Page 11 of Secret Love (The Single Dad Playbook #2)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

BURY AND DENY

HENLEY

Weston

You’re still coming tonight, right?

Rhodes

Dude, where are you?

Bowie

cry/laughing emoji I was just grabbing my phone to ask the same thing.

I’m getting in the SUV when I check my phone and laugh at the guys. Weston’s already texted a few times this week to make sure I’m coming to the party at his house.

Wow. Eager much? It’s only been a few hours since we saw each other.

Penn

We miss youuuu.

Right. Well, I’m leaving Bree’s now. I stayed with the girls until Bree got home from work. You’ll see this mug in about five minutes.

With the warmer weather we’re having, Jupiter Lane is buzzing. I enjoy the crisp transition from winter to spring around here, but this feels like summer’s arrived in March. The girls were happy about it earlier—they run cold and I run hot. I pass Pet Galaxy and smile when I think about Earl, the kitten Tru told me about. I haven’t told the girls that we’ll have a visiting kitten starting Monday. They’ll lose their minds.

When I pull up to Weston’s front gate, his guards, Joey and Seth, wave me through. I park next to Bowie’s new Audi and admire it as I walk past. When I hear laughter outside, I follow it to the backyard. Weston and Sadie’s property is gorgeous—a pool overlooking the same lake mine faces. At first I was the only one living on the lake. The house Bree and I moved into after I signed with the Mustangs was more house than I ever thought I’d have, but I got addicted to the view. The lake is gorgeous, with a wooded area framing it, and the mountains standing majestically in the background.

When I got divorced, I moved into a house farther down on the lake, and the guys have found their way over one by one on the same lake, which is great. Silver Hills isn’t a big town to begin with, but there aren't many private areas like this.

The first thing I see is a roaring fire in the elegant outdoor fireplace. It's beautiful and warms up the space. Bowie and Rhodes are laughing with Weston’s sister Felicity, who lives in the ski town about an hour and a half from here, Landmark Mountain. It’s always great to see her. We all got close to Felicity when she lived with Weston for a short time, and when she and Sutton got married, we couldn’t help but love him and his son Owen as well.

And then I turn and there stands the last person I expected to see at Weston and Sadie's house. Her eyes meet mine at the same time, like she can hear me thinking about her.

Tru Seymour.

She looks like a dream. She’s wearing a pale pink dress, looking like pin-up perfection but right at home in this backyard. Her hair falls down her back in waves that reach her waist. My eyes have no willpower, zeroing in on her pink lips before sliding down the rest of her body. She takes my breath away.

She's twenty-four , I remind myself.

I have never ever been so attracted to anyone this much younger than me. Age aside, I’m not sure I’ve ever been this attracted to anyone, period . But the age thing is unsettling. I think the biggest age difference I’ve considered is five years…and that was maybe one or two women. She's twelve freaking years younger than me but looking every bit old enough when she looks me up and down like she's liking what she sees.

I tug my shirt away from my neck, needing a little more air, and walk toward her. I'm intercepted by Weston and Sadie. He’s unable to hide his smirk. The text thread with the guys makes a lot more sense now. I level him with a stare.

“How long have you been cooking this up?” I ask.

Sadie giggles. “It just happened ,” she whispers. “We met her the other night at Luminary and hit it off !”

Sadie is adorable and has become one of my close friends. I love the woman, so it’s impossible to be upset with her on a normal day, but especially when she's so happy and animated about her new friend.

“That doesn't surprise me. I hit it off with her the first time we met as well,” I say under my breath.

Weston elbows me. “And now it's time to do it all over again, only in a more romantic environment than the grocery store,” he says quietly.

The two of them look like they’re about to dance across the room, they’re so excited. I scrub my hand over my face.

“I can't believe you guys did this,” I say between clenched teeth.

“Come on, it'll be good. When we ran into her, I thought it was just meant to be,” Sadie says, eyes bright. “Okay, don't look, but she's behind you,” she whispers.

I can't help myself because I'm dying to look at Tru again. I turn and she's right in front of me.

“What a surprise running into you,” she says, grinning.

“The surprise is on me. I had no idea you'd be here,” I tell her. She looks like she doesn't believe me.

“Yeah, I didn't tell him we met you the other night,” Sadie says a little too brightly. “You guys know each other?” It’s said so innocently, but it's obvious that she knows better. She couldn't be more obvious if she tried.

“We've met,” Tru says. “Several times now. Everywhere I turn, you’re there.” She laughs.

I smirk and her cheeks turn rosy. I fucking love it.

“Yes, Tru is Cassidy's English teacher and Cassidy and Audrey's dance teacher as well.”

“Wow,” Weston says. “You guys are just running into each other all over the place.”

