Page 23 of Off Limits Daddy

For a moment, I watched them. Warmth filled me that this little boy had such a loving and understanding caregiver in Duncan. I could see too that Aiden provided something for Duncan, a man who clearly wanted love in his life. I felt like an outsider, a voyeur. I was about to get out of the vehicle when a thought came to me. I wanted to ask Aiden about it right then but determined it wasn’t the time or place.

“Let’s go back inside, shall we?” Duncan said. “Maybe we can have some cookies and milk.”

“Can I dunk?” Aiden’s voice was so small, like he was afraid to express himself.

“Well, of course. That’s the whole point of cookies with milk.”

I followed them upstairs to the kitchen, which like the rest of the house was homey while also luxurious.

“Go wash your hands while I get the cookies and milk,” Duncan told Aiden. Aiden exited the kitchen.

I turned to Duncan, who simultaneously turned to me. “He was hiding in Wally’s car,” we said at the same time.

6

Duncan

Holy shit. If I had any doubt that Aiden had been hiding in Wally Creighton's car and witnessed a murder, finding Aiden in the backseat of my SUV shot that doubt to hell. I wondered what had spooked him at Wally’s that he was hiding in the car when Wally drove off to kill two people. Thank fuck Wally didn’t know Aiden was there. At least I assumed he didn’t since no one had come after Aiden. Of course, that could change, and that pissed me off. How did such a nice kid end up with so many adults in his world who’d not only let him down, but traumatized him as well? Would I ever be able to help him overcome all that?

"We need to talk to him, Duncan. You know that, right?" Veronica said once Aiden left the kitchen.

I scraped my hands over my face, hating the idea of making Aiden relive the horrors in his life. "Surely, we can wait a little bit. Let the adrenaline come down from this last situation before we start pushing him again."

She stared at me for a moment with those fierce green eyes. "I understand that this will be difficult for him, and of course, we’ll be gentle and sensitive, but if he has information that can put Wally away, the sooner we get it and put him behind bars, the better."

She was right, but I couldn't stop the fierce protectiveness over Aiden from overwriting common sense. Maybe we could have a compromise. "I tell you what. Let's have some cookies and milk and settle down a little bit. You can go home and pack up your things, and then later tonight, we can sit down and talk with him. Maybe after dinner, so he can start to get used to your being here."

She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes narrowing. "After dinner isn't going to be any easier for him. As a matter of fact, it might make it more difficult for him to go to bed.”

Fucking hell. She was right. How did she know so much about kids?

"I've agreed to help you with Social Services, and I hope to hell I won't go to jail for it, but I'm also here to work. I don't want to traumatize Aiden, but we’re not a happy little family here. You and I aren’t a couple. I don’t want to move in and pretend to be something we’re not.”

Her tone irked me. It was like she found fault in me. "You know, I'm more than just a big dick that can get you off."

She flinched and looked at me like I'd grown a third eye.

"You act like I have cooties or something."

Her lips twitched upward, but she quickly pulled them back into place. I hated that she found humor in my reaction. Worse, I hated that I was revealing to her how much her indifference bothered me.

"I'm not here to inflate your ego. I'm sure you're a great catch and that there's a very good reason you're almost fifty years oldand never married. But that doesn't concern me. Like I said, I'm here for the job.”

It was amazing how her words felt like a stab right through the gut. I wasn't a perfect man, but I was kind and honest. I had a romantic streak when adequately motivated, and I had a great deal of love to give. The reason I wasn’t yet married with kids was that I hadn't yet met a woman whom I felt I could give a lifetime of love to. Sure, I'd met women who would've been happy to be Mrs. Duncan Ashworth, but it hadn't felt right. Several of them, I couldn't be sure whether they really loved me or my bank account.

I had a rude retort sitting on the edge of my tongue, but not wanting to be an asshole, I swallowed it down. I went to the refrigerator, pulling out the milk and glasses to prepare the milk and cookies.

"I guess I can see why you're not married." I winced. That wasn’t as bad as what I’d originally wanted to say, but it was still unkind.

"I'm not married because I don't want to be married. It's sort of sexist for you to think all women want to be married."

I suppose I deserved that barb. I shrugged nonchalantly as I pulled out the cookie jar where the cookies Aiden and I had made the other day were stored. "I suppose there's people out there who say they don't want to be married, but humans are social beings. We thrive best with human connection."

"You don't need to be married to have a human connection."

I set the plate of cookies on the table in the kitchen. "I suppose you don't.”

Aiden returned, standing in the doorway as if he was waiting for permission to come in.

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