Page 44 of Wilderness Daddy

I order us both extra-large coffees and him an apple fritter. I get myself a couple of breakfast sandwiches. It’s going to be a rough first day, I think and shove the extra one in my pocket for later. When I pass Grant his breakfast, he hunches down in the seat to eat it. He’s sulking.

“You pout like a little girl.” I laugh. “I stopped asking Mom for a sister when I was five, bro.” I smirk as he shoots me a killer glare.

“If you die, Landon, I’m gonna kill you,” he says through a mouthful of fritter and turns away. I chuckle since his threat makes no sense.

“I’ll let you kill me if I die,” I say with a smirk and he shakes his head, murmuring a curse under his breath. “And don’t you dare worry Mom and Dad with this either.”

“I promised I wouldn’t, didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you did and I’m holding you to it. And you’ll take good care of her, right?”

“Fine! And yes, you’re not the only one that cares about her, you know. I just haven’t had to be so hands on because you’ve always done it. She’s my mom too.”

“You sound like Akari now—petulant.” I laugh and then grit my teeth. I can’t even go five minutes without thinking of her.

“What’s Akari think of this cockamamie idea?”

I lift a brow at him. “You think I’d tell her what I’m doing?”

“I dunno, bro. You can pretend all you want but I saw a spark the other night.”

“Uh huh, how’s Joanie by the way?”

“Fuck you.” He clamps his mouth shut, pulls his cap down over his eyes, and grunts.

I spend the rest of the drive thinking of Akari. The way she manages to hide her innocence and insecurity with a ferocity that would scare most men. And the way I can turn her into a submissive kitten with a few demands.

Damn.

I shouldn’t be feeling the way I do about this girl, but I can’t help it. Yes, maybe it had to do with saving her from her predicament at first. And then again because of the way I saw her family treated her, but something else happened. I saw this girl, a contradiction of strength, determination, vulnerability, and loyalty, and the way her walls began to weaken when she responded to my dominant daddy ways... well, I was sunk.

So why the hell am I fighting so hard to end the engagement? But I know the answer. I don’t want anything between us to be forced. I want us to want each other like any normal pair of humans who find themselves struck by Cupid’s arrow. I also need to save the business my way. That’s important to me. I’m a man after all. One who wants to be able to stand on my own two legs. But Kari needs that too. I smile at the nickname I just gave her. It suits her.

“What are you smiling about?” My brother stretches and sits up. “As far as I’m concerned you don’t have anything to smile about.” His eyes narrow when I glance at him as the truck bounces up the rutted road, which can barely be called anything more than a path, toward Wilson’s overlook.

“You don’t have a tumor or something, do you? A secret fantasy to be mauled by a mountain lion? To go out with a bang?” He sits forward in his seat, his brow furrowed and his eyes filled with worry. “You’re not going out here to die like some old dog, are you?”

“Jesus, Grant. You’re a drama queen. No, I don’t have a bloody tumor and death by mountain lion is too creative for me. I’m taking a stand against this bullshit idea. I’m going to make sure the Steed name is the first one people think of when they think outdoors.” I wink at Grant. “Unlike you, bro. You’re just along for the ride.” I laugh and he punches my arm, hard.

“Hey, you couldn’t do this without me.” His expression is serious and I nod. My brother has never been serious about the business before. He was happy to enjoy the money and prestige that came with the Steed name but to help build it in any way was never his thing. “I’m the tech guy. Or maybe the producer. Hell, I’m the whole fucking production crew.”

“You’re serious?” I ask.

He chuffs and looks out the window.

“Grant?”

“Yeah, I’m serious.” His words are solemn and I frown as my eyes widen.

“Well, alright,” I say and pull the truck over. “We’re here.”

“I’m not just a good-time guy like everyone thinks, you know.” Grant shoves open his door.

I pull my brows tight. “Does this have something to do with Joanie Millar?”

He just shoots me a hard look and climbs out of the truck. I smirk. Joanie might make an honest man out of my brother and dammit, I’m going to miss it. I climb out and pull on my hunting coat, making sure my leather gloves are in the pockets.

I take in the sight of the world below us and then the majestic peaks and towering pines above us, breathing in the fresh, albeit chilly air. The constant itch I feel indoors is gone. This has always felt like home.

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