why didn’t I think about this possibility? Of course Luther’s employees would be invited.

And didn’t he just say Diego made the food? Is he here too?

I only saw him for a moment, so maybe he won’t remember me.

I think about the bartender. I saw her for a lot more than a moment.

But maybe her memory isn’t great. Maybe she won’t remember me.

Pretty fucking please, don’t remember me.

The woman’s eyes lock with mine, and that’s all it takes for me to know she remembers everything.

I’m going to be sick.

A warm palm presses against the center of my back.

He shouldn’t.

Not with everyone around.

But…

I lean into him, just the smallest bit.

Luther steps up next to me, his side pressing against my shoulder. “Kendra, this is my sister, Jessie. Jessie, this is Kendra, Joe’s daughter.”

I feel like my eyes are about to fall out of my head.

I’m fucking sorry, did he just say sister?

Luther increases the pressure on my back, like he’s worried I might just drop my plate and run.

Honestly, it’s a good option.

Jessie stands and holds her hand out to me over the table. “Nice to meet you, Kendra. So funny because I’ve heard Joe talk about you, but he always calls you Kenny.”

Setting my plate on the table, I shake her hand, when what I really want to shake is Luther. With my hands around his throat.

“So funny.” I try to laugh, but it sounds like a choke.

That day at the bake sale, Courtney mentioned something about Luther’s sister being there before us, but then my dad showed up, and then the park ranger showed up, and then I completely forgot about it.

I forgot about it. But Luther sure as shit shouldn’t have.

I glance up at Luther, and he gives me an apologetic expression.

“Men.” Jessie provides, reading the situation correctly.

I huff. “Seriously.”

“Sorry,” Luther whispers.

We ignore him as I take the seat across from Jessie, and we both sit.

I want to say something, but I don’t know what I can say here, in the open.

I feel terrible that we’re including Jessie in our lie. She mentioned my dad talking about me, but maybe it’s more of a passing-by type of friendship. Like she just knows him because her brother is friends with him.

Maybe.

Hopefully.

Universe, please just give me this.

On fucking cue, Dad sets his plate next to Jessie’s and drops into the folding chair, bumping his elbow into hers. “Hey, Jess, how’s it going?”

Well, that was the shortest-lived delusion ever.

Luther sets a bottle of beer next to my plate as he takes the seat next to me, across from Dad.

“Thanks,” I murmur, torn between wanting to strangle him and wanting to curl up in his lap.

“Can I sit by you?” His daughter’s voice startles me, again, as she sets a plate of dessert on my other side.

“Of course.” I smile, and I know I show too many teeth.

Flustered, I reach for the beer.

Before I can wrap my fingers around it, Luther’s hand reaches it first.

That idea of strangling is suddenly even more likely, but then I watch as he twists the top off for me.

Oh.

“Thank you,” I say as I take the open bottle from him.

“Mine too.” Dad pushes his beer across the table toward Luther.

“Open your own.” Luther shakes his head.

“The caps hurt my hands,” Dad complains, pushing the beer even closer to Luther.

Sighing, Jessie leans forward, grabs the bottle, twists off the top, flicks the cap at Luther, then hands the bottle to my dad.

Dad flutters his lashes at Jessie. “I think I’m in love.”

She rolls her eyes at him.

“I think you’re an idiot,” Luther grumbles as he opens his own beer.

Ashley laughs.

And I bite my lip. If I laugh right now, it will one thousand percent turn into full-blown hysteria.

“So, are you liking Colorado?” Ashley turns sideways in her chair to talk to me. “Have you been anywhere cool? What’s your favorite part?”

I blink at her.

Luther stage whispers from my other side, “She’s a bit of an extrovert.”

My smile feels less forced this time. “I haven’t really gotten out and about yet, but everywhere is just so pretty,” I tell Ashley truthfully.

She starts to tell me about her favorite places to go, and as she talks, I notice that the cards my dad and I gave her are blessedly nowhere in sight.

She probably put them wherever the rest of the gifts are. But she could’ve lit my hundred dollars on fire for all I care. I just don’t want to be around when she reads the lamest card in history.

