Page 48 of Rock Chick Bonus Tracks

He shook his head on the pillow. “I know what I’d do. But I’m not you and this has to be all you.”

“You wouldn’t see him,” she correctly guessed.

“I wouldn’t waste another fuckin’ second on the guy. But again, I’m not you.”

Something occurred to her. It lit in her gorgeous eyes before it came out her pretty mouth, “How, exactly, did this conversation between you and Dad go? You know, aside from the threat?”

There was more than a hint of suspicion in that.

So yeah.

Down to his soul.

“We’ll just say we didn’t hug.”

She tensed. “Oh my God, you gave him shit.”

Maybe she was crazier than he thought.

“Fuck yeah, baby. He left you. He hurt you. So I didn’t shake his hand and clap him on the shoulder and congratulate him on his healthy tan. I gave him shit.”

Curiosity sparked. “Did he have a tan?”

“Ava babe,” he began carefully. “He looked healthy. Happy. He was far from thrilled that I stood in the way of him getting to you. He was even less thrilled when I told him I’d offered to find him for you, and you declined.”

Her eyes widened. “You told him that?”

“Yeah. I did,” Luke affirmed. “He was happy we were together. He said he wants a chance to explain. He makes good money, lives in a nice home in an upper middleclass neighborhood with a pretty woman who loves him so much, she doesn’t ask questions about why he won’t marry her, seein’ as he fell off her grid. Notthegrid, but your mom’s grid, so she couldn’t find him, and he’s still married to her. He has not suffered. He went on to better things. And regardless of what those two fuckin’ sisters of yours are like, how much nagging he had to endure from your mom, he made a family and thought he had the right to just bow out. You’re unhappy, you walk away. You set up a new life. You find ways to establish boundaries with your ex-partner so she won’t fuck with your head. But you don’t leave your children behind. Ever.”

“I think I’ve decided,” she announced.

Luke took his hand from her neck so he could wrap both arms around her tight.

“What’d you decide?” he asked.

“I’ve decided I’m not going to decide right now. I think it might take twenty years. Or it might take two. Or it might take until after we eat our napoleons. However long it takes, that’s how long it’s going to take. I’m not going to stress. I’ll know when I know. Then he’ll know when I know if I decide to see him. But now, I’m just going to…carry on.”

Luke grinned. “That’s my girl.”

“You want your napoleon?”

Yup.

That was his girl.

Drama…and onward.

He flipped her to her back. “Gotta work for it.”

Her gaze heated and her words were breathy when she declared, “I get top.”

“You’re gonna get somethin’, but it isn’t top.”

“I thought men liked women riding them.”

“I want you in the saddle, baby, I’ll put you there. I’m in the saddle tonight.”

She gave a side eye to nothing, muttering, “Whatever.”

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