Page 10 of Wood Riddance
Merry was near the swings with a couple other kids, but before I could get to her, a hand landed on my arm, halting me in my tracks.Fuck.
“Finn.”
The petite woman who still had a hold of me wore elbow-length false eyelashes and sky-high heels.
“So good to see you.”
I gave her a tight nod. “Veronica.”
“Oh. Call me Ronnie,” she trilled, her talons still locked around my forearm. This was the thing I hated most about being a single dad. The moms.
Since Alicia worked long hours, I did most of the pickups and drop-offs. I soaked in every extra minute with Merry I could get before leaving her with her mom for the night. Our custody arrangement was flexible, mostly because we got along so well, and so far, it suited all of us. I had dinner at Alicia and Mike’s frequently, and we spent holidays together.
But being a present parent made me a prime target for every single woman within a hundred-mile radius. There had been a time, right after Alicia and I split, when I enjoyed the attention. Anymore, it was exhausting. Single moms came out of the woodwork to chat me up at every event I attended with my daughter. They all had cutesy nicknames like Ronnie, Sherri, and Lainey, and they fawned all over me with their cloying perfume and too-tight tops. Their efforts took from the time I had with my daughter, from the moments where I was happy to stand back and observe my little girl with her friends. The worst part, though? Was that while most of them were trying to get into my pants, they were also talking shit about my family behind my back.
The whispers, the gossip, the pity. It was unbearable most days, though not wholly unsurprising. My dadhadgone from small-town rich guy to murderer-slash-drug dealer in the blink of an eye.
I gave her a tight smile. “Sorry, in a bit of a rush today.”
“You never texted me back about a playdate,” she said, giving me an exaggerated pout.
“Oh, right. Sorry,” I threw over my shoulder as I picked up my pace. My legs were easily twice the length of hers and she was wearing stilettos, but somehow, Ronnie kept up. “We really need to get together.”
Merry caught sight of me and snatched her backpack off the ground quickly. Eyes locked on mine, she gave me a slight nod. “Dad!” she screamed, running straight for me. “You’re late.” She mimed looking at an imaginary watch, then she gave me the kind of disappointed look I was used to seeing from her mother.
“Sorry, baby,” I said, kissing the top of her head.
“Let’s go.” She grabbed my arm and yanked, heading for the parking lot. I gave Ronnie a nod and jogged after my little girl.
When we were safely in the truck, Merry turned and raised one brow.
“Nice save,” I said. Damn, my daughter was as sharp as a goddamn tack.
“Why can’t you tell Miss Landry that you don’t want to go on a date with her?” She folded down the mirror and adjusted her ponytail. She had her mom’s dark hair and dark eyes, but the rest of her was pure Hebert, from the height down to the attitude.
“Nice try. Get in back.” I thumbed over my shoulder. Her distraction techniques were good, but notthatgood.
She sighed and dropped her head back, but without argument, she climbed into the back seat. “Mom says you should always be honest and up-front with people.”
“Your mom’s correct, as always. It’s awkward.”
“Speak for yourself. It’s more awkward to see all the moms drooling over you. Can’t you wear dad clothes and get a dad bod and act like a lame dad or something?”
I laughed. “I am a lame dad.”
“Iknow that. But the world doesn’t get it.”
I shook my head. “Sorry, kid.”
She slumped against the back seat, but not before leaning forward and adjusting the radio station.
As we drove and joked, the stress of the day melted away. I would make this work. I would succeed. There was no other option.
Because I was stuck. Pure and simple. And I’d do what I had to in order to get through this. To get myself and Merry to a better place.
Michael “call me Mike” was a good guy. He adored Alicia and Merry. But he was corporate to the bone. Drove a fucking Volvo, always wore a collared shirt, and listed one of his hobbies as “grilling.”
He was the antithesis of me. Though I chose not to read too much into that. Alicia was still my best friend and my co-parent, and she deserved happiness. She’d followed my ass around for years, taking care of Merry and putting her own dreams on hold.
