Page 57 of The Single Dad Dilemma

“Well, I’m a virile man,” he says. “I’m not worried.”

I laugh, rolling my eyes. I guess that’s settled then.

In the morning, Lou convinces us that I need to spend the night again and make it a full weekend sleepover extravaganza. And of course, Ridge and I have no objections.

After breakfast, I run back to my place for more clothes. But I’m very unhappy when I pull into my driveway and see Tyler’s car on the street. He’s at my front door, looking down at his phone. Lyric is here and hasn’t come to the door yet, making me think he hasn’t been here long.

“What the hell are you doing here?” It’s the first thing out of my mouth when I step out of my car.

“You blocked me,” he says, like that’s supposed to explain everything.

“Yes, I would think it’s pretty obvious that I don’t want to talk to you.” I walk up the stairs and push past him. I place my key in the door at the exact time Lyric pops up on the other side to open it.

“What’s going on?” she asks, opening the door pretty swiftly when she sees Tyler through the small window to the left.

I catch the change in her expression as soon as her gaze shifts from me to him, looming behind me.

“Tyler thought that blocking him on the phone meant he should come over,” I say flatly, rolling my eyes.

“You won’t talk to me.” His voice is growing angrier than before.

“I don’t want to and I don’t have to.” I spit the words at him, venom on my tongue. I generally have a lot of restraint when I’m angry, but I’m at the end of my rope with him.

“You owe me a conversation,” he says, taking a step forward. “We have history.”

Lyric steps between us, shielding me behind her as she asserts herself in the doorframe. Tyler takes a step back.

“Tyler, you’re not talking to her,” Lyric says. “Ever again.” She crosses her arms over her chest, narrowing her eyes and glaring at him with a certain type of crazy she’s had tucked away for a long time. “And if you don’t leave her alone, I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that I work in a funeral home. I have access to a lot of tools. I have access to a very large oven for cremation. And I have access to a graveyard, and I will not hesitate to chuck your body into a hole, bury you with a little dirt, and let them lower a casket over you the next day.”

Oh. My. God.I don’t say a word. The color in Tyler’s face drains as he swallows hard. I can’t see Lyric’s face, but I can imagine. I know what it’s looked like in other situations. She’s the friend who will threaten to cut a guy at the bar for looking at you the wrong way.

He takes another step back toward the porch steps, shaking his head but saying nothing. He turns, starting down the steps.

“Not even worth it,” he mumbles.

Lyric closes the door and locks it before turning to hug me. I embrace her, feeling grateful for her friendship in so many ways. But this particular incident is at the top.

“That fucker,” she says with a huff. “If I hadn’t left the night you called Ridge for help, I’d have told him then.”

“You’re the best,” I tell her, nuzzling my face into her neck.

After we calm down, I tell her about my conversation with Ridge. She’s giddy over all of it, clapping when I tell her I’m officially his girlfriend.

And to be completely honest, I’m giddy too.

TWENTY-FOUR

RIDGE

This morning, when Darcy left to get more clothes, I offered to go with her and bring Lou. But she insisted it wouldn’t take long, and she didn’t want to make Lou go on a boring ride because she was right in the middle of the new episode of her favorite documentary. So instead, I cleaned up the kitchen and threw some laundry into the washer.

But when Darcy returned and told me about Tyler being at her house, a wave of panic and anger roared inside me. I wanted to smash things. Namely, Tyler’s face. I left violence in my early twenties after a few bar brawls when I was making idiotic choices and drinking too much. I left it there, but it never left me. I can still be that man in a flash if I need to.

After hearing what Lyric did and said, though, the tension in my shoulders eased a bit. I guess if I’m not there, Lyric will do the job. I’m grateful Darcy has a friend like that. I certainly do in the guys at work, and I place a great deal of importance on those relationships.

I wrap my arms around her and squeeze tightly. Her head is resting against my chest, and I feel her breathing fall in rhythmwith mine. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there,” I whisper against her hair, then kiss the top of her head.

“Honestly, I’m glad you weren’t,” she says.

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