Page 49 of The Enemy Face Off

The way he's choosing his words carefully and taking his time makes me think this isn't something he shares with many people. So for him to be opening up like this makes me feel…Well, in all honesty, it makes me feel like an idiot.

And there I was, droning on and on about how I feel like an outsider with my family and how awful that was. It's not perfect, sure, but at least I have a family who loves me. I didn't lose one parent and get abandoned by the other. I wasn't shipped around from foster home to foster home.

Yeah, we moved a lot because Dad was in the military, but we did it as a family. We had each other to rely on. My parents rarely drank, have never touched drugs in their lives—as far as I know—and I have three sisters who, despite our differences, I adore and who I know love me.

And what family does Milo have?

None.

Well, except for his two children now.

As I reflect on what he just revealed, a few more pieces of the Milo puzzle slot into place.

"Is that why you settled in Comfort Bay?" I ask. "To give your kids the type of childhood you never had?"

He smiles softly. "It is."

"And is that why you chose a small house in a nice neighborhood over a mansion on the hill?"

"Bingo."

I force a smile.

Great. I'm not just an idiot. I'm the reigning queen of Idiotland. I've completely misjudged him.

I had Milo pegged as a one-dimensional, grumpy and arrogant guy with a questionable hairstyle when he's actually a very down-to-earth, smart, strong person who's overcome a traumatic childhood many people wouldn't even survive, much less come out of as a successful athlete, and now, a loving father.

He's handled this whole instant fatherhood situation in the most awesome way possible. He didn't shirk from his responsibilities when he easily could have, because, let's face it, he didn't exactly have any good parental role models growing up.

But that's not what he did.

He stepped up and didn't just take ownership of the situation, he's gone above and beyond.

Moving to Comfort Bay so that his kids can have a nice childhood.

Choosing a small family home filled with character over a soulless mansion.

Adopting Jonah, who isn't even biologically his child, so that he and Josie could stay together.

I'm…I'm blown away.

He gets up, comes over to my side of the table, and taps me on my shoulder.

"Hand it over," he says.

I lift my gaze to him, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"Your pity."

"Excuse me?"

"I don't want you looking at me like that." He takes hold of my wrist and transfers my imaginary pity into his hand. He clenches his fist, holds it up in the air as he walks over to theentry. He opens the door. A gust of wind roars into the room as he throws the imaginary pity out and closes the door.

He strides across the room in that Christmas sweater that looks like it's practically glued to his sculpted chest and arms. Then my eyes slide down his body to those thighs encased in denim right now, and my mind fills with the vision of him in those deliciously tight white tights at Fraser's party, and holy heck, what is wrong with me?

I shouldnotbe checking him out right now.

But for the first time in a really long time, I'm genuinely attracted to a guy.

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