Page 1 of Single Dad Panther's Best Friend Romance

Chapter One

Elizabeth

“Liz, would you stop trying to mess up your life?” I whisper that question as I look at my phone and then, because I’m pretty sure I’m not actually going to stop trying to mess up my life, I toss my phone onto the couch just to get it out of my hand.

So, I don’t call up a boy I don’t really like.

And give him a chance anyway.

And go out with him.

And fall in love during dinner.

And have a sexually charged week or so.

And then end things because I don’t really like him.

And then, three or four weeks later whisper to myself that I should stop trying to mess up my life. Sometimes I whisper that like I am now, when I’m about to call someone. Sometimes, I whisper it when I see a guy eyeing me at the bar and I know he’s going to come over. Sometimes, I…

All right. That’s enough.

The point is I’m twenty-two years old and jaded.

That’s way too young to be jaded!

But I am. A string of poor decisions where I ignore my whispered warnings puts me in a place where I’m feeling jaded.

Jaded and depressed.

I just get caught up in the romance of a situation, sleep with a guy, and figure out in a few days that we’re not compatible at all. Sometimes I figure it out in a few hours. Sometimes I figure it out in the middle of sex, and I can promise you that’s no fun.

There’s a knock on my door, and I’m glad because I’m already considering picking my phone back up. Not consciously, of course, but I know it’s a done deal and I know I’ll be doing it. So, I’m glad the knocking comes. I head over to the door and I see a sweet-looking lady I don’t recognize and a little boy I most definitely do.

“Joel,” I say with a smile. He runs to me and puts his arms around me.

“I sit for Mr. Robertson usually. He’s supposed to be home but there’s a fire. He asked me…” She stops talking when her phone rings. “Hi, Preston. Yes. I’m here now. Yes. She was here after all. Hold on.” She holds the phone out. “Can he talk to you?”

“Sure.” I take it and say, “What’s going on Fire Dude?”

He’s a fireman. Yeah,Fire Dudeis pretty cringe, I know. But this man is my best friend. Sure, he’s about fifteen years older than me but he’s been my best friend for a long time. I don’t think I would have gotten through college without him.

I certainly wouldn’t have been able to keep working at my job and gone to school without his support. I mean, I don’t call him my best friend in some sort of flippant, look at me, I’ve got a guy best friend way. He’s really been there for me, and it’s because we don’t have a romantic relationship that I can rely on him.

I mean, romance screws with my head normally.

On the other hand, I think he’s the only man I’ve ever actually had a crush on, at least a genuine crush. The great newsis that I know there’s no hope at all with him, so I can keep those feelings pretty much under control.

“There’s a fire, a really bad one. Martha can’t watch past four. Is there… Damn, I hate to ask this. If you call in and don’t work your theater shift so you can watch Joel, I’ll pay whatever you would have made at the theater and also double your regular rate. I would never ask but the fire is really bad and people’s life are in?—”

“Okay, deal,” I interrupt, “and I would have made zero dollars tonight because the theater is being remodeled so there are no shows this week except for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. So, you owe me zero to make up for wages I won’t lose. And you don’t have to double my rate. I’m just getting a pizza you’ll be paying for.”

“I’m doubling your rate and paying you for the pizza,” he replies. “I appreciate it more than you…” His words are drowned out in sirens and he finally shouts, “Gotta go! Sorry! I’ll talk to you soon!”

“Go. Joel will be fine.” So, it looks like my best friend (who in an unrelated way is also a sexy single-dad fireman) and his little boy are going to rescue me from ruining my life tonight.

I smile at Martha and hand her the phone. She thanks me silently and hurries away. It’s already four-thirty-eight. I usher Joel inside and, well, I say that but the little guy has already raced past me and is inspecting my collection of model cars. It’s the one thing my dad and I did together.

“Hey there, dude,” Yikes, that word again, “feel like having some pizza?”

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