Page 30 of Coast

Chapter Nine

Coast

At the knock at thedoor, I slid the skillet off the burner and went to answer the front door. I opened the door, and after saying good morning to my dad, I waved for him to follow me.

“Coffee’s made. Help yourself,” I said and walked over to the stove to finish cooking the steak in the skillet.

“Didn’t know if you were up or not, but I thought I’d stop and check.”

“You’ve been out already this morning?” I glanced over my shoulder at my dad, who was fixing himself a cup of coffee.

“Thelma had to be at the diner,” he answered, then looked over at me.

I lifted a brow, then turned back to flip the steak. “Okay.”

“Nothing smartass to say?”

“Nope. Unless you stopped by to ask for some advice.” I grinned. Knowing that would get him riled.

“Kiss my ass. Maybe you need me to give you some advice. Out of the two of us, I’m the only one getting laid.”

I started laughing because in no way had my dad and I ever shared anything about women we bedded or mentioned that we had.

“Damn it, what the hell are you laughing at?”

I placed the steaks on a plate and then reached for the bowl of scrambled eggs and the skillet I set out to use for them. After I emptied the bowl into the skillet. I turned around.

“You because you’re worried as if I’m going to be upset over you seeing Thelma. Or are you seriously worried about Tank and Bull? Because first, I think it’s great. Second, I know I teased you about Tank and Bull, but if they’ve got a problem with you and their mom, they’ll have to go through me to get to you. And I got no problem beating sense into both their asses.” I turned around and picked up the spatula and worked on the scrambled eggs.

“Love ya, son.”

“Love you, old man,” I said, then added. “But I hope you aren’t planning to give me any siblings. Putting up with Tank and Bull will be bad enough.”

My dad chuckled. “Thelma and I are both a little old for that.”

“Just wanted to get that clarified.” As I finished the eggs, the oven timer buzzed, and I shut it off, then grabbed a towel. I opened the oven and pulled out the pan of biscuits.

“Who’s all the food for? And why are you in such a good mood this early?”

I turned to answer my dad, but I ended up not having to.

“I hope there’s coffee. And whatever you’re cooking smells wonderful. I’m starving,” Mac said as she walked in the kitchen.

I grinned at what she had on. My t-shirt was down to her knees, and she wore a pair of my sweats, which they’d had to be rolled about five times at the waist to fit her. Her hair was sticking out in places, and damned if I didn’t have to adjust myself for wanting her.

When I woke, I’d wanted nothing more than to wake her and have her again. But since I’d woken her twice during the night, I left her sleeping in my bed. I’d known she was tired, and since we’d both missed dinner, I pulled on my jeans after coming out of the bathroom and headed down to the kitchen. I’d planned to wake her after the food was done.

“Well, I think both my questions got answered. The food and why you’re in a good mood,” my dad said in Spanish.

Mac’s eyes widened when my dad spoke. I watched her cheeks redden as she looked from me to him.

“Mackenzie, you’ve met my dad, right?” I asked and grabbed a cup and filled it with coffee.

“Yes. It’s good to see you again, Mr. Cortez.” I laughed at the look on my old man’s face when Mac answered in Spanish, would be one I wasn’t likely to forget for a long time.

My dad looked at me, then spoke to Mac. “Good to see you, too. And call me Cruz, sweetheart. I’m aware of my age, but it always makes me feel older when a gorgeous young woman uses mister,” my dad said, continuing to speak in Spanish. And though he had an accent to begin with, I noticed it was slightly heavier than normal.

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