Page 6 of Her Older Single Dad

Wait a minute. What is he even doing here? “What are you doing here on my night off?”

He shrugs.

I wait.

“I happened to be in the area.” His intense brown eyes meet mine and hold them. I can’t look away from their searing heat. In my peripheral vision, I see Daisy surreptitiously fan herself with her napkin.

“I’m having drinks with my friends,” I explain, not knowing why I feel the need to pacify him. He doesn’t seem jealous. More like he’s alert and protective.

“I see that.” He glances around the table. “Excuse my interruption. Let me get your bill and you can continue enjoying your evening.”

He starts to walk toward the bar, and I jump up to stop him. “Elijah, you don’t have to do that.” I grab his arm before he even takes a step. Then I lose my train of thought as I feel the strength of his bicep flexing beneath my hand. Damn.

“I’m the one who interrupted your evening. It’s the least I can do,” he says to the table before dropping his voice and leaning in close to my ear. “Just remember, when you get home, you’re mine again.”

My breath catches and moisture pools between my thighs. It might not be truly feminist, but I don’t care. I’ve been alone for so long. Taking care of myself for so long. When someone like Elijah notices when I’m not at home and cares enough to make sure I’m okay, it doesn’t feel like a burden. It feels like a blessing.

A hot, older, sex-on-a-stick blessing. My hand tightens on his arm automatically, and his other hand covers my own, keeping me close.

Just when I thought things couldn’t get any more interesting, Daisy pokes my arm and jerks her head. I follow her gaze to watch as my ex, Justin, walks through the door.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Hannah mutters, mimicking my thoughts.

When he spots me at my table, he pushes past the hostess and practically storms toward us. He’s wearing shorts and a polo shirt with the collar popped. Aviators dangle from a Croakies strap around his neck. He looks like he’s trying too hard, which only makes him pale in comparison to Elijah, who is always comfortable in his own skin.

“Is this guy the reason you’ve been ghosting me, Piper?” Justin sneers as he hooks his thumbs into the pockets of his khaki shorts.

“No, I’m not returning your calls because we broke up. Six months ago,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm.

It’s bizarre having these worlds collide. Moments ago, Elijah looked like an angry avenging angel ready to scoop me up and carry me away. Now, that intense curiosity is focused on Justin, and my heart warns me to be cautious.

Elijah might be a pretty good dad, but I don’t know much about him as a man. All I know is he’s working his way into my heart. I feel more vulnerable than I have in years. And now he’s here, about to listen to whatever garbage Justin is going to spew.

“Hey man, you don’t want someone like Piper in your life. She’s a trainwreck,” Justin gets started. “She never even went to college. She just got a car and started driving peoples’ meals to them. Like pizza delivery and shit.”

“Is that so?” Elijah asks, his voice calm.

“Yeah, it’s so. And I’ll tell you something else. I happen to know her credit is shit.” Justin hangs his head and sighs, but it’s all for show. The bastard. What did I ever see in him? He continues, “But I mean, what can you expect? It’s Piper. She has no dreams. No ambition.”

Justin shifts his attention to me. “Babe, that’s why I’ve been trying to call you all week. I have an opportunity that I think will be great for both of us.”

Elijah moves smoothly until he’s standing between Justin and me. “Actually,” Elijah says quietly, as he puts his arm around Justin’s shoulder and turns him toward the front door, herding him out of the pub. “I’d like to hear more about your experience with Piper.”

What the hell just happened? My mind is in shock. I never expected Justin to show up out of the blue. And I certainly never expected Elijah to be here. And then to actuallylistento him.

I’m strong. I know I’m strong. But Elijah and I have only known each other for a little over a week. I don’t know if I can watch to see if his view of me changes after listening to Justin’s bullshit.

“I’ve got to go.” Standing abruptly, my chair scrapes on the floor. With trembling hands, I pull a couple twenties out and lay them on the table.

“Wait, don’t go.” My friends urge me to stay, but I just can’t right now.

“I’ll call you later,” I assure them. Anything to get me out of there. I need to think, and I need to do it alone. I’m the only person I’ve ever really been able to count on. I’m the one who needs to figure out my next steps.

As I walk down the street, I barely notice the cute shops and other people enjoying their evening. It doesn’t take long for me to come to a decision. I pull out my phone and arrange for a taxi back to the house.

Chapter 5

Elijah

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