Page 9 of Broken Daddy

Damn.It shouldn’t be this hard to get over embarrassing myself around someone, but whenever Nathan walks into the room, it’s like my whole body buzzes with a warning. Or…something else.

Something I’ve been suppressing for a while now.

Shaking off a shiver, I open the oven and check on the potatoes.

When I come back up out of the steamy, crisp goodness, Nate has both hands braced on the countertop and is staring me down.

“Steak medallions?”

Immediately, I bristle at his tone. What is it with this man and talking down to everyone? He’s clearly used to getting his way, but then, so am I.

“Yes. Is there a problem with that?”

His lip curls in amusement and my eyes land there. I’m reliving his wide tongue pressed against the pulse in my wrist…

“You do realize my daughter is ten, right? She’s not going to eat…this.”

He dips a fork into the steamed greens, lifts them, and lets themplopback into the pan. The heat of embarrassment floods my cheeks.

“It’s well-seasoned, I’m sure she’ll like it.”

Nate’s green eyes bore into mine. “You’ve never done this before, have you?”

Anxiety tightens my throat. I wonder just how much Russ told him. “Cooked?”

He knows I’m playing dumb and gives me a flat glare. “Cooked for anyone under the age of forty.”

My mind flits back to an earlier thought from today.How is he so in shape for an older guy?Adding it all up, he must be close to Russ in age, which would put him at around forty or so. A little over ten years my senior.

“I—there weren’t usually many kids at the Fig,” I scoff, recalling our menu. Shucked oysters, pork belly, buttermilk half chicken with yuzu sauce.

“Yeah…you’re going to need to rethink this.” Nate tosses the fork onto the counter, his nostrils flaring. There’s justno wayhe finds this food unappealing, but there’s a battle raging inside me.

Because a part of me knows he’s right.

I’ve never done this before. Never cooked for a family. Never made quick, easy, homemade meals. I don’thavea family.

That thought stings, and I lean down to yank the sheet pan out of the oven.

“Those might be fine.” He says the words carelessly, eyes trailing over the potatoes. “Just toss some sour cream on the side.”

I let out a little indignant huff, but right then Eva comes into the kitchen, curiously peeking around her dad’s hip.

“What’s that?” she asks, lip curled as she points at the pan of greens.

A slow, satisfied smile curls across Nate’s face. Ihatehow attractive he is in this moment because it makes me dumb. My mind goes blank, then catches up with the present again.

“It’s just vegetables. You should try it, but you don’t have to eat it if you don’t like it.”

Eva doesn’t look too sure about any of the food as I sort it out on the counter and snatch plates from a cupboard. The look on Nate’s face makes me want to climb him like a tree and wipe it right off, but instead I smile tightly at the two of them.

* * *

Dinner is definitelyawkward and while eating, I sneak my phone into my lap to text Russ.

Me:You could’ve warned me that he’s an ass.

Three little dots pop up immediately, and I can practically hear the amusement in his typed reply.

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