Page 25 of Daddy Crush (Silver Fox Daddy)

Truth was, I knew exactly what I wanted. To be staying at Duke’s ranch, helping mix the barley mash for his horses, and delivering buckets to the stalls before the sun was up. Make him chocolate concoctions cooked up in his kitchen big enough to hold an army. Spend all day, every day with him, just so I could see his irresistibly devastating grin like the one I expected him to greet me with when I unlocked the front door of his café.

“Good morning, Clover,” he husked, his brows drawing together with an agonized expression instead of offering the smile which dared me to fall in love with him.

What was that about?I’d missed him every second since he dropped me off from our so-called business trip, and now confusion welded together in one upsurge of yearning.

The door that separated the café from the storage area in back opened, and a young woman stepped out. She had a shoulder-length bob, and her skin glowed, giving her an ethereal air. She was thin compared to me—slender like a pencil, and the apron tie around her waist defined its smallness in a way that made me envious of her figure. When our eyes met, her smile was wide and inviting, as if she already knew my name.

Indeed, she did. “You must be Clover,” she said and extended a hand.

My heart sank as I realized there would be no chance of sneaking in a cuddle or make-out session with Duke before the café opened.

“I’m Ava.” She broke into a wide-open smile, and the even whiteness of her teeth nearly blinded me.

Duke spoke coolly, empty of any emotion, and while I knew his intention was to keep things between us on the down-low, my heart felt his denial of us as if a pitiless hand wrapped around my heart and squeezed. And with his next words, I became the walking dead.

“I brought Ava on board since I need more time to manage the boarding stables. You know how to make all the coffee and espresso drinks, which is what Ava needs to learn first. Then you can show her how to keep items stocked, work the cash register, and clean everything.”

I fought hard against tears I refused to let fall. What did I expect? That after spending a weekend away with me, everything had changed? Instead, he was pushing me away, so I didn’t know where I stood with him.

Instead of reaching out to clutch his hand, whose fingers caressed his mug, I walked abruptly behind the counter to grab a cup and tried to think of something to say that might make the moment less awkward. I fumbled with my barista apron, tying it on quickly and hurriedly, without giving the loops their proper attention.

“Hi, Ava. It’s good to meet you. Like Duke said, I’ll help you get up to speed on the coffee drinks and all the rest.” My voice was an even composure, but inside my heart sank. I had so hoped our weekend away would have been the start of something new between us. Instead, it felt like we were going backwards.

The coffee mug felt good wrapped in both my hands, sending its warmth right into my blood.

What the heck did I expect? Duke was such a competent, confident man. Soldier and business owner. A man who’d fought for his sobriety.

What did I know how to do?

Milk goats and grow vegetables.

Now that my family didn’t even own a farm, that wasn’t exactly an option.

My life plans were pretty much null and void, other than serving up coffee every day.

Coffee and Duke.

It wasn’t like I had aims to be an astronaut or the first female president. Happiness was something I found in everyday life, like the rich aroma of dark-roasted beans. The sharp tang of espresso and the milky sweetness of the foam I’d just poured on top.

I took a deep, steadying breath as I stared into my coffee mug. The warmth of the liquid seemed too comforting. How could Duke pretend nothing had happened between us? That I hadn’t submitted to him, not only in body but in spirit. This very minute, every cell of my being longed for him to push me against a wall, any wall, and kiss the hell out of me.

Ava was friendly and business-like as she asked Duke questions before he left, eager to learn the ropes at the café. I tried hard not to eavesdrop, but I heard her say she’d done similar work before and always enjoyed it, so it shouldn’t take her too long to catch on. My stomach twisted in knots as I watched Duke smile at her, genuine this time, and not the careful one he’d given me moments before.

My skin burned with jealousy as I watched them chat. All I wanted was for Duke to turn his attention back on me, even for just a moment or two, and show some sort of sign that he still cared about our relationship—or whatever it was we were supposed to have together before this awkward situation had presented itself.

Duke excused himself abruptly after making sure Ava and I had our marching orders for the day. He stepped right past me, hurrying off to the ranch—without so much as a glance or a wave in my direction.

His sudden change in attitude weighed heavily on my shoulders, as if tied to a Big Bud tractor going over a cliff. A lone tear slipped down my cheek unchecked as I thought about how things had been just days ago when Duke held me close during our weekend away from reality—when he acted like he loved me.

Grimly, I wiped that tear away and began scrubbing the counter with my back to Ava. Could it be that was all it was for him?

An act?

His abrupt change in mood was so puzzling.

I put it out of my mind the best way I knew how. Staying busy.

Addressing Ava, I said, “First, let’s go over the menu. I can show you where everything is in the back, and you can watch me take orders and make coffee. Does that sound reasonable?”

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