Page 4 of Her Honey Pot (Sweet Treats 3)

But right now, his strong shoulders slump a bit.

“That Jessica,” he whispers to himself while shaking his head ruefully.

“What?” I immediately snap. “What did Jessica do that was so wrong?”

He sighs again and finally looks up, meeting my eyes.

“Marni, we didn’t want you to find out like this, but yes. Jessica and I are in a private group called Dads and Daughters.”

I nod, still bristling.

“And? What is this group about? Is it Girl Scouts, but the troop leaders are dads instead of moms?”

He shakes his head and sighs again.

“Sort of. Not really, but I guess you could look at it that way. You see, men like me who are on the road, well, we get lonely a lot. We don’t have a lot to look forward to –”

I cut him off.

“Except for a nice paycheck?”

My dad ignores me.

“We don’t have a lot to look forward to, and a man gets lonely, sleeping on his own while out on his road. So we long-haul truckers set up a group called Dads and Daughters. It’s a lot of fun. We joke around, share snaps, and generally act friendly.”

I stare at him.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t make sense. Why would you share a shower selfie of yourself if all you’re doing is making friends? Who does that?”

My dad looks down at his hands, his expression unreadable. Then he looks up again.

“Well, it’s not just a Facebook group,” he begins in a quiet tone. “Facebook is how we keep in touch with one another because the dads are often out on the road. But we meet up in real life, too.”

I stare at him.

“Since when?”

He shrugs his shoulders.

“I’ve been a member of Dads and Daughters for a while now. You just didn’t know, Marni, because there was no reason to tell you.”

I stare at him again.

“But why was Jess in it? Why am I finding out like this? And you still haven’t answered my question, by the way. If this is a social group, then why were you posting a shower selfie? Who wants to see that?”

Brent sighs and looks down at his hands again. I can see tension emanating from his big form, and he shifts his legs uncomfortably. But then my father inhales deeply and begins to speak.

“The reason why Jess is in it is because she just turned eighteen. Her dad Tex sponsored her, and her membership was seconded by her stepdad Rex. Jessica was admitted upon a vote by the membership, and she’s only been a part of the group for two weeks. I was hoping she could keep her mouth shut for a little bit longer, but evidently not,” he adds ruefully.

I shake my head.

“Okay, but why did she have to wait until eighteen to be admitted? What’s this thing about voting? And why didn’t you want her to tell me? You still haven’t answered my question by the way. What dad posts sexy pics of himself online? It’s gross, Brent. Really gross. I nearly puked when I saw that post.”

Brent sighs again, looking tired, but somehow also like a man with a plan. His fingers twist a bit on themselves, but then he sits up and sets his shoulders straight before meeting my eyes.

“Marni, we didn’t tell you because I wanted to shield you for as long as possible. You’re an innocent. You’ve never had a boyfriend before, and these things … well, they’re not for the naïve. You see, sweetheart, Dads and Daughters is a daughter-swapping club. We dads swap daughters with one another for fun and enjoyment.”

I stare at him.

“What does that even mean?” I demand. “How do you swap daughters? You can’t exactly white out someone’s name on a birth certificate. So what does daughter-swapping mean?”

Brent doesn’t dodge the question this time.

“It means that we share daughters, sweetheart. If I’m in a city somewhere for a night, someone’s daughter might come out to spend some quality time with me. Then, the next night I’m likely in a different city. Another man’s daughter will come out to spend the night with me.”

Slowly, the pieces are falling into place and I stare at my dad.

“What do you mean, she spends the night with you?”

Brent looks a bit uncomfortable and shrugs.

“Well, our daughters tend to be very beautiful, and very sassy young things. As a result, I might take her to dinner and drinks, or maybe we’ll stop by a club and get to know one another. We talk and laugh, just like regular people.”

“And then what happens?” I ask in a slow voice, although I already suspect.

“If she’s willing, I might take her to a hotel. Or some girls don’t mind the back of the cab because they’re all daughters of long-haul truck drivers, sweetheart. We spend the night as a man and a woman, getting to know one another.”

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