Page 26 of Gifted To His Dad

I wipe my face with my sleeves and force a smile. “I’m just being sappy after we’ve been doing so much. A little fresh air and my own bed will make everything better.”

Cole hums low in his throat, then lifts me onto my feet. “First, let’s start packing, then we can grab breakfast on the way out. Get you back before you know it.”

He looks worried as he watches me with soft eyes.

“Sounds perfect.” I lift on my toes and kiss him. The absolute last thing I want is for him to feel bad about anything thathappened this weekend. I’ll always hold it as a special memory, something to think of now and then, but I won’t let him be sad about how things turned out.

The drive’s slow and quiet. Soft music playing through the radio keeps us company. I’d be worried there was something wrong if it wasn’t for the way Cole’s hand cups my thigh and his thumb draws small, soothing circles against my skin. We’ve been off the mountain roads for a while, and I already miss the giant evergreens that take up the sky.

Now the freeway I’ve never really noticed feels cold and sterile in comparison. I’m watching cars pass by when Cole turns off at an unexpected exit.

“My stop’s not for another two overpasses. Did you go on autopilot? This one goes to the school.” I laugh under my breath, the first bit of lightness since this morning.

Cole squeezes my thigh. “I thought we’d go somewhere else first.”

Streets pass by, then turn to residential until we’re pulling in front of a multistory brick home.

My gaze flashes to Cole. “Whose house is this?”

He turns off the engine and smiles at me. “This is where I stay when I’m not at my apartment.”

Embarrassment forms in my gut. Why did we spend so much time at my low-income apartment when he had this place so close to school?

“What are we doing here?” I ask, intimidated by the size and the grandeur of his home but also not wanting to go home by myself. Exhaustion has been hanging over me for hours, and I’m barely holding on.

“Come on. Trust me.” Cole gets out and walks around the car, opening the door, and holds out his hand to me. “I promise this is a good thing.”

Taking his hand, I let him lead me up to the front door, punching in the code like he’s done this a million times before.

Cole smiles at me, and the warmth washes my worries away. If I just keep following him, everything will be alright.

The space is nicer than I even imagined. Towering ceilings, with a large chandelier hanging in the middle. The furniture is masculine, with tan leather couches and charcoal paneled walls. The darker color palette somehow makes the large space feel cozy. I’m still gazing at the open-concept layout when a low, deep voice rumbles from the other room. There’s a familiarity to it that draws my attention, my heart skipping in my chest. I tamp it down, knowing that there’s no way it can be who I’m thinking of. That Griffin’s gone to some meeting he couldn’t escape, but I can’t help the way the air catches in my lungs as the man draws nearer.

Griffin’s enormous frame enters through the hallway, head tilted down as he looks over paperwork while talking on the phone, and time stands still. He looks different from what he did on the mountain, his hair styled back, dressed in a black knitted sweater over charcoal dress pants. Gone is my rough-around-the-edges man, replaced with the crispness of professionalism. It feels like there’s a distance between us now that we’re here. Like that was all play, and this is reality. I blink away the tears pooling in my eyes. This is how it was always supposed to be.

“You really not going to say hi?” Cole says from behind me. His voice is as playful as ever.

I almost turn to him, snuggle into his chest where I’m always safe, but Griffin’s attention snaps to us. A smile pulls at his lips, filled with the warmth I’ve grown to love. Love sticks in my throat, but even now, I can’t deny it. This man standing in frontof me is the same person I’ve spent the last few days with. The one I never wanted to let go of.

“I’ve got to go,” he says into his phone and doesn’t wait for the reply, dropping it onto the table, then stalks toward me.

My breath squeezes from my lungs with the force of his hug. He kisses my forehead. “How can I already miss you this much?”

I try to keep myself together, even though his words crash into me. I can’t let myself hope for something more. I can’t assume he feels the way that I do.

He doesn’t let go of me when he asks Cole, “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home early?”

“What? Don’t you like your surprise? Turnabout is fair play.” His voice is closer, only inches behind me.

Griffin runs his hand up my back, circling his rough fingers around my neck, and swipes his thumb back and forth. The motion is so comforting I can’t help but collapse into him.

“Best surprise I’ve ever received,” he murmurs into my hair, refusing to let me slip even an inch. He’s holding me so close, like he’s afraid to let me go.

I ball the thick woven fabric of his sweater in my palms, afraid if I let him go, I’ll wake up in the car, still driving away from him. I close my eyes, letting Griffin’s forest scent consume me, and the world fades away. The only thing missing is Cole’s heat pressing against my back.

As if summoned by my thoughts, a warm kiss is placed just above Griffin’s hand on my neck. “As much as I hate to break you two up, we have a few things to discuss.”

Griffin’s chest inflates, and his arms tense around me before letting me go. He cups my jaw. “Remember this feeling, Baby Girl.”

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