Page 53 of Snowed In With The Second Chance Daddy

He just smiles smugly.

“You know too much.”

“I know you’re not over her.”

“Oh, please.”

“And I know you two were fucking last night at the–”

I shoot up. “How do you knowthat?”

“Bro, I’m literally the chiefsecurityofficer at Hawthorn. It’s my job to know what’s going on, including when my friends sneak off to hatefuck.”

I huff. “Why are you telling me this now?”

“Would you rather have me interrupting you two last night?”

I watch a fumble on the television. Relatable considering how I fumbled Iris.

He nods. “Did you have fun at least?”

“No comment.”

“Damn, that good, huh?”

“That’s my girlf–ex-girlfriend you’re talking about.” I keep my volume low enough so no one overhears us.

“Holy shit, you almost called her your girlfriend.”

I cross my arms and sink down into the couch, wishing I had a baseball cap to pull over my eyes. “Slip of the tongue.”

“Not your only slip of the tongue lately.”

“Dude.”

“Don’t dude me! You’re the one lying to yourself.”

I watch his gaze cross the family room to where Rose is planted on Iris’s lap, walking a doll down the stairs of the house. “You both are.”

I rub a hand over my face, trying to resist looking at Iris and Rose again, but dammit, my eyes are like magnets to her.

One more look, I tell myself for the thousandth time.

That look does it. Pushes me over the edge.

Because Rose is totally engrossed in her new toys now, paying not a single lick of attention to Iris. But Iris is watching Rose with a look I’ve seen on all the Hawthorns face plenty of times when they look at their children.

Hell, I’ve probably had that look on my face. The sweet smile and the heavy eyes, a wistfulness.

It’s a bittersweet look, filled with the knowledge that time moves too quickly and we all get older and life is too short.

Life is too damn short.

I find myself getting to my feet and crossing the room to join Iris and Rose.

“Hey, can I–” I sit down heavily on the ground, trying to draw my knees into a crisscross position. “Can I talk to you for a second?”

Iris looks at me, gray eyes wide. “Me?”

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