Page 100 of Mountain Daddy

If I happen to be lying to him while I think that… well, we’re not talking about me.

“Living the grind.” He shrugs. “You planning to eat this all yourself?”

He starts to shove his hand into the bag, and I reach out and snatch it back to my side of the table. “I’m bringing it to the Inn. Jessie asked me to get her some stuff.”

He looks like he doesn’t believe me, but it’s not like he knows Jessie was already here.

Jessie. My sister.

Another detail I still need to tell Kendra about.

Joe takes his phone out of his pocket and types something. And I instantly regret my lie.

What if saying that made him think about bringing something home for Kendra before he goes back to the shop?

He makes a noise.

“Something wrong?” I try to get a peek at his screen.

“No. I was just seeing if Kenny wanted anything. But apparently, she’s not feeling great, so she’s going to nap for the lunch hour.”

I try not to show my relief.

I’m certain Kendra felt bad lying, but it’s a good answer.

I takein the home before me as I pull up to the new Black household.

It’s nice. Exactly the sort of place I’d expect them to build.

Shaking the residual tension out of my shoulders, I turn off my truck and climb out.

Joe and I walked back to our vehicles together, but I pretended to answer a call so I could wait for him to leave first. Then I waited another five minutes to make sure he was longgone and used that time to text Kendra to let her know I was finally coming to get her.

She texted me back, saying to let myself in, which feels weird since I haven’t been to this house before. But then I remembered the baby. And since I’ve lived that life, I’ll follow instructions and do it quietly. I won’t be the oaf that wakes the baby. Nothing set my rage on fire like someone waking up Ashley after I’d finally gotten her down for a nap.

I love my daughter. And raising her full-time as a single dad was my choice, one I refuse to regret. But I’m also glad that life is behind me. I’m old now. I have the house to myself. And the only reason I’m waking up in the middle of the night is to pee.

I pause when I reach the front door.

Thinking about those days…

Kendra and I really need to have a talk about… everything.

About Joe. About what she wants in life. What she wants her future to be. If that includes Colorado. If it includes me…

I take a calming breath.

We didn’t do anything wrong that first night we met. We were consenting adults enjoying each other. If we’d known the truth about our real identities…? I don’t know if it would’ve changed anything. The attraction between us is real. And if the first time I’d seen her had been in Joe’s hallway, Kendra stepping out of the bathroom in her little pajamas. Her big bright eyes blinking up at me… I’d still have gotten hard.

And I’d still have put my hands on her.

So, we were inevitable.

But where we go from here…

I shake the worry from my head and open the door as quietly as I can.

We can talk later.