Page 30 of Lucky Shot
“You’ve gone too far this time, Pop. You had no right to do that without talking to me.” I love him, but damn he tries my patience.
“What’s she hurting?”
“I’m not a landlord.”
“I can manage it. It’s my cabin after all.”
“Chalet Galaxy, really?”
His mouth hitches up on one side. “I thought it was clever.”
I sigh. “If you want to Airbnb the cabin, fine, but you can’t promise people I’m going to help them. I have a life.”
He scoffs. “Hardly.”
“Dad, don’t start.”
“You can’t hide away in this big house. You’re young. You should be going out and having fun. Aidan is old enough to understand his dad has needs.”
I groan, letting my head fall back. “Please, for the love of God.”
“It’s only natural, Son.”
“What isn’t natural is having this conversation with my dad.”
“I hate to break it to you, but I’m aware that you’ve had sex before. Unless Aidan is a sperm donor situation.”
Oh my god. Somehow the more he talks, the worse it gets.
“No more matchmaking or interfering. I don’t want to date or get married. Especially not to her. I mean, really Pop, she lives thousands of miles away.” Apparently, he’s widened the search to the continental United States.
He’s always talking me up – to women at the grocery store or at his doctor’s office. I know because he does it even when I’m standing right next to him. It’s humiliating. I’m a thirty-one-year-old man. If I wanted to date, I would.
“Well, hell, Son, I wasn’t expecting you to marry her. She needed help and we could give it. You might lock yourself awayin this house more than I’d like, but you’ve always been good at doing the right thing.”
The words hit just like he intends—a compliment intermixed with a sucker punch. Yes, I generally try to help people when I can, but this is a stretch.
“But if you want to have a little summer fling, I don’t think it’d be the worst thing for you.”
“Oh my god.” I rub my forehead with two fingers.
“What? Like I don’t remember what it’s like to be young.” He huffs. “You’re wound so tight. It’s not healthy. You need to let off some steam and she’s a gorgeous woman. Even you must have noticed that.”
I raise a hand, palm out and close my eyes, effectively silencing him. I literally cannot take another word.
“Fine. Fine. Not interested. I got it.”
It isn’t a promise that he won’t do it again, but I’d say this very painful conversation buys me a month or two.
I let out a long, tired breath. Next door, Ruby walks out of the cabin pulling her large roller bag down the gravel drive.
I look away from her, something like guilt twisting in my chest. Dad’s brows lift in question.
“She got what she needed and she’s leaving.”
“She came by the rink today?” he asks in a way that suggests he already knows the answer. “Determined little thing.”
I grunt. That she is.
