Page 31 of Daddy's Double Surprise

Iwoke when I heard the front door click shut, but before I got dressed and out there, Sunny was gone. She left a note saying she was heading home, plans with Luna today. I watched the Uber drive off and frowned. I was hoping to take her out this afternoon and show her a few good communities where there was always something up for rent, but I couldn’t be upset.

Besides, I had plans with Jackson to go for a run, which was what I should be doing. I needed to stay focused on self-care, and while this whole mess with the company was going on, I’d been neglecting it.

I jumped in a fast cold shower to wake myself up more, then donned a T-shirt and shorts. By the time I got my sneakers laced up and a muffin crammed in my mouth, Jackson was ringing the bell.

I strolled out with my house key in my pocket and opened the door to find him already jogging in place. “What’s up, brother? Let’s get our run on.” His hair bobbed on his head like the ears of a floppy dog, and I chuckled at him.

“Fine, but remember I’m a year older than you.” I shut and locked my door, already enjoying the warmth of the fall morning on my skin.

“Try to keep up, old man,” Jackson teased, taking off.

I sprinted after him and we fell into step, my phone beating against my thigh in my pocket. It’d been a few weeks since we’d gone for a run, and it felt good. My chest burned after the first few blocks, but I settled into a good rhythm when we started talking.

“You know, I saw a few patients this morning.” Jackson heaved his words out, struggling for air more than me, but I didn’t taunt him.

“Supposed to be your day off, but you go in anyway? Next, you’ll be asking for a raise.” I laughed, but he wasn’t so amused by that.

“Seriously, man. I just stopped by to check on the blood tests for a patient last week, but there were a few people in line outside, so I let them in.” We came to a stop at a red light, pressing the crosswalk button. I was already glistening with sweat and Jackson had large beads rolling down his face, his shirt almost drenched.

“Man, you’re too dedicated. You gotta take some time off. Those people will always be there.” I used the hem of my shirt to mop up my forehead and wished I had a glass of icy water to cool my throat.

“Rick was there, Carter.” Jackson glanced up at the sign counting backward from ten in neon lights. “Wanted to know where Sunny was, if she was working.”

I couldn’t stop the eye roll from surfacing. Rick’s prying and micromanaging were the reasons Sunny had moved to Tampa in the first place, and his incessant need to know everything got on my nerves. He was going to drive her to want to leave again, and just when she’d decided to stick around.

“You okay?” he asked, and I scowled as the light flicked to green and the walk signal flashed.

“Fine,” I grunted as we took off again. “It’s just annoying that Rick can’t seem to let Sunny live her own life. When she tries to leave the house, he has to know where she’s going and who she’ll be with. She’s not a kid anymore, but he treats her like one. I’m shocked she doesn’t have a curfew.”

Jackson struggled to keep up with me this time because the fury I felt drove my steps. I ran faster than I was previously, but I never sensed the burn. Rick was really starting to harsh my mellow in a horrible way.

“He’s her dad, Carter. He cares…Maybe he’s just trying to protect her.” I offered an annoyed expression at Jackson, and he held up his hands defensively as we rounded the corner to turn toward the park. “Look, I’m just saying you’re almost old enough to be her dad.”

I stopped abruptly, leaning down to rest my hands on my knees and catch my breath. I was frustrated that even Jackson was taking Rick’s side now.

“I’m not old enough to be her dad, and we’re both consenting adults.” I was a bit too angry with him. It wasn’t his fault, and I didn’t want to drag our time down. “Sorry…I just. We’re in love, Jacks, and Rick can’t see that. No one has any right to judge our relationship because we’re both adults. If she were younger than twenty-one, then maybe, but she’s twenty-eight.”

“I get it,” he said, and he dropped it.

We started running again, but I couldn’t find a good topic to talk about anymore, so we didn’t talk at all. I was stuck in my head, worrying if Rick would end up telling Sunny about the trial and my real position as owner of that pharmaceutical company. Every step I pushed myself harder and harder until I thought my lungs would burst. We did a lap around the park and started a second when my phone rang.

“Go on, I’ll catch up,” I told him as I pulled my phone out.

Jackson ran on, not looking back as I unlocked my phone and answered the call from Joseph.

“Hey, man, is now a good time?”

I huffed and heaved, but I said, “Sure.”

“Didn’t mean to interrupt.”

“Just out for a run. What is it?” I pressed, not feeling like running anymore at all anyway. Another group of runners passed, women who were chatty. I stepped to the side and off the path, and Joseph continued.

“We got ’em.” I sensed the celebration in his tone. “Peters and Wilkinson are going to fess up. They’ll be here first thing Monday morning to chat; they just want job security.”

Finally, something was breaking my way. After hours of trying to get those bozos to talk, Joseph had somehow gotten through to them. I looked into the sun and squinted, then back down the path where Jackson had disappeared.

“Great. I’ll be there. Thank you so much for this update.” I was thrilled to hear we were moving forward. I wanted this to be wrapped up as quickly as possible. The sooner, the better. I knew I had to tell Sunny about everything, but I wanted real answers for her, a way to help her see I was taking this problem seriously and planning to make huge changes that would ensure no one else suffered the same fate as her friend.

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