Page 11 of Could Be Worse

“Stranger sex for the win!” I giggled a little. “I’m glad I could help you.”

“You more than helped me, Sunshine. You gave me hope. Maybe I am ready to get back on the dating horse again.”

“That’s great.” I eased away from him as jealousy bloomed in my chest. He was ready to date, but not me. I suddenly felt used, but that was ridiculous because I’d used him too. “I should probably go.”

He grabbed me by the waist and held me in place. “Hey, what just happened? The sultry air in here just turned frigid.” He jerked his chin toward the front window. “Look, it’s frosting over.”

“Don’t be a jerk after I just let you screw me.” I flattened my hands on his chest and pushed him back. “I have somewhere to be.”

“Why are you angry?”

“I’m not.” Attempting to climb off his lap again, he didn’t stop me this time. “I should’ve left long ago.” I felt a brick wall rise between us, and I could tell he sensed it too.

“Okay. I don’t know what’s going on, but I’ve got whiplash.” He put himself back together and avoided making eye contact. The fun, flirty guy I’d spent the past couple of hours with was turning into a true stranger.

“Don’t take it personally. It was fun. Take care.” I bolted out of the truck and ducked into my rental car, started the engine, and sped away.

How could my stupid emotions ruin the moment?

I should’ve known better than to hook up with a charming, handsome guy. He was perfect, although I knew little about him. It was one of those situations that had felt right. More than right. Everything about tonight felt wonderful and natural…

But the universe had other ideas in mind, I guessed. When something good happened to me, it seemed to be a tease, a little taste of what I’d always wanted but would never have. Then it disappeared.

Except I never knew I wanted to be in a relationship until this guy. For so long, my ballet career was my priority and lover, but with it stripped from my grasp, I might have entertained getting involved with someone. It just wouldn’t be with Mr. Phenomenal Kisser.

4

Bryce

Home sweet home and back to reality. Instant tension turned my muscles to steel as I pulled into the driveway. My post-sex, happy endorphins disappeared.

Couldn’t I pretend to be someone else? A successful business owner. A better, involved father to my girls. Free to do anything I wanted, like hook up with a gorgeous woman.

Too bad my once-in-a-lifetime encounter with a ravenous beauty hadn’t made the bad stuff go away. Such was my luck.

Fairy godmothers and wicked queens with magical powers were only in the stories I read to my girls. Tales full of lies and unrealistic situations that damaged two young impressionable minds.

But I slogged through the books my girls loved, so I wasn’t the worst father on the planet.

The gorgeous brunette, Sunshine, hadn’t turned into a fairy godmother or waved a magical wand. My construction business wasn’t in the black and I was still three months behind on my mortgage.

Why couldn’t my money situation be a bad dream? Hell, I’d love for the last four years to be a horrible nightmare instead of my reality.

If I didn’t turn my construction business around and catch up on my mortgage payments, the bank would foreclose on my house, and where would my little girls live?

“Fuck!” I slammed my hand on the steering wheel. “You’re such a loser and failure, Nelson!”

Last month, I’d laid off the last guy on my crew because I couldn’t afford to pay him and provide for my family. Most of the projects I’d gotten were small, ones I could do on my own. I needed a huge job, like building a house or renovating the shopping center I’d bid on in Mankato earlier today.

Yeah, I’d be commuting almost two hours each way. It would suck balls only seeing my babies at bedtime, if I was lucky. But at least I could hire back my men and get caught up on my bills.

I pressed the back of my head against the headrest. God, I hope tonight was the beginning of my luck turning around. Come Monday, maybe I’d get a call that I’d won the bid.

My gaze returned to my home. I thought it would be the place my girls could grow up in and build happy memories they’d never forget.

The modest three-bedroom, two-bath cottage had been a dump when I purchased it. As a newly single dad of twin daughters, I’d been an angry, grumpy man after their mom, Connie, had left us. She’d claimed she couldn’t hack being a mother anymore, after our babies had turned a year old. Fuck, I hated her for abandoning Cat and Tori… and me.

Connie had wanted out of our marriage. We’d been wrong from the start, but she got pregnant. I’d tried to man up and do the right thing, marrying her. It’d been better than her getting an abortion.

---