Page 35 of Claimed by my Bestie's Dad

Ethan shrugs, playing it off like it’s no big deal. “Since now, I guess. Madison needed help, so I helped.”

I can see the gears turning in Aurora’s head, but she doesn’t push it further. Instead, she sighs and turns back to me. “Okay, well, you could just give her a key to the fence, you know. That would be smarter. But seriously, Madison, we need to get this party stuff sorted. Are you free tomorrow to help with the decorations? I need a list of ideas you have.”

I nod quickly, eager to get the focus off Ethan’s unexpected visit. “Yes, absolutely. I’ll be there. Just tell me what time.”

Aurora glances at her dad again, then back at me. “All right. We’ll talk more tomorrow.”

With that, Aurora hugs her dad and prances down the stairs to her golf cart. Mia lingers behind for a second.

“Nice to see you, Mr. Taylor.”

“You know you are both too old to call me that. I’m Ethan.”

I can tell that Ethan is trying hard to act casual, but I think it’s obvious he feels awkward. I just have to hope Mia isn’t picking up on it. I smile at Ethan. “I’ll bring the dogs out in a second. Just let me talk to my friend for a minute.”

Then, I shut the door on him and turn to Mia, desperately trying to read her face. “Please tell me if Aurora gets that upset again. You know I’ll help out with stuff if someone just gives me a job.”

“I know you will. I told her that. But she acted like you had personally offended her by not showing up.”

I roll my eyes, feeling like I can be a little more honest with Mia. “I will be there…most of the time. I just couldn’t be this time.”

“I get it. I really do. I’ll keep you updated on Aurora’s mood swings.”

We both have a little laugh at her expense, then Mia heads out the door. Just knowing that Ethan is waiting for me makes me smile.

Now that I’ve gotten things sorted out with my friends, I can focus on him.

17

ETHAN

The soundof Bigfoot’s paws clattering on the hardwood floor echoes in the room, and Bella’s low growl vibrates through the air as I step through Madison’s front door. The dogs are already on edge, and so am I. Madison stands a few feet away, eyes on me, but it’s not the animosity I saw in her before. Something has shifted.

It’s hard to tell exactly what she’s feeling, but I want to figure it out.

“Thanks for coming over again.” She rolls her shoulders backward and fixes her eyes on me. It’s been an hour since the awkward moment when I came over and found Aurora here. After running into my daughter and acting like an absolute fool as I tried to come up with an excuse for being there, I sat in the dining room and watched the road until I saw the two women walk past.

Then, I waited a good fifteen minutes to make sure they had really gone down the road before heading to Madison’s back door. I want to do a whole lot more than just help Madison with the dogs, but I’m on edge after almost getting caught.

“I’m starting to get used to these guys.” I give a nod toward the dogs, who are finally calming down a bit now that they see I’m no threat. Madison’s place smells like a combination of cedar wood and a hint of lavender—probably from those candles she’s got scattered around. I haven’t seen much of her place besides the “dog room” and the bedroom, but I wonder what else I might learn about her if I were to explore the area more fully.

“Let’s take them out,” I suggest. Madison goes for their leashes, and the dogs start bounding around, letting out yips of joy like the tiny puppies they aren’t.

I move toward Bigfoot and slip the leash around him first. I check it two times to make sure it’s firmly around him and then head out the door, being careful not to let Bella slip out, too.

Once Bigfoot is securely in my yard, I come back for Bella. Samson waits patiently like he knows his friends require more work than he does. Madison walks next to me into my yard, and the dogs start excitedly exploring as though they didn’t just sniff every inch of the yard yesterday.

There’s a silence between us, but it’s not the awkward kind we’ve had before. It’s…something else. We both know we’re playing a dangerous game here, but neither of us seems willing to back off.

“Things almost got out of hand with Aurora. I think she suspects something.” Bella bounds up to Madison just then, and she absentmindedly scratches her behind the ears.

My heart skips a beat, but I keep my face calm. “She doesn’t know anything.We’ve been careful. Just because I came over to your house and she was there…that doesn’t mean she’ll jump to conclusions.”

Madison looks up at me, her eyes searching mine like she’s trying to read me. “I know, but… I don’t want to mess things up with her. She’s your daughter. I guess I just prefer to be extra careful.”

I exhale slowly. Aurora is my world, and Madison knows that. But there’s this pull between us that I can’t ignore. The dogs, this situation, it’s just an excuse for us to be near each other, and we both know it. What would Aurora do if she found out?

That’s the question that has been in my mind since I showed up and accidentally ran into her. I think Aurora would be shattered. She would probably feel betrayed, even though our relationship has nothing to do with her.

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