Page 77 of Enemy Daddy Next Door

Orlie’s eyebrows jump. “Didn’t know you were married, Ricks.”

“No, no. Axel is just jumping the gun, aren’t you, Ax?” I say with a glare.

Lucky for me, Orlie isn’t the type to pry. We have a mutual respect as heirs to business dynasties. Neither of us likes people meddling in our business unless invited. For now, that’s not a door we’re going to open for each other.

We chat for a bit longer before Orlie excuses himself due to the smoke collecting. “Not good for my lungs,” he says.

“Ours either,” I reply.

He half-smiles and then hurriedly waves. “Next time, Ricks.”

Once he’s out of earshot and I’m settled back into my chair, Grant smiles slyly. “Wait until Kira gets word that Orlie’s talking her up.”

I raise an eyebrow.

“She hates him,” Grant adds, mouthing the word hates so it doesn’t somehow carry all the way across the room and down the hall.

“Ah…”

Conversation continues easily, as it always does with us guys. We hop from topic to topic, some of it meaningful, most of it not. I try to stay present, but it feels like frosted glass has gone up between me and the rest of the world. I’m desperately trying to look in and can’t. Everything’s obscured by my current circumstances.

And Amy…all that stress. Over me.

My poor girl. She doesn’t deserve that. I know I’ll hurt her if I leave…but it seems like I’m hurting her by staying too.

What the hell am I supposed to do?

21

AMY

“There you go! You’re doing it!” I exclaim, stepping back from the swing set.

Jessica is pumping her legs hard and flying back and forth, higher and higher. She laughs loudly, her dark hair flying out of her face. “Daddy, look! I’m doing it!”

Hunter stands on the opposite side of the swing set, ducking out of the way as Jessica flies toward him. We were pushing Jess back and forth between us until I got the idea it was time for her to learn how to swing on her own. It took a couple tries, but now she’s got it down to a science. There’s power in those little legs. “I see that! Wow!”

Then, he smiles over at me. I smile back even though I feel rather nauseous about everything. Nauseous in the way you feel when you’ve overeaten. Full to the brim with confusion and desperation for things to be settled again.

We’ve been at the park for an hour now. Hunter invited me on the spur of the moment, waving at me over the fence to ask if I wanted to come. “Per Jessica’s request.”

But what about his request? He must have wanted me to come to invite me. He could have told her no. Right?

Hunter has been getting harder and harder to read as the days pass. I thought, with time, we would be able to let the Veronica thing drift into the background of our relationship. Instead, it seems to be moving forward each and every day. He’s distracted. Quiet.

A bit like how things used to be.

I can’t say I’m helping matters, though. Ever since I ran into Veronica a week ago, I’ve been on edge. I know I shouldn’t believe a person with a character like Veronica’s. She’s not trustworthy. And yet, the things she said spoke to the Hunter I knew before we fell into our aching, desperate relationship. That Hunter who had a list of women he could rotate through so he didn’t have to see someone twice in one week.

What about me? When will I get added to the list?

“I’m flying!” Jessica squeals.

Thank god for Jessica. She’s the one keeping me firmly tethered here. The one part of this I don’t have to question. “Yes, you are! It’s a bird, it’s a plane…no! It’s Jessica!” I cry out.

She laughs again. Her laugh is a balm to my heart.

Hunter rounds the swing set and stands next to me, crossing his arms over his chest. Maybe he doesn’t know what to do with his hands either. I slip mine into the pockets of my dress. “Thanks for coming,” he murmurs softly.

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