Page 10 of You've Got Male

“And now it’s all you can think about,” she said knowingly. “Shit happens, Jonah. Things fall through the cracks. It’s called being a parent.”

“Do things slip through your cracks?”

She snorted. “All the time. In fact, I forgot to pay the electric bill for the shop and they shut it off midday, I nearly missed pickup today because I fell asleep in the lunch room at work, Mateo doesn’t want Camila at his wedding, and I haven’t even told her thereisa wedding.”

“Why not?”

“Because it will crush her.”

“No, why doesn’t he want her there?”

She shrugged. “Because his girlfriend is pregnant and he doesn’t want to deal with how that’s going to affect Camila. He wasn’t there for her but now he’s all-in on another kid? That’s going to crush her. Plus, Mateo’s a coward,” she said. “So I’m trying to figure out a way to blame it on a conflict in scheduling, rather than have her think her dad doesn’t want her there. And don’t even get me started on the stacks of invoices and bags of donations. My life is one fire after another, but if you tell anyone what a hot mess I am, I will deny, deny, deny.”

“Your secret is safe with me. The wedding andthose‘Gnope’ panties. Doesn’t mean I won’t be thinking about them all night.”

A flutter took flight in her belly. When was the last time a man had looked at her the way Jonah was looking at her now?

Remember his overgrown yard. The basket of “ha-ha” pomegranates he left on your porch as a joke—not funny. The complete lack of consideration for his neighbors. Those flutters were nothing more than heartburn, plain and simple.

She pushed past him and opened the bedroom door. “Maybe you should stick to thinking about how you’re going to convince the board to let you keep that tree.”

“I will abide by whatever the board decides,” he said as if he’d been waiting all day for this meeting to begin.

Something was up. Her mom-dar was sounding the alarm. Then there was the arrogant grin he sent her way. A wash of unease trickled down her spine like drops of sweat.

He brushed past her, his shoulders purposefully grazing hers, and the air seemed tosnap, crackle,andpop.With anger,she told herself. Then a wave of spicy testosterone smacked her in the face so she held her breath until he exited. Only right before she thought she was safe, he turned to face her and all that swagger had vanished, leaving behind a vulnerability that she felt all the way to her core.

“Thanks, sunshine,” he said.

“For what?”

He lifted a heavy shoulder and let it fall. “Not making me feel like a shit dad.”

Shock had her at a loss for words. She’d never imagined that Jonah would write himself off as a bad dad. From what she’d seen he’d always been attentive and present, a parent whose love for his kids was tangible. All-encompassing.

“You’re a good dad, Jonah. This is just a rough age.”

He gave a single nod and headed across the hall to put Waverly down in Camila’s room.

“And Jonah, let her cry it out for a little bit. She’s just tired and moody. If she knows you’ll rescue her whenever she makes a peep she’ll just keep playing you.”

“How do you know?”

“Because Camila played me for five years. She still does. Tears are a parent’s kryptonite.”

He winked and she felt her toes curl. Maybe she’d stumbled onto another unwanted kryptonite.

Chapter Four

Jonah

Jonah watched Evie work the crowd like a pro. She’d managed to greet every guest with a warm, personable hug, asking about their family, their hobbies, how their garden or home projects were coming along. The woman knew everything about everyone. Not in a busybody way like her parents, but like she genuinely cared about each and every guest in her house.

Him, on the other hand, she was avoiding. Well, as much as one could avoid when stuck in a tight space where they could smell one another’s shampoo. By the time he’d joined the meeting, there was only one vacant chair—way in the back. Since she’d practically ushered everyone to their seats, he knew she’d left the one farthest from the podium for him.

Without ceremony, Jonah picked up the chair, dragged it to the front of the room, and placed it directly in front of the podium, creating his own row. She narrowed her eyes, and those full lips went into a full-on pissed-off line.

He smiled.

---