Page 16 of Single Chance

“Sorry to interrupt your dinner,” I said.

She shrugged and looked a little embarrassed. “It’s just PB and J.”

She stood at the foot of the bed, watching me expectantly. She’d changed from what she’d worn to work today into flared yoga pants with a purple-and-lavender-swirled design and an oversized gray hoodie. Her hair was thrown up on her head in a devil-may-care way. She looked comfortable, a little rumpled, and still sexy as hell.

I opened my mouth to speak, but I hadn’t planned out what to say, so I closed it again.

“I interviewed with Chloe on Friday,” she said. “I swear I had no idea you worked there until today.”

“I didn’t even know she was looking for an assistant.”

“I’m not sure she was.” She bit her lower lip, eyes averted, then met my gaze. “Do you want to sit?” She gestured to the armchair.

Without speaking, I sat on the edge of it.

“I didn’t think I’d see you again after New Year’s Eve,” she said as she lowered herself to the bed, facing my chair. “We didn’t exactly tell each other our life stories.”

I couldn’t help a smile. “We had other things on our minds.”

She made eye contact again, and there was a flash of heat in hers. “We did. And then you were gone.”

“Yeah, sorry to sneak out. I’d had every intention of staying longer but…”

Hell. This was suddenly awkward. She had no idea I was a dad. A dad of a rule-breaking teenager who didn’t seem to like me, no less. Good thing I wasn’t trying to impress her or get in her bed again, because my situation was sure to put any single woman off. Particularly a younger one like Rowan.

“It’s okay,” she said before I could explain more. “It was a one-night thing. I never had any ideas other than that.”

“It was.” Whether we’d said as much in words was beside the point. As far as I’d known, she was just in town for a few days. “I have a fourteen-year-old daughter.”

Her attention shot to my face, her brows dipping. “Are you married?”

“No. My wife died when Sam was six.”

Her demeanor shifted to sympathy. “I’m sorry, Chance.”

“My daughter… She’s had a hard time since we moved here. Well, since before that, but she’s still trying to fit in…” I shook my head. She didn’t need to know all the details. “Anyway, she was staying at a friend’s house New Year’s Eve. I made sure the girl’s mother was home. Everything should’ve been fine. I figured it was one night I could relax and have a good time, but I happened to check her phone location when you fell asleep, and she was back at our house.”

“Oh.” She frowned. “That’s…not good? It was, like, after one in the morning.”

“Right.” I shook my head, hurting once again for my little girl who wasn’t so little anymore. “When I got home, I found out her friend deserted her for a boy, so she came home. Physically safe but totally upset.”

“Understandable. I’m glad you were there for her.”

“Yeah. She wasn’t, unfortunately. Glad I was there, I mean.” These days it seemed like she hated me more often than not. “So…that’s the story of why I left abruptly.”

“It’s okay. You owed me nothing. In a way you did us both a favor because we avoided an awkward morning after.”

“Until today, huh? Delayed awkward moment.”

“I was shocked, but then you made it awkward,” she said.

“I’m sorry. I fucked up. I don’t know why I pretended we’d never met other than I was stunned to see you in my office. It was a knee-jerk decision, and it was the wrong one.”

“Apology accepted. I’m fine with being a shameful secret from your recent past.” Her lips hinted at a grin.

“Not shameful at all, but I hope we can keep it in the past and handle being just coworkers. I’ve got a lot going on with my kid and no room for entanglements.”

Rowan smiled a little fuller, but it was tinged with melancholy. “Believe me, I’m not in any mental space where I’m up for entanglements either.”

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