Page 8 of Don't Call Me Daddy
“Yes? Yes what?” he huffs. “I asked you two different questions.”
“And the answer to both of them is yes.”
“You’re really annoying—do you know that?”
“So I’ve been told … mostly by old people though.” I have to bite my cheek to hold back my grin as I watch his face fight to hide a scowl. I don’t miss the way his hands tighten around the steering wheel, and I know I struck a nerve.
Serves him right. I hope he thinks twice before pointing out the truth to complete strangers again.
Thirty minutes later, I’m happily chomping down on my Taco Bell peace offering—I even splurged and got nacho fries since it was his treat.
He pulls into a parking spot in front of a sign that simply readsInn.After a quick glance I notice the business next to it says Bakery… and then Restaurant catches my attention.
Before I can ask if this place is real or if he’s brought me to a movie set, he’s handing me a wad of cash. “Make sure to ask for a room upstairs. Sometimes, old man Melvin sleepwalks, and he’s been known to be somewhat of a surprise snuggler.”
I open my mouth to speak, but he holds up his hand and continues, “Auto Shop is just off the square. It’s an easy walk, but they won’t really open until nine even though the sign says eight. You might want to wait until ten just to be safe. Dan can take you to get your car in the morning and get you all fixed up.” He bites the inside of his cheek, then points to the bag of rice in my lap. “There’s enough cash here to replace your phone and put you up for the night. Market’s a few blocks away, but you can probably ask Dan to make a pit stop on the way to get your car. He loves shit like that.” He snaps his lips closed, signifying he’s done.
“Oh, well, thank you …” I pause for him to tell me his name.
“Doesn’t matter. We’ll never see each other again anyway.”
“Right. Well, I guess I’ll be going then.” I flip through the wad of cash, and my eyes go wide. “Are you sure about this? You gave me, like, five hundred dollars.”
He pushes the cash back toward me. “It’s no big deal. Maybe invest in a waterproof phone case next time.”
“Yeah, I’ll think about it.” I look down as I shove the cash in my overall pocket. “What are you, a millionaire or something?”
“Or something,” he says, and when I look back up, he’s staring at me with a look I don’t quite recognize.
Concern? Worry? Regret?
“Please take care of yourself. No more wandering around in the woods at night alone, okay?”
My head nods on its own. “Yeah, um … I’m Ivy, by the way. Ivy Lane. Thanks for your help tonight.”
CHAPTER TWO
Leo
“Dude, what the fuck’s wrong with your eye? Why do you keep winking at me?”
I swipe at my eye, rubbing tears away. “I’m not fucking winking at you, Roman. I just scratched it or something.”
I don’t think I could explain what really happened to my eye if I tried.
Fucking bag of rice. Who throws rice anyway?
Apparently, hot blondes who throw caution to the wind regarding their safety—that’s who. I still can’t believe she was just out there, walking alone, with no phone. I don’t know what would’ve happened if I hadn’t shown up, but my imagination is doing a pretty good job of filling in the blanks.
It’s not like our small town isn’t safe. Hell, I think my family and I know everyone who lives here on a first-name basis, but there’s something eerie about those woods.
It’s not that I actually believe in the infamous Phantom our small town’s known for—no one in their right mind believes something like that—but anything could be out there. She waslucky she didn’t stumble upon a pack of wolves or trip and bust her head open on a rock. The forest is a dangerous place, and call me paranoid, but I don’t fuck with things I can’t see.
Not anymore.
A full-body shiver runs up my spine, and I shake my head to rid the thoughts.
The important thing is, she’s safe, and she hopefully learned her lesson to not be so negligent in the future.
