Page 50 of Keeping Guard
“Six.”
“We’ll be there.” Hopefully, Noah would agree.
“You okay?”
Peyton shrugged. “Yeah. No.” They’d stopped by her loft to pick up Lucky and so she could change clothes. Now they were on the way to Jack’s dog place. Noah had let her brood in silence until now, and not up to talking, she appreciated that.
“I’m sorry about your father, princess. I really thought Dalton was lying.”
“Me, too. God, I wish he had been.” She buried her face in her hands. She wouldn’t cry, not now. That would happen later tonight when she was alone in her bed.
He put his hand on her knee and squeezed. “Cancer doesn’t necessarily mean a death sentence. There’s all kinds—”
“He’s not going to die! Don’t even imply that’s a possibility.” She’d just yelled at him, and all he was trying to do was comfort her. “I’m sorry. You didn’t say anything wrong. It’s just...it’s just...” She didn’t have the words to explain how scared she was.
“That you’re afraid.”
“Yes,” she whispered. So afraid. For the first time since she’d been dropped off to her father as if she were nothing more than unwanted baggage, she had hope that she meant more to him than a daughter he’d never wanted. He’d said that maybe he would tell her why he’d built a wall between them, and she really needed to understand the reason.
“Your dad surprised me,” Noah said. “I was prepared not to like him, then he went and fired your asshole ex. I have to respect that.”
That had surprised her, too, because Dalton had always been the son she was sure her father wished she’d been. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”
“Maybe don’t overthink it?” He came to a stop in front of the kennels. “He loves you, princess. I don’t know what the deal is between the two of you, but I do know that much.”
“He wants us to come to dinner tonight.”
“No. You need time alone with him, so you go, but I’m not a dinner with a girl’s father kind of man.”
She wanted to punch him. Or kiss him. Either thing would give her the satisfaction she needed right now. “I told him you’d be there, so you will be there.”
“You shouldn’t make plans that involve me without talking to me.”
“Get over yourself, Noah.” She unbuckled her seatbelt. “I know something awful happened to you, and I’m sorry for that, but the world doesn’t revolve around you. We have to be there at six.”
Not giving him a chance to refuse, she exited the car and headed straight for the puppy nursery. The puppies all yipped, rushing to her as soon as she stepped inside the room. This was what she needed...puppy love. She sat in the middle of the floor, and they bounced around her, begging for her attention.
She tried to put everything out of her mind except for the puppies, but she couldn’t help thinking that she wasn’t being fair to Noah. All he’d signed up for was the role as her bodyguard. Dinners with her father weren’t in his job description, and she’d been wrong to make plans on his behalf.
He wasn’t her boyfriend. Not that she wouldn’t like if it he was. She totally would. But other than spine-tingly kisses—and those were only to hush her—he’d shown no interest in her. Sad, that. She needed to apologize and tell him he didn’t have to come with her to dinner.
Besides, some one-on-one time with her father would be good. For the first time since she’d come to live with him, he’d been almost warm toward her. Now that the door seemed to be open, she wasn’t going to let him slam it shut in her face.
“Nope, not going to happen.”
At hearing her voice, the puppies swarmed her, and she fell to her back, letting them cover her with their wiggling bodies. They all tried to lick her face off, making her giggle. For a few minutes, she’d let herself push aside thoughts of her father and Noah, and then she’d go find Noah and apologize.
Chapter Seventeen
“I want to test his reaction to noises,” Jack said.
“Why?” Noah glanced over at the puppy building. He’d been an ass to Peyton, and he needed to tell her he was sorry. She’d just learned her father was sick, and he should have been more understanding. Instead, he’d made it about him.
He realized Jack had stopped talking. “Sorry, what?”
“I said we need to know how he’ll react to loud noises, like firecrackers, thunder, sirens, trucks backfiring. Things like that.” Jack crossed his arms over his chest. “Are you even listening to me?”
“Hold this.” He handed Jack the end of Lucky’s leash. “Be right back.” He headed for the puppy building. Until he got right with Peyton, he wouldn’t be able to pay attention to whatever Jack was trying to teach him.
