Page 40 of Finding You

Throwing his head back, Dallas laughed and took a step back. “Seven point five. Room for improvement.” Before Kylen could react, Dallas breezed past him and went inside.

Grace was unusually quiet during dinner, which was making Kylen feel uneasy. He wondered if she’d been put off by what she’d seen when she was spying. He hadn’t bothered bringing guys home when he was younger, and having never been in a real relationship as he got older, it was probably the first time she’d ever seen him be affectionate with a man.

Dallas seemed to pick up on it, though, because he was laying it on thick. After getting Flora set up with her plate—another waffle and two small pieces of chicken she refused to touch—he draped his arm over the back of Kylen’s chair.

His fingers toyed with the nape of his neck, making shivers race up and down Kylen’s spine. He wanted to run from it, but he also wanted to lean in. He wanted to tease and flirt back and make it so Dallas would stay long after Grace went back to her rental and Flora went to bed.

But that wasn’t what this was.

And he knew the tension was eventually going to snap.

“Can I watch some TV?” Flora asked, kicking her feet.

“Yes,” Kylen said at the same time as Grace said, “Absolutely not.”

Kylen glared at her. “Yes, sweetpea. Go watch TV before your bath.”

Flora cheered, then tugged on Dallas’s hand. “Want to come wiff?”

“I think I should stay with the grown-ups, but how about I read you a story before I go?”

“Jeanie Jones, Jeanie Jones!” Flora chanted as she let Dallas go and raced back to the living room.

Kylen raised a brow at Dallas, who rolled his eyes. “We’re reading Junie B. Jones next week, and she’s been excited for it since I announced the next book in the list.”

Grace’s eyes narrowed. “Isn’t that a little old for them?”

“Weren’t you reading Anne Rice in fifth grade?” Kylen fired back.

Grace flushed and folded her hands under her chin to prop it up. “I took it without Mom’s permission. It wasn’t like she was sitting me down and reading me chapters.”

Dallas gave her a flat look. “Well, last time I checked, no one gets eaten in Junie B. Jones, so I think the kids can handle it.”

Grace looked like she wanted to say more, but Kylen was grateful she just thinned her lips and stayed silent. At least for a moment.

“Do you think something’s wrong with my niece, Mr. Reed?”

Dallas, who had taken a sip of water, choked. He swiped the back of his hand over his mouth and blinked at her. “I’m sorry?”

“I don’t mean to be crass,” Grace said with a sharp smile directed at Kylen, “but my brother seems to think all of Flora’s little quirks are normal. I was wondering what your professional opinion is.”

“My professional opinion is that I don’t discuss things like this in someone’s home when I’ve been invited for dinner.”

“Your boyfriend, you mean,” Grace said. Fuck, there was a loose thread, and she was tugging. “So, you’re going to get involved with my brother—your student’s father—and you won’t voice your concerns?”

“I won’t discuss something like this outside of a professional meeting, no,” Dallas said, all the humor gone from his tone. “I’m not a psychiatrist. I’m not a school counselor. When my students undergo assessments, I fill out a worksheet, and I attend the meeting so I’m available for questions. And I certainly don’t discuss it with noncustodial family members over casual dinner.”

Kylen wanted to kiss him again. But he also wanted to corner him and demand a real answer the moment Grace was gone because there was something in Dallas’s tone that told him Grace had hit a tender spot.

Was something wrong with his daughter?

Christ.

His fingers began to tremble, and he hid them under the table. “Well, if that’s all?—”

“When you join us for camping, I hope you know you’ll get more questions like this. It might be better to prepare some answers,” Grace said.

Dallas laughed, but there wasn’t a hint of a smile in his eyes. “Like I’m on trial.”

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