Page 26 of Dancing in the Rain

“Okay. Right.” She straightened her shoulders and narrowed her eyes. “I came here to ream you out. I am so pissed at you right now. You need clothes on for this.” She turned her back on him and strolled into his living room. “Although I have to admit, your body is totally worth looking at.”

His face heated. He still didn’t move.

“Go on,” she said, facing away from him. “Go get your clothes, wherever they are. I’ll wait here. And I won’t peek.”

He rolled his eyes and moved out from behind the door, closing it. “Thanks,” he said dryly. “Appreciate it.”

He strode behind her, past the kitchen and around the corner to the family room. He scooped up his shorts and stepped into them. Jesus. He was drunker than he’d realized. What the fuck had he been thinking?

He nabbed his T-shirt and carried it to the living room where Peyton waited. She could probably handle his bare chest. “Okay,” he said. “I’m decent.”

“Oh, yes, you are,” she said appreciatively as she turned. She took in his chest as he pulled the shirt on over his head. “Very decent.”

He’d heard his share of compliments from women. Yeah, he was in good shape. He hadn’t been working out over the past few months and he’d been drinking too much booze and eating too much junk food, but it wasn’t like he’d been doing nothing—he’d played a lot of rounds of golf and done a lot of water-skiing and biking at Dougie’s lake home in Wisconsin. So he hadn’t put on weight or gone all flabby. Although if he kept up the lack of workouts and proper diet, that was no doubt where he was headed. Fat old guy with a beer belly and skinny legs.

Christ.

Anyway, he was used to admiration from women, and for some reason hereallyliked it from her, but her praise made him actually feel guilty for taking his body for granted. Just because he wasn’t earning his living with it anymore didn’t mean he shouldn’t take care of it. He’d been abusing it lately.

“Come in,” he said shortly. “I was just having a beer.” He turned back to the kitchen.

“Or six.” She eyed the empties on the counter. Her gaze lifted to his face. “Is this how you spend your time now?”

His gut burned. “Yeah,” he said shortly. “It is, actually.”

She sighed and set her purse on the island, then walked into the family room and dropped into one of the armchairs. “Is that why you think you shouldn’t meet Chloe?”

He resumed his seat on the couch. “Partly.”

“I came here to give you shit and tell you that you can’t change your mind now. But I’m kind of having second thoughts, too.” She glanced back at the empty beer bottles. “Drinking to excess in the afternoon and answering the door naked. Not exactly appropriate paternal behavior.”

“Chloe’s not here,” he muttered. “Also, I’m not hurting anyone. It was just a stupid prank.”

“It makes me question your judgment.”

“My judgment is fine,” he snapped.

“Really.” She lifted an eyebrow. “You’ll forgive me if I disagree.”

“Look. I’m going through a rough time right now. I can’t do this.”

“Why not?”

How could he explain it to her? His life was such a black hole already. And he was getting into a situation that was going to end with death, and everyone was going to be brokenhearted, and that scared the shit out of him. How was he going to comfort Chloe when he was so messed up himself? How could he have a relationship with her when he couldn’t maintain relationships with anyone else? His wife had rejected him. His team was playing on without him.

After his long silence Peyton said, “Look, I don’t know what your problem is, but you can’t do that to Chloe now. Sara already told her about you. She’s overjoyed. In shock, too, but she definitely wants to meet you. It will crush her if you change your mind.” She paused and when she spoke again her voice wasn’t as steady or confident. “Despite my doubts about you, I can’t let you do that to her.”

Drew looked at her and when their eyes met he saw the tears shining there. “You really love her, don’t you?”

“Of course I do.”

How would he feel if one of his siblings was dying? He tried to imagine it. Thinking about Dustin dying, leaving his wife, Megan, with their two kids…yeah, he loved his nieces and nephews…Maybe he hadn’t spent enough time with them over the years. Quick trips home at Christmas and in the summer when everyone got together. Every time he saw the kids they’d grown up more and more. “Life is short.”

She gave him a strange look. “Yes. It is.”

“Fuck.” He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m an asshole.”

“Right now I agree with you.” She tipped her head to one side. “Are you okay, Drew?”

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