Eventually, Dad butts in with questions, and the conversation flows to Ashley’s classes.

Finally free from attention, I slump into my seat.

Which is when I spot Luther’s plate. And the fact it’s heaping with nothing but brownies.

“They’re here!” Ashley hops up out of her chair, and we all turn our heads to see a group of twentysomethings—three girls and two guys—walking up the driveway.

She mentioned earlier that some of her friends from school were coming. And seeing her excitement over their arrival, I’m glad they did.

My hope for today was that Ashley wouldn’t hate me, but I hadn’t really given any thought to whether or not I would like her . But it didn’t take the past hour for me to decide. I think it’s probably impossible to not like Ashley. She’s sweet and funny and seems like a genuinely nice person.

And yes, I’m still peeved at Luther for not telling me that his sister was our bartender. But seeing how kind of a human he raised… that’s made up for it, more than a little.

“Guess I should say hi to the people who are going to be sleeping under my roof tonight.” Luther groans as he pushes himself up to standing.

Ashley and her friends are already walking through the garage, so Luther doesn’t go far.

As they approach, I watch in amusement as all of Ashley’s friends stare at him.

Even the guys.

One of the girls whispers something to Ashley, and she replies by pretending to gag.

I bite down on a snicker.

I get it.

If one of my friend’s dads looked like Luther… I’d be inviting myself to sleepovers as often as possible.

“Drinks?” I ask as I stand from the couch.

The weather took a turn about an hour after Ashley’s friends showed up. We were able to drag all the outside chairs into the garage before the rain started. But the drop in temperature sent everyone inside.

Somehow, I ended up in the living room with Luther, Ashley, and her friends. All of us easily fit on the two large couches and pair of armchairs.

I don’t know where my dad is, but he was chatting with Jessie last I saw, and I’m trying my best to avoid her.

Which I feel bad about. Because she seems cool. But I still feel guilty about her having to lie for us. And the hard cider I just had is sitting so nicely in my system that I’m afraid I’ll say something I shouldn’t, outing the fact that we’ve met before.

Maybe this next drink will be a mistake, but the alcohol is helping the stress-sweat situation, and my dad is the one driving home, so… I’ll take the gamble.

Luther drains the rest of his beer. “If you don’t mind.”

I hold my hand out for his empty. “I don’t mind.”

I haven’t paid attention to how many Luther has had, but the way he’s looking up at me says he’s had a few.

My fingers open and close, and he presses the glass to my palm.

Ashley’s sitting on the other side of Luther, and when I lift my brows in question, she shakes her head.

“Anyone else?” I ask, and one of the guys nods.

“I’ll take a beer, but I can help.” He starts to get up from his couch.

“Don’t worry, I got it.”

“You sure?” he asks, still perched on the front of his seat.

“Positive.” I smile.

He’s nice, but I don’t remember his name.

I think Luther and I have done a good job of acting casual around each other, but I can feel the possessiveness radiating off Luther, and letting another man close to me might make him unreasonable.

Excusing myself, I make a quick detour to the powder room, then grab two beers and a cider from the garage before heading back into the living room.

No one has moved, so my spot on the end of the couch next to Luther is still open.

I give the beer to the other guy first and sit back in my spot, tucking one leg underneath me.

“Here you go.” I hold the beer out for Luther.

He sits up from his reclined position, taking the bottle. “Thanks, Baby.”

My heart stops.

He just called me Baby.

In front of his daughter.

“Goats.” Luther coughs the word while he pats his chest, like he swallowed something wrong. “You can hire them to eat your lawn.”

I cannot with this man.

It’s the worst recovery in the history of recoveries.

I’d laugh if I didn’t instead want to spontaneously combust and die.

The side conversations that had been going on are now quiet. And I don’t know if it’s because they heard him call me Baby, or if his dramatic chest thumping caught their attention.

Pretending none of this is happening, I open my can of cider and bring it to my lips as I lift my gaze.

Ashley is on the other side of Luther, so I can’t see her expression, but one of the girls on the couch across from ours is smirking at me.

When we lock eyes, she mouths, Lucky .