Page 11 of Soren the Single Dad
“Sounds fun! Who is Kennedy's husband? Someone from McCoy Security conducted a maintenance check on the security system at the clinic, so maybe I met him.”
The man had been extremely attractive in a military-precision type of way with his short hair and neat appearance, and he'd definitely worn a gold wedding band on his finger.
“Wyatt, but you probably dealt with James or one of the other guys because Wyatt usually handles the physical bodyguard jobs. Like now, he's leading a team that's providing security for a three-day event in Seattle.”
“Oh, wow.” That must have been a boon for a small town security firm.
When Soren parks his truck in front of my cabin, we sit in silence for a beat before I ask a question that's been weighing on me all evening. “Does your daughter know you went on a date tonight?”
“Yes.” He shifts to face me from the driver’s seat, scrubs a hand over his beard, then shrugs. “I've never had to broach the topic of dating with her before, and I probably wouldn't have mentioned you yet, except she already met you at the veterinarian office. It seemed silly to keep you a secret after that.”
“Understandable… How does she feel about you dating? She's not harboring anyParent Trapideas about you and your ex, is she?”
“God, I hope not because that's never happening.”
“We are never, ever, ever…” I sing instinctively, unable to let the opportunity pass.
Soren groans in mock annoyance with a hand to his heart. “Taylor Swift? Really?”
“Maybe, as a thirty-six-year-old woman, I should be embarrassed about listening to her, but she's only a year younger than me, so I'm not. We're basically peers,” I joke.
“How do you know how old she is? I love Bon Iver, but I couldn't tell you his age.”
“Her birthday is the day after mine, so it's one of the few celebrity facts I know because that kind of stuff is interesting to me.”
A speculative look enters his eyes. “You know what? I do actually know Brad Pitt's birthday because it's the same day as mine. It was one of those 'On This Day’ trivia facts.”
“See? You get it.”
“Guess I do.” A half-grin shines from his handsome face, and I flush. Soren is too damn attractive for his own good.For my own good.
Struggling with the passenger door handle, I pop it open and hop down to the gravel drive with a huff. The cool mountain air is a welcome respite from the heat of the truck’s cab, with Soren so close. His intoxicating scent. His giant, bear-like presence that makes me feel protected rather than intimidated.
“Whoa, where are you running off to so quickly?” Soren’s fingers wrap around my arm and tug me to a stop outside the front door.
Facing him with a trembling smile, I avoid his gaze. “Nowhere. I just…” Words fail me. An overwhelming sense of rightness descends each time I’m around Soren. It grows stronger and stronger the longer I’m with him.
But that feeling also worries me.
This is our first official date. It went well, but the hopes I have far exceed the limits of agetting-to-know-youdate. And I don’t want to scare Soren off, especially when he was initially wary. With good cause—his daughter.
Soren studies my carefully arranged features. “What’s wrong? What happened in the last five minutes to send you running from me?”
Damn the too-perceptive man.
“I’m not running from you per se,” I stall, wondering how much I should reveal.
“Could have fooled me. One minute we’re joking together, and the next you're fleeing my side like a bunny on the loose.”
To be vulnerable or not.
That is the question.
“Come on, firecracker, don’t hide now.” He cups my cheek in his rough palm. “What happened to no longer curbing your desires, hmm? Shouldn’t that apply to not keeping your thoughts a secret?”
“Just call me out, why don’t you?” I mumble, glaring into his probing amber eyes.
Because he’s right.
