Page 5 of Sugar Walls (Sweet Treats 5)

My dad whistles as we breeze along the road, and I lean back and smile. There are butterflies in the pit of my stomach because I’m not really sure what’s going to happen once we get to the club. As if reading my mind, Jack turns to me.

“Don’t be scared, Nats. I asked Sienna to be there this weekend, so she’ll talk with you a bit and show you around. I asked Layla if she was free this weekend too, but she and Tyler were headed out on a short vacation.”

I nod.

“Thanks Daddy. Yeah, I’ll enjoy talking to Sienna. She’s always been so nice to me, from even before you guys started dating.”

My dad starts whistling again, and we enjoy the long ride. Finally, after coasting along the highway for what feels like forever, my dad pulls the truck off onto a smaller road. We start heading into the forest, although there are still a few houses scattered here and there.

“Who thought up the idea for the club?” I ask curiously.

My dad shrugs his shoulders.

“I’m not sure, actually. I think I knew at some point, but I’ve forgotten. All that I know is that it’s been around for a while. When I was a young trucker just getting started out, I’d hear rumors of its existence. But it was always just that to me: rumors, and nothing more, because I was with your mom. They knew how committed to Violet I was, so no one actually approached me about membership.”

I slide a sideways glance at him.

“But how did they approach you after Mom passed? Did you get a formal invitation?”

My dad laughs a bit.

“No, not exactly. It was your uncle actually. He saw how depressed I was, and how I was sleeping out in that tent in our backyard. So Jock brought up the idea of joining,” he says.

“And by then, Jock was divorced,” I say slowly.

“Yeah, your uncle had problems with his marriage, and divorcing that bitch of an ex-wife was one of the happiest days of his life. But after the divorce, he became a member of the club, and when your cousin came of age, Layla joined too. She hooked up with Tyler almost immediately, as you may have guessed, and they’ve been happy for a while now. But yeah. It was your uncle who encouraged me to join a couple years back.”

I shake my head.

“I’m not surprised. Uncle Jock has always been something of a maverick.”

My dad lets out a laugh as we drive down a windy road sheltered by trees. The forest is quite dense now, and I can’t see more than ten feet into the foliage.

“You can say that again. Jock’s always been the wild one of the two of us. Even when we were boys, he was a risk-taker. Sure, I got your Mom pregnant while we were in high school, but Violet was my steady girlfriend. By contrast, your Uncle Jock has been hooking up with women left and right ever since I can remember. I’m surprised he even got married, to be honest.”

“But he has Layla now, and he’s happy right?”

My dad grins.

“Yeah, he’s happy. Layla’s an adult, and she’s happy too, which makes him even happier. The club has met our needs in ways we didn’t anticipate, and I think that’s one of the best parts. Sometimes, you don’t know what you’re missing in life, Nats. Sometimes it takes some exploration and Dads and Daughters is a great way to get that done in a safe environment.”

“How so?” I ask curiously. “I mean, the girls are hooking up with strangers basically, right?”

My dad shakes his head even as we pull up in front of a huge lodge. It looks like a log cabin on steroids, with a steep, pitched roof; a set of solid oak doors; and a porch with a couple rockers out front. The entire look is a fancy ski lodge crossed with a hunting cabin. I can’t wait to see what they have inside.

But Jack hasn’t forgotten my question. He turns off the ignition and faces me in the truck.

“Well, Natalie, a lot of guys want their daughters to have good first times, if you will. They don’t want their daughters pawed by some teenage asshole who’s going to use her and then run off. So instead, we save our daughters’ initiations for an older man who knows what he’s doing. He cares about her, and makes sure that she’s taken care of. Even if it’s not love per se, it’s a sacred ritual, and we treat it that way.”

I stare at him.

“Have you initiated anyone? Oh wait, you initiated Sienna with Uncle Jock, right?”

He nods, and his blue eyes go fierce.

“Yes. I take the role of initiator very seriously, as do all of the dads in the club. It’s something that we don’t take lightly. After all, how would you like it if your daughter was being initiated by an asswipe? Personally, I’d choke him to death with my bare fists if that happened to you, sweetheart.”

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