Page 81 of Mountain Daddy
If Joe comes out to the kitchen for anything in the middle of the night and sees the couch empty, it will look like I got up to use the bathroom, nothing more.
Decoy set, I open Kendra’s bedroom door.
The lights are off, but she left her curtains open, allowing moonlight to spill into the room.
Blankets rustle. “Luther?”
“Yeah, Baby.”
I close the door and undo my jeans, letting them drop to the floor.
I pause with my hands on the hem of my shirt, wondering if I should leave it on. But if Joe catches me sleeping in bed with his daughter, without pants on, I hardly think the status of my shirt will make a difference.
I pull my shirt off.
“What are you doing?” Kendra rolls to face me.
“Just sleeping.”
Tugging down the blanket, I climb into Kendra’s bed.
Once I’m on my back, I hold out the arm closest to her.
Kendra doesn’t need me to ask. She moves into her spot—head on my shoulder, leg thrown over my thigh—and I hug her to my side.
A chilly hand lands on my bare stomach, and I tense.
She starts to slide it off, but I drop my free hand on top of hers and hold it still. “Keep your ice fingers in one spot.”
Kendra snickers.
I hold her tighter.
“Thanks for keeping me company today.” Her words are quiet as they skitter across my chest. “Everyone was super nice, but it was a bit overwhelming.”
I try to be smooth as I turn my head so I can press my nose to her hair.
This girl.
She makes me feel needed in a way I’ve never experienced.
But what’s even better than feeling needed is feeling wanted. And she makes me feel that too.
I breathe against her. “You don’t have to thank me.”
Her warmed fingers slide over my stomach until her arm is draped across my waist. “I do. Today was really fun.”
“It was.” I agree.
Her exhale tickles my chest hair. “I was planning to go, ya know?”
Kendra’s body is relaxing against mine, her words getting harder to hear.
She’s falling asleep.
“Planning to go where? The party?” I rub my thumb against her arm.
“Back to the Inn.”
