Page 174 of Broken Daddy
“As much as I want to be selfish and keep you here, the best place for you to be is anywhere but here,” he told her. “Serious shit is going down in this town and I want you out of it and safe. I might not know him well, but I do know he’s serious about your safety.”
“I’m going to miss you, though. And Silla.”
“We’ll miss you too, darlin’. But you can always come back once this shit is done and those guys are found. I know he wasn’t much of a father, but I’m sorry that Derick died that way.”
“He wasn’t really a father at all. But I’m sorry he died that way too.” She took in a deep breath. “If I could have chosen my father, Mac, I would have chosen you.”
His eyes turned glassy and he blinked heavily. “Yeah, well, darlin’. I’ve never been blessed with children, that is, until the day I met you.” Reaching out, he took hold of her good hand. “I want regular updates. Call me. Don’t text.”
She snorted. “I know you hate text messaging, old man.”
“Stupid form of communication. So much misinterpretation and time involved. Nothing wrong with a good old-fashioned phone call. Or even one of those video calls. I can do that now that Silla got me that new phone.”
“You’ll look after her. And yourself.”
“Don’t worry about us, darlin’. You go to Montana. And you do what that boy tells you to do.”
She bit her lip, wondering how Hayes would feel about being called a boy. “I will.”
“Promise me,” he said sternly.
“Mac, when have I ever not done what I’m told,” she said with mock-horror.
He snorted. “All the time. All the fucking time. Gonna miss you, girl.”
“Gonna miss you too.”
“Why don’tyou go to sleep, baby?” Hayes said as she yawned for about the fifth time in a row.
She couldn’t believe she was finally out of the hospital. “I can’t sleep in cars.”
“What if I made you a bed in the backseat?” he asked.
“Lie down without a seatbelt on?” she asked in surprise. He was very big on the rules so she was shocked he’d suggest that.
“Of course not! When you’re in a moving vehicle you always need your seatbelt on. And there’s no texting while driving or disobeying the speed limit or other laws. That’s a rule.”
Yep. There he went with those darn rules again.
“What if I don’t agree it’s a rule?” she asked.
“Being safe and healthy is always a rule. Put either at risk and you’re going over my knee.”
Hmm, it had taken longer than she’d thought for him to start talking about rules. They’d already been driving for about an hour.
She’d been so relieved to get out of that hospital that she hadn’t really thought about the fact that she would be leaving the town she’d grown up in. She’d barely been anywhere else. In fact, she hadn’t even left Colorado before.
And now she was headed off into the complete unknown with a man that she was really, really attracted to.
In a way that wasn’t really healthy.
Because she kept thinking about him. Wanting him. Dreaming of him touching her.
They hadn’t even kissed for goodness sake! Sure, she’d thought about it a lot.
He’s still in love with his wife.
You cannot think about him like that. He might pick up on your desire.