I look at him sharply, but he just grins. Maybe it’s good that this is happening. Maybe it’ll send Tru running in the other direction when she sees me coming, so I don’t have to deal with being so attracted to my daughter’s English teacher… who’s twelve years younger than me .

“It's nice to meet people as soon as you move into a new town,” Weston adds. “We wanted to introduce her to some of our friends.”

“Even Caleb was won over right away.” Sadie grins at Tru, who beams back.

Damn, that smile.

“Where is that guy by the way?” I ask.

Not even a second later, I hear, “Unca Hen!”

I turn, laughing, and see Caleb running my way. His grandma Lane is chasing him.

“I’m sorry,” she says, laughing and out of breath. “I was trying to keep him inside so you guys could enjoy some adult time, but he saw Henley through the window and was out the door before I could stop him.”

The little guy collides into my legs, and I sweep him up high in the air while he cackles. “Hey there, little buddy. How are you doing tonight?”

“Dood,” he says.

I chuckle, loving the way he mixes his G’s with his D’s. Lane and Tru gasp when I toss him in the air, and Caleb laughs so hard. Weston and Sadie are used to it by now, but they all sigh in relief when he's safe in my arms.

“A-dain, a-dain,” Caleb cries.

“One more time. I don't want to give your grandma and parents a heart attack.” I toss him in the air again and when he comes back down, he burrows his face in my neck and cracks up.

I’m crazy about this little boy.

“How about we go get some ice cream?” Lane asks.

Caleb perks up.

“Ooo, ice cream. That sounds like a great idea,” I say.

“Should we go pick out a flavor?” Lane asks.

We all look at Caleb and he nods. I put him down and he clambers off to take his grandma’s hand.

“I be back, Unca Hen,” he calls before he goes in.

“Okay, buddy. I’ll be here.”

When I look at Tru again, she’s staring at me with an unreadable expression. It’s been a while since I’ve tried to figure a woman out, and even though the guys claim that women fall at my feet over my charm, I call bullshit. Having a divorce behind me proves that I’ve probably never been great at figuring women out, but damn, I wish I knew what was going on in that pretty head of hers.

“Caleb is crazy about his Unca Hen,” Sadie says, laughing.

“That is the cutest thing I have ever seen,” Tru says.

Well, that’s something. The way my ego puffs at that praise is all kinds of wrong since a child’s love for me is not the way to win over a woman, but…hell, I’ll take the help where I can get it.

Not because I want her, but because I need to have my daughter’s teacher thinking I’m a decent man.

You are so full of shit , says the devil on my shoulder.

“Hey, Hen,” Penn says, holding out his fist for me to bump. Bowie and Rhodes make their way over and surround us.

They try to act nonchalant, but the nosy bastards are dying of curiosity. I can tell that Weston’s already got them up to speed about who Tru is or else one of them would’ve been flirting with her by now.

“I don't believe I’ve met you yet,” Bowie says, holding his hand out to shake Tru’s.

I’m glad it's him. I trust the guy with my life—not that I don't trust the others—but Bowie is more like me. He's been taking his time getting back out in the dating world. He isn't as much of a player as Rhodes and Penn. They're unable to turn off the flirt when they see a pretty woman.

“Bowie Fox,” Bowie says.

“Nice to meet you, I'm Tru. Tru Seymour.”

“Nice to meet you too,” he says politely.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Tru Seymour. I’m Rhodes Archer.” Rhodes shakes her hand and when he smiles, his dimples come out in full force.

Tru looks wowed, as most girls do. I don’t blame her. He’s a handsome guy. Even my mom gets swoony when she talks about Rhodes Archer.

Tru glances over at me and there's a twinkle in her eye as she says, “So you're the infamous Rhodes. I was at Luminary the other night and heard these girls talk about you.” She points at Penn. “And you must be Penn.”

Her fingers stretch out to shake Penn’s hand. He grins, the smug bastard. He’s the one I’m most worried about. Bree says Penn is the hot one and he’s way closer to Tru’s age.

“You’ve got that right. It's great to meet you, Tru. So…what did you hear at the coffee shop?” he asks, holding her hand longer than I’d like.

“Well, I’m sorry to say I had no idea who any of you were,” she says, cheeks flushing slightly. “And now I only know because those girls couldn't stop talking about all of you. I heard Henley's name and had met him already. I did think he looked like he could barrel through people without losing a breath, but no, no clue.”

I’m not sure how to take that, but everyone laughs, including me.

“So Clara informed me that you're football players!”

“You really didn't know who we were?” Rhodes asks, with a mock hurt face.

“No idea.” She laughs.

“I love this.” Sadie laughs. “Bet that never happens anymore, does it, guys?” She’s still laughing as she hooks her arm in Weston’s.

Tru looks at me and the smile on her face nearly does me in. Damn. I don't know what to do with this. Why now? Why her?

Time to bury whatever this is I’m feeling way down.