Page 31 of Mountain Heat

Her head jerks back at that. “You’re moving? But you love this place.”

I shake my head. “I’m not going anywhere. I was looking for a place for you. As a graduation present.” I hold my hands out at my sides and wiggle my fingers. “Surprise,” I say flatly.

“Oh. That’s…really sweet of you, Dad.” She frowns. “But then…you haven’t known her that long then. So it can’t be that serious.”

“You’re right, I haven’t known her long, but I can assure you that it is serious. I want her to move in here with me.”

“What?” She shakes her head. “You’re crazy. Is this some kind of mid-life crisis or something? Because that’s nuts. How do you know she’s not some deranged gold digger?”

I scowl at her. “She’s not. I’m the one who pursued her, not the other way around.”

“She’s got to be twenty-five years younger than you.”

“She is.” I nod, because our age difference is a simple fact, one I can’t deny.

Our eyes lock, and I’m reminded of the arguments we used to have when she was a teenager over things like curfew and borrowing the car.

Hailey rolls her eyes and drops her arms. “God, Dad. This is so weird.”

“We can’t help who we fall for, Hailey.”

She mumbles something that sounds like, “Don’t I know it,” but now isn’t the time to push.

“I know it’s weird for you. I get that. But it’s happening. Kaylee and I are both adults, and we’re in a relationship. You don’t have to like it. You’re allowed to feel however you feel about it. But you do have to accept it, and you do have to treat Kaylee with respect.” I take a step towards her. “I know it’s a lot, but I hope eventually you can be okay with it.”

She bites her lip, looking away. “I don’t know if I can be. I mean, what are people going to say? What are people going to think?”

“I don’t give a shit what other people think, and you should know that. This is my life, and Kaylee makes me happier than I’ve been in a very long time.”

“She does?” When I meet her eyes, I can see her softening, even if she doesn’t like it.

I nod. “She really does. And I think I make her pretty damn happy, too.”

Hailey sighs, then lets out an aggravated sound. “This is so weird. You can’t just go around dating people half your age…because…it’s…” She shakes her head. “If she makes you happy, then I can try, because you being happy is important to me. I will work on accepting that you’re dating Kaylee, and I promise to be nice to her.”

I pull her into a hug. “That’s all I ask, sweetheart. Thank you.”

She wraps her arms around me, hugging me back. But when she pulls away, her expression is serious. “If she hurts you, I rescind all promises made. Or tries to steal your money.”

“She’s not going to do either of those things, but I appreciate the sentiment.”

Hailey sighs again and looks up the stairs. “I should go talk to her, probably. Right?”

I shrug. “Up to you.”

“I should go talk to her.”

I grin at her. “Someone sure did a good job raising you.”

“It was Mom,” she says with a smirk, and I clutch my chest.

“Ouch.”

She laughs and heads up the stairs.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

KAYLEE