Page 16 of Dax (Big Hot Alphas 1)

“Hey, man,” I say. “Looking a lot better than the last time I saw you.”

“I should hope so,” he says. “Thanks again for the lift that night.”

“Just glad I could help,” I say.

It’s obvious that Ian’s trying his best to be relaxed about all this. At the same time, there’s a shade of resentment in his voice.

Not that I blame the guy. Hell, if I was in his shoes—if my only daughter was seeing some dude fifteen years her senior—I’d probably be acting a lot less polite than he is right now.

But it’s not like I’m just trying to get into Bailey’s pants. I’m fucking inlovewith the girl.

I ask Alice if I can do anything to help with dinner. She just smiles and tells me to make myself at home. But Bailey can tell that I’d rather make myself useful, and she hands me a stack of plates.

I bring them into the dining room and Bailey follows behind with silverware in hand. She sets it down on the table and comes up to me to give me a quick peck on the cheek.

“I apologize in advance if this meal is super awkward,” Bailey says quietly.

“Don’t worry about it, baby,” I say. “I can handle it.”

Bailey and I finish setting the table just as a timer goes off in the kitchen. A few minutes later, we’re all sitting down to eat.

At first, it feels like this evening might actually go by without incident. Alice keeps the conversation light and casual, and it seems like the resentful vibe I got a whiff of from Ian when I first got here has been reined in.

But halfway through dessert, I reflexively reach out to brush away a crumb of coffee cake from the side of Bailey’s mouth, and I immediately feel her father’s eyes on me.

“So, Dax,” says Ian, his voice lower than usual. “Guess