Page 55 of His Fantasy Girl

There was that tone again. A tic started up in his cheek. “Hmm?”

“Can I have a tattoo?”

Again—what the hell was he supposed to say? “How about we talk about it when you’re older.”

“How much older?”

What was reasonable? Why hadn’t he discussed this stuff with Abby? Probably because they were too busy working through his fantasies to get down to serious topics. That needed to change, because this parenting thing was a minefield. Maybe there were books he could read or classes he could take.

“Eighteen?” He sounded tentative, but he had no clue what the right answer was.

“Brilliant.” Jenny grinned, and he breathed out in relief. “Mum said sixty-five.”

Crap.

Time to change the subject. “You know, I met your mum right here, in that club.”

“You did?”

He nodded. “It was her eighteenth birthday.”

“Was she your girlfriend? Is that how you had me?”

It occurred to him—as he wiped the sweat from his forehead—that he’d been getting off easy up to now. His daughter had obviously been saving up the difficult stuff. Explaining what a one-night stand was and how he’d had one with her mother was not an option. “Are you hungry?” he asked. “I’m starving. Should we go get that pizza?”

She gave him a look that made it clear she saw straight through his diversionary tactics, and he scrubbed a hand over his chin. “She wasn’t my girlfriendexactly, but we did like each other, and I’m sure we would have been if…” Christ, how much to tell her? What did she already know?

“It’s okay,” she said. “I know you couldn’t be with us because they locked you up. Mum told me”

She had? What else had she said?

“And that it wasn’t your fault,” Jenny continued, as if hearing his unspoken question. “You were just looking after your brother.”

Something warm twisted inside him. Abby might not want him in their lives, but she was doing her best to ensure it worked. He made a mental note to say thank you. Another excuse to go see her. God, he was pathetic. “Yeah, that’s what happened.”

Jenny cocked her head. “I wouldn’t mind a brother. Then I’d have someone to look after me. Or someone for me to look after. That would be nice.”

He bit back a smile. “You’ve got your mum and me to look after you. Come here.” As he held out his arms, she stepped in close. He hugged her tight for a moment and then kissed the top of her head. “Let’s go get some lunch.”

A little while later they were seated in his favorite pizza place. They gave their order and he sat back. He’d resisted asking on the way here, but now he couldn’t refrain from just one question. “How’s your mother?”

Jenny took a sip of Coke then stared him in the eyes. “I think she’s avoiding you.”

It occurred to him that maybe he should find a safe way out of this conversation that he shouldn’t have started in the first place, but somehow the words just popped out. “She is? Why do you think that?”

“Well, she was supposed to be looking after me today, but she phoned Gran and asked her to come around. She told Gran that work had called and she had to go in, but they hadn’t. She could have waited until you’d picked me up.”

He had no idea what to say to that, but he didn’t have to worry, Jenny was on a roll. “Maybe it’s because she’s got a new boyfriend.”

He looked up, but her expression was guileless. “She has? That’s nice,” he said, lying through his teeth. A new boyfriend? Christ, she was a quick worker. Unless she was already seeing this new guy while she was screwing him. No doubt he was someone suitable, someone responsible, not a tattooed ex-con with commitment issues.

There. He’d admitted it to himself. He had issues. She was right to stay away from him. And he wasn’t going to rise to Jenny’s bait. He really wasn’t. He was quite aware that Jenny was indulging in a few daydreams of a happy ever after between him and Abby, and while he didn’t want to burst her bubble—and he didn’t want to think too hard why that was—he didn’t want to encourage her either.

Jenny didn’t need any encouragement. “His name’s Jack and he’s a detective. She works with him.”

A fucking detective. That was rubbing it in.

“He’s nice.” Jenny added when he didn’t say anything.

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