Page 85 of The Single Dads Club
That does the trick. She detaches with a yell of “Monsters!” and runs to the couch, scrambling up onto it, then grins expectantly at me.
Dak laughs. “Funny kid.”
“Yeah, she likes just about any weird creature or flying thing. That bat she’s dragging around is her all-time favorite toy.” I start the movie and put Dak’s beer in the fridge. “Let me show you around.”
I try to make the tour quick to get my eyes back on Grier sooner, though I can’t keep myself from expounding on the features that originally made me want to buy the house, like its large, sunny bedrooms.
Dak gives me a knowing grin. “You sound like you’re trying to sell me this place.”
“Yeah, it’s a habit.” I take him back to the breakfast nook, then snag a couple of his beers from the fridge. “By the way, you didn’t have to buy beer. Not that I’m complaining, but I already had some here.”
“I figured, since you didn’t ask me to bring anything, but I wanted you to try this. It’s local, small-batch ... we just started serving it at the bar, and I’ve been pretty excited about it.”
I raise my eyebrows and smirk as I hand him a bottle opener. “Wow, you’ve turned into a connoisseur. I remember a time you’d drink any slop you could get your hands on.”
“You were right there drinking it with me,” Dak says, cracking his beer open. “And it was high school. Of course we weren’t gonna be picky. We didn’t know any better.”
“Speak for yourself. I knew it was horrible, I just wanted to get drunk more than I wanted to save my poor taste buds.” I open mine and take a drink. “You were right, this is good. Hey, you know what talking about bad beer reminds me of? Playing basketball with the guys in the parking lot on Sycamore.”
“Oh man, I haven’t thought about that in years. Yeah, we’d go there with Kyle and ... Chet or Chad or whatever his name was, and all their brothers, and play until we got too sunburned and hungry to keep going. But we didn’t drink there.”
“We drank with them at the summer bonfires. Like the time a certain person crashed us all into the side of a building.”
He lets out an uneasy chuckle. “Don’t remind me. I was sweating like a pig when I bought that building from Mr. Gibbs, hoping he didn’t recognize me.”
“No sh—stuff? That’s where your bar is?” I laugh. “Okay, now I really do need to fit a visit into my schedule. See if I can find the dent in the wall.”
“Dick. Maybe I should rethink those free rounds.” He takes another drink. “Why’re you talking like it’ll be hard to find the time? Just ask Corrigan over here for a few hours.”
“That’s ... true.” I can’t get into how complicated things have become, and all the doubts Mom inspired in me, without revealing too many secrets that he might murder me over. “So, she’s mentioned that she’s been nannying Grier?”
“Oh yeah. Corrigan really seems to like her.”
“Grier likes her too. It’s been going really well.”
Except for the last time when I fucked it all up.
Dak smiles, obviously pleased. “Great to hear. I knew she’d be the perfect fit for the job.”
“By the way,” I say, trying to sound as casual as possible, “what’s she been up to since I left? We haven’t gotten much chance to shoot the breeze while she’s busy with Grier.”
He shrugs. “Not much. Working, hanging out with Sarah Jo, helping me out at the bar sometimes. Her job demands a lot of her time, but she loves it.”
“That’s good. She always wanted to teach, and I’m glad it panned out for her. Lots of people, they dream about a job and then it turns out nothing like they expected.” I drink while deciding whether I dare to push further. “Does she ... have a boyfriend or anything?”
“You’re asking if my sister is single?” Dak shoots me a confused look.
My heart rate picks up. “Just making conversation.”
“Gotcha,” he says slowly, but he still sounds thrown off. “I’m kinda glad. You and Corrigan together is a pretty bizarre mental picture.” He laughs as if the idea is totally ridiculous.
I can’t help being offended. “Why? What’s so weird about it?”
“Isn’t it obvious? We’re like brothers, dude—that’d make her your sister.” He grins at me. “What’s all this about? Has playing house together made you catch domestic feelings?”
He clearly thinks he’s just messing around.
I take the plunge and, straight-faced, shatter my shield of plausible deniability. “Would that be a problem if I did?”
