Page 76 of Enemy Daddy Next Door

“What?!” I cry out while simultaneously, Axel mutters, “Dammit, Drew. I promised Gill I wouldn’t say anything!”

“He should know,” Drew says. “She’s not sleeping. She’s stressed.”

I look to Grant for more information. He can’t be impartial Switzerland for too long. He sighs, pushing back a swath of hair from his forehead. “Kira’s been sleeping with her most nights. Sometimes, Dana.”

I can barely believe my ears. It’s not that the news comes as much of a shock. I knew all of this was weighing on her quite nearly as heavily as it weighs on me. But to not be sleeping? Why didn’t she tell me?

What’s even more mortifying is all my friends know. And I didn’t. Her own boyfriend.

If that’s what I still am to her. Or what I’ve ever been…

“You all knew.”

“Well, Amy didn’t tell us. That’s not how we knew,” Drew says as if reading my mind of the deep patheticness I feel.

I run my hand through my beard. It’s gotten too long. A little unkempt. Stress will do that. “I’m letting Veronica get in the way.”

“She understands, man,” Drew continues, trying to cheer me up.

“But she’s suffering. Because of me. Because she cares about me. That’s…”

“Don’t you dare do something stupid like push her away,” Axel says, waving his cigar through the air. “I did that and look at what that got me. I missed out on a lot of good years because I got scared.”

I can make excuses for Axel’s terror. He was still in his twenties. Me, I’m an old man by those standards. In my forties. Not only would it be immature to push Amy away, it would be a poor representation of what I can handle.

Before anyone can say another word, I get distracted by a familiar figure passing by. I incline my head back and smile at the dark-haired man. “Orlie Wynters?”

Orlie stops and turns to look at me. The man hardly smiles, but I manage to perk his lips up. “Ricks. What a surprise!”

I stand and give him a hearty shake. “Can’t be that much of a surprise, can it?” I say, glancing at the portrait of the clubs’ founders in which both our grandfathers are represented.”

He rolls his eyes. “Well, I don’t take chance meetings for granted.”

“Let me introduce you. These are my friends Axel Hitchens, Grant Neville, and Drew Young.”

Orlie nods at them. If he recognizes any of their names, he doesn’t portray it on his face. “Pleasure.”

The guys all say their hellos before I sweep back in. “Orlie just took over for his father at Wynters Corp.”

“Well, it’s just the beginning of a transition. Will be several years before I actually stand at the helm,” Orlie says.

Grant and Axel exchange a look. “Wynters, huh?” Axel asks carefully.

“Yes.”

“You know Kira, then,” Grant adds.

“Kira…” Orlie narrows his eyes. “Kira Solace?”

Grant nods.

“Of course I know Kira. She’s created our top performing applications.”

Only Orlie Wynters would say “applications” instead of apps.

“We’re…” Axel points between himself and Grant, “her brothers-in-law.” Then he glances at Drew and me. “Guess we all are.”

Drew kicks Axel’s ankle.

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