Page 109 of Shortcake
“Dad,” Harper said, wiping away her tears and just barely managing to get her words out in between gasping breaths of laughter. “She’s practicallymyage.”
“She isnotyour age,” I snapped, maybe a little too firmly. But Jesus, just the thought of that disgusted me. I took a breath and tried again. “She’s an adult. You’re a kid. I know you two are friends, Harper, but Addy is not your age,” I reiterated, because I needed her to hear me when I said that. Truly hear me.
“Okay,fine.” Harper rolled her eyes. “She’s not my age. But she’s also notyourage, either.”
Well, she had me there. I chose to ignore her last statement and instead went for the jugular. If we were going to get this over with, might as well dive into the deep end. “So… you wouldn’t be okay with Addy and me dating?”
Harper was mid-chew and seemed to think this over as she swallowed her bite of pizza. “It would besoweird, Dad. Please tell me you don’t like her. I mean, God, what would you do if you asked her out and she said no? Then we’d have to live with her and even after she moves out of the basement, you’re still her landlord.”
I hated to admit that my sixteen-year-old daughter made some damn good points. “I don’t know,” I said. “We’re adults. We’d figure it out.”
She lowered her half-eaten slice of pizza and glared at me. “Wait… you’re being serious? You actually want to ask Addy out?” Harper asked, incredulous.
This was it. The moment of truth. Just say it.Yes. Only I don’t need to ask her out because we’re already dating. Exclusively. And what’s more, I think I’m falling in love with her.
But when I opened my mouth, only a hoarse, “No,” came out as a whisper.
I was a coward.
“Good,” Harper said, her tone biting.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Goddammit. This was not going as planned. In fact, I don’t think it could have gone worse.
Harper sighed and cracked the can of her seltzer. “Adam told me his dad has a crush on Addy and it’s so freaking creepy. You should see the way he leers at her when we’re at the bookstore.”
Welp. I stand corrected.
It just got worse.
ChapterTwenty-One
Conrad
Smokey, peated whiskey burned my tongue in the most delectable way as I took a long, lingering sip and examined the men around the table.
Swallowing the amber liquid, I said, “I’ll raise youfive.”
I kept my expression even but watched as Elijah’s inked arms flexed with my raise.
I had three queens in hand and eighty bucks on the line.
Well, eighty bucks incoupons.
Because I was the sheriff and gambling was technically illegal. Had it just beenmypoker night, I would have done an easy $20 buy in and ask everyone to donate it to charity after.
But with Warren here? Nope. Everything by the books.
Maybe Addy was right about him being a littletoogood.
So we were playing poker with freaking coupons he had clipped out of his father’s Entertainment book.
I didn’t even know theymadethose books anymore.
I grabbed a five-dollar-off coupon to the grocery store and tossed it into the pile in the center of the table.
Finn gave a low whistle. “Big spender.” His words were lighthearted, but the annoyed glare he sent at Warren was anything but.
