Page 9 of My Boyfriend's Possessive Daddy

It takes almost every ounce of strength I have to pull my grandmother’s old pickup truck—a Ford F-150 that was new back in the 80s and I named the Beast—into the parking lot behind Stu’s Diner. Having been around longer than anybody can even remember, Stu’s is an institution in Emerson—a distinction bestowed upon it simply because the Miller family have owned, operated, and been rotting the guts out of Emerson’s residents for three generations. I guess that sort of longevity makes a place an institution.

Still, I have to say, as greasy and artery-clogging as most of the menu is, they do make some fantastic food. Stu’s BBQ bacon cheeseburger and onion rings have been my go-to comfort food since I was a kid. Looking back on it now and considering how often I stuffed one of those monstrosities in my face, I’m surprised I didn’t get a heart attack first.

It’s been forever since I’ve had one, and given everything going on right now, I think I need and deserve a little comfort food. Getting out of the truck, I walk to the front door and pull it open. The bell overhead jingles as I step in and survey the room. Like most days, there’s a robust lunchtime crowd. Nothing has changed in the nearly five years I’ve been gone. Like, not a thing. There’s actually a dark grease stain on the floor I remember from the last time I was here. It even smells exactly the same. Of course, that smell is of greasy things being fried half to death, which is a staple at Stu’s, so I shouldn’t be too surprised. Still, there’s definitely something comforting about the familiarity and hit of nostalgia.

“Elodie Carter, as I live and breathe.”

A large, burly man steps around the counter, his arms wide and absolute joy on his face. I step forward and let the big man embrace me. I went to high school with Billy and had always gotten on well with him.

“Billy Miller,” I say. “How have you been?”

“Really good. And how’s life out in LA?”

“Can’t complain,” I say. “What have you been up to?”

“Same old, same old. Pop’s grooming me to take over the diner.”

“And when will you be having a kid of your own that you can pass it along to?”

“Don’t you dare curse me like that, woman,” he grouses. “Nicole has been talking about wanting kids, and honestly, the thought of it terrifies me.”

“You’re still with Nikki?”

His cheeks flush. “I am.”

“That’s great, Billy. I’m happy for you guys. And for whatever it’s worth, I think you’d make a great dad,” I tell him.

“Thanks, El. I guess we’ll find out sooner than later. Nik’s getting impatient.”

“It’ll happen when it’s meant to happen.”

“True enough,” he says. “Anyway, I heard about your gram. How’s she doing?”

“She’s hanging in there. Stubborn as a mule still.”

“That’s never going to change,” he says with a chuckle. “And what’s the prognosis?”

“Dr. Collier expects a full recovery.”

“That’s good news.”

“It is.”

“And it’s good of you to come home to take care of her.”

“Much to Mam’s chagrin. She’s been trying to get me to go back to LA out of guilt from the moment I walked in the door.”

He shrugs his wide shoulders. “That’s just not the way we do things here in Emerson. We take care of our own.”

“Right?”

He laughs. “Let’s see if I remember right. BBQ bacon cheeseburger and a side of onion rings, extra crispy.”

“Your mind is like a steel trap, my friend.”

“How about your gram?”

I frown. “That’s a good question.”

---