Page 58 of Stick Play

“I’ll carry her in, okay?”

“Thank you.”

I unbuckle Zoe, tug her into my arms and carefully make my way up the slick driveway. It had rained earlier and the temperature is dropping. I need to get home fast before things ice up. I just hope Dad is okay driving here.

We head up the stairs and I take Zoe straight to her room and set her on her bed. Gina closes the door quietly, and looks at me. “I don’t let her go to sleep without brushing her teeth or washing up, but I think I’m going to have to make an exception for tonight.”

I cup the back of her neck and bring her lips to mine. “I loved seeing you guys tonight,” I whisper into her mouth.

She pokes me. “You scared me when you hit that guy. I thought you were hurt.”

I lightly rub her cheek with my thumb. “Worried about me, babe?”

“Yes, I was.”

I kiss her deeply, and my cock aches for her. Voices from outside reach my ears and I inch back. “That must be Dad.” My gaze rakes over her flushed face. It kills me to move away, but I need to get Dad off the roads. “I’ll see you later.” She nods and I head outside. I hurry down the stairs, only to reach the sidewalk and see that it’s Callie and some girls chatting away.

I stay in the shadows and wait for Dad. Minutes tick by and worry invades my gut. Digging my phone from my pocket, I call him. He picks up on the second ring.

“Everything okay?” I ask quickly.

He grumbles something under his breath. Probably cursing me for checking up with him. “Everything is fine,” he blurts out, like I offended him.

“Where are you?”

“I’m at your place. Where do you think I am?”

I shake my head. “Dad, you were supposed to follow me to Gina’s.”

“Oh jeez.” I hear a slapping sound and envision him whacking his forehead with his palm. “I completely forgot. Must have been going on autopilot, straight to your place.” I hear rustling sounds in the background, and he grunts, like he always does when getting out of the recliner I bought specifically for him. “I can come now, son. Oh wait, it looks like the roads are getting slick. Can’t you just stay over, and I’ll come by in the morning?”

“I have to be up early. We’re headed to Tampa, remember?”

“Of course, I remember. I can come early.”

“I can just take a cab home. No sense in you getting up early.” I pause and sink deeper into the shadows when the light next door flicks on and falls over Callie and the girls. I thought she didn’t know anyone in town. Wasn’t that why her grandmother suggested I take her out?

“No, no. I’ll come early.”

“Are you meddling again?”

“What? No. Why would you accuse me of that? I made an honest mistake, son.” Another grunting sound as he drops back down into his chair. “Maybe I’m not as sharp as I once was.”

Okay, that’s bullshit and the fact that he’s using that as an excuse is exactly what he’d do if he was meddling. Fuck. Maybe I should just call a cab right now. I do have an early morning.

“Goodnight, Ash.”

With that the call ends, I open my app to get a car. As the light shines on me, a recognizable voice calls out from the sidewalk next door.

“Ash, is that you?”

“Fuck.” I step from the shadows and the streetlight falls over me. “Yeah, just calling a ride. Dad was supposed to follow me here.”

“What are you even doing here?” She glances up at Gina’s place. “Are you?—”

“Zoe and Gina were exhausted. I gave them a ride home.”

She comes a bit closer, her hand on my chest. “And now you’re looking for a ride.”

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