Page 44 of Daddy Issues

He snorted, smacked my hand a way, and turned the weight of that smile on Dani.

She wasn’t immune and popped a hand on her hip, wiping off the bar in front of her. “Nope. No way. Get out of here, Merc. I’m not getting involved.”

“What makes you think that’s what I’m here for?” He feigned innocence, ignoring her tirade as he turned toward the main stage.

The curvy blond with plump boobs I’d kill for, wrapped herself around the pool so seductively I had to blink and remember I liked men, a lot. Whitney was good at that. Like a lot of people in Dry Valley, I’d known her since high school and got to know her even more when Eli was born.

The gorgeous dancer with the intoxicating movements was Puck’s ex sister-in-law and Eli’s aunt. And one of the most sought after dancers other than the red-head, Sloane.

With a half laugh, I left them to it. I’d had better luck with the bartending badass than he would.

Whitney was a year younger than me and curvier than even Dani. The difference was she knew exactly how to wield those curves like a weapon. Which might explain why Merc couldn’t seem to keep his gaze off her no matter how hard he argued with Dani.

She hopped off the main stage after I’d deposited my drinks. Chit chatting with completely naked women had taken some getting used to…and I wasn’t a prude. Now I barely noticed her lack of covering when she fell in step beside me, clad only in a pair of giant red platforms.

“That’s Jace Merrick, isn’t it?”

It took me a minute to register her question, because I’d never heard anyone other than his sister call Merc by his real name. “Yeah.”

She made a strange sort of face but straightened the cash in her hand. It gave me an idea. When I glanced in his direction, hewatched us through the mirror. Or rather, he watched her. I got the feeling it wasn’t because she was stark naked.

“Hey, when’s your shift over?”

“Whenever I want it to be. I was supposed to take this weekend off.”

I liked Whitney, always had. Of the dancers there, she was probably my favorite. Maybe because I’d known her before, maybe because we shared a love of a certain little boy.

“Want to go to Miller’s with me? Hang out with Dani, girls’ night sort of thing?”

Instantly, her face brightened. “I’d fucking love that.”

As she ducked off to the dressing room, I sidled up to Merc and bumped him with my hip. As cute as he was, he didn’t have the charm of Cam or Jester. Or maybe he’d just seen too much shit to bother with it. That thought left me sad and was probably the reason I had such a soft spot for him.

“She hasn’t told you shit, has she?” I half shouted over the music.

Dani chuckled and went back to the other end of the bar, talking to another server.

“I don’t think she likes me.”

“She doesn’t not like you, but you guys are sort of fucking intimidating. Women like Dani rebel against it.”

He held his arms out like,look where the fuck we are. Because the Soletskys weren’t exactly soft and cuddly. Then he glanced at where Whitney had disappeared down the hallway.

I laughed. “I’ve got a plan.”

Intrigued, he turned toward me and sipped from a clear beer bottle with a slice of lime floating in it. “I’m listening.”

“I’m going to hang out with Dani after work. Flirt, dance, see what I can find out. Y’all go barging in all biker badass and nobody is going to say shit.”

He nodded, grinning, and took a pull of his beer. “You’re going to be a popular topic of conversation at the next table…for so many fucking reasons.”

I thought of Puck, of Jester, and my cheeks burned.

He tossed his arm over my shoulder. “It’s not so bad, sort of happens when you do something for us like this.” Then he launched into what he wanted me to do, giving me his number. Promising to stick somewhere close.

Merc was the yin to his sister’s yang. One wild and passionate, the other contemplative and stoic. He’d been in that room that night, too. I could see him clearly, blowing hair from his face with blood on his lip. A mewling frat boy at his feet.

I would never forget it. Or live down the shame of it. Because there had only been a few of us in the room. I leaned into him a little, grateful more than ever for friendship and that he’d been there.

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