Page 50 of Faking It With the Grumpy Single Dad

She’s drawn me in like a moth to a flame, as cliché as that is.

I’ve spent the whole morning going back and forth, telling myself it’s not my place to pursue Poppy in a genuine way, beyond this fake boyfriend nonsense, especially if the boys could get caught in the paparazzi crossfire. She’s got her life; I’ve got mine. I’m only here to help her rebuild her cottage.

But the thought of seeing her again has my stomach in knots, and I know that it has more to do with how soft my heart has become toward her than anxiety about the tabloid stuff.

I calm my mind and turn into her driveway.

Then, with a sharp intake of breath, I slam on the brakes, causing my truck to skid in the gravel.

Two police cars are parked right in front of her house, blue and red lights flashing in the midday sun. My pulse jumps as I kill the engine, fling off my seatbelt, and leap out of my truck.

The front door is hanging wide open, so I don’t think twice before heading straight inside, my instincts overriding any sense of caution. All I know is that something is wrong, and I need to make sure she’s safe. I’m bracing myself for the worst when I round the corner into her kitchen, and what I see stops me in my tracks.

Percy Barclay is sitting on the floor, leaning back against the fresh drywall on the far side of the unfinished kitchen, pressing an icepack to his head. A trickle of blood runs down his forehead, a few droplets staining his otherwise flawless designer shirt.

Poppy is standing several feet away from him near the arch leading to the main living room, talking to an officer with her hands on her hips. She looks furious rather than scared, which is good. I think. Except, my relief is immediately swallowed by a surge of anger.

“You!” I shout at Percy, my voice loud enough to turn every head in the room. I don’t care. I can’t stop myself now. “What are you doing here?”

Percy’s head snaps up, coupled with a flinch at the sharp movement, and he glares at me with a haughty look that says he thinks he’s superior to everyone in the room even in his current position of slumped on the floor.

“Oh, great. Just what we needed. Our blue-collar hero,” he sneers.

“What are you doing here?” I repeat, voice lowering to a growl. My hands clench into fists. I stalk toward him, heart pounding so loudly that I can hear the rush of my blood in my ears.

I might not have known Poppy for very long, but I know better than to think that she invited Percy here. Between the time that I left and now, something went seriously wrong.

“Oh, please.” Percy rolls his eyes at me, wincing as he adjusts the icepack on his head. “I’m the one with issues? Poppy’s the psycho here. She hit me with a chunk of wood!”

He gestures to a two-by-four laying several feet away. It does, indeed, have a splotch of brownish drying blood on one end of it.

I hold back a snort. At least she didn’t reach for a sledge hammer in self-defense.

“I’m sure you deserved it,” I snap.

I recognize Officer Nara Fitz as she steps between us, holding her hands out to stop me from getting within kicking distance of Percy. “Mr. Mansfield, we’re handling the situation. If you’re not involved, please stand back.”

“Not involved? Nara, I’m her… contractor,” I answer rather lamely, still glaring at Percy. “I have every right to be here, contractually speaking, especially if he’s here causing trouble. He’s been bothering her for the past week. Did she tell you? This man isstalkingMs. Minton.”

Poppy moves farther into the kitchen, a soft smile tugging at her lips even while her eyes blaze with determination. “Joe, it’s fine. He’s not worth the trouble.”

“Are you okay?” I ask her, immediately turning away from Officer Fitz and the unwelcome fool. “I’m sorry I left so early. I should’ve…”

I should’ve stayed. If I had stayed, I might have been here when Percy arrived. I might have been able to prevent Poppy from needing to defend herself so forcefully.

“I’m fine,” she insists, reaching out to place a hand on my shoulder. “I can handle a little pest problem on my own.”

“Pest problem?” Percy looks like he’s about to explode, his eyes flashing with anger as his gaze drops to where Poppy’s palm has made contact with me. “We have a history, Poppy. You don’t get to just kick me out—”

“Oh, shut up, Percy,” she snaps. “You don’t get to barge into my home. We’re not together anymore. We haven’t been for a long time. Just like I told Officer Fitz, I did what I had to do whenyoumade me feel as if I was unsafe.”

Her voice wavers just slightly on that last word, but she holds her chin high, her expression fierce. I can’t help but feel a strong sense of admiration for her, standing so calmly in the middle of this chaos. I can tell it’s wearing her down, though, the way her shoulders droop and her eyes dart between Officer Fitz, her partner, Officer Sevim, and Percy looking pathetic on the floor.

“Poppy…” I say, my voice softer now.

Nara chimes in, taking pity on my confusion. “From what we understand, Joe, Mr. Barclay forced entry. He was asked to leave and refused. At that point, Ms. Minton wielded that piece of wood, which I believe belongs to your construction site here, to defend herself.”

“That sums it up,” Poppy says, a tiny smile flickering across her lips. But the fire in her eyes quickly fades as she looks down at Percy. “You need to let this go, Percy. Trying to intimidate Joe by spreading rumors about how I’m cheating on both of you… it’s ridiculous and childish and really, desperately lame. You’re embarrassing yourself, Barclay.”

---