Page 86 of Ridin' True

Her eyes shifted from me to the direction I came from and then back at me. I didn’t even have a chance to think of what to say before she asked, “Are you my dad’s girlfriend?”

“Oh,” I breathed, anxiously running my fingers through the ends of my hair, like I was sixteen and caught red-handed by my mother. “Um—”

“It’s okay if you are,” Marlowe assured me.

My hands stilled, but I couldn’t seem to find my words, especially given the way she was studying me. I wasn’t sure if it was my place to have this conversation with her. Jed and I agreed to take it slow with the kids. Circumstances what they were, this moment was probably inevitable, but that didn’t make me any more prepared.

“You’re nice,” Marlowe continued. “Nicer and smarter than the ladies that hang around the clubhouse. My dad doesn’t really like them. I don’t either. But you’re different. And you’re really pretty. And you’re a good cook. So, if you are—his girlfriend, I mean—it’s okay. I don’t want him to be alone.”

My heart melted, and my feet came unstuck as I made my way into the kitchen. I didn’t know the right thing to say, but she’d been open and honest with me, so I owed her the same.

“I don’t want your dad to be alone, either. I like him a lot. He’s a pretty cool guy.”

“Yeah,” she murmured.

“It’s really sweet of you to look out for him. I think you’re pretty cool, too.”

She looked down into her glass bashfully and whispered, “Thanks.”

“Do you think you want to go back to bed, or are you hungry?” I asked, switching to a much safer topic. “We might have everything I need to make pancakes and bacon. I believe your dad was planning on saving it for tomorrow, but now sounds better. What do you think?”

I could tell she was trying to hide her smile as she replied, “Now sounds better.”

“Alright. Early morning pancakes coming right up.”

She moved to take a seat on the opposite side of the island, and I got to work on breakfast. Chances were good this was going to make me late, but it felt important to open this door with Marlowe and bond a little.

“Saw you started a new book yesterday. What are you reading?”

We talked about her love of fiction and her favorite reads so far that summer for nearly twenty minutes. I was pouring a couple more pancakes, with a growing stack keeping warm in the oven, when Jed came out to join us.

Both Marlowe and I glanced his way. When he looked at me, I mouthedbusted.

He chuckled, closing the distance between us before he pressed a hand to the small of my back and a kiss into my hair.

Without a word spoken, he told Marlowe what she wanted to know.

Jed didn’t linger at my side long but journeyed towards his daughter, who received her own bit of affection. “What are you doin’ up with the sun, hmm?”

“I was thirsty. Then Lex offered to make pancakes.”

“Who needs sleep when there are pancakes?”

“Exactly,” giggled Marlowe.

“Should we wake Ax?” I asked, glancing over my shoulder. “Pancakes are reheat-able, but bacon is best fresh out of the pan.”

Jed waggled his eyebrows playfully. “Only one way to get Ax up this early.”

Marlowe smiled mischievously.

“Uh-oh. You two look very conspiratorial,” I teased.

“Can I pick the song?” asked Marlowe.

“Go grab my phone. It’s on my nightstand,” said Jed with a jerk of his chin.

Not sixty seconds later, Jed was streaming “Shake It Off” by Taylor Swift through his surround sound speakers loud enough to wake the dead. As soon as the beat dropped, I was sure there was no place in the entire world I wanted to be more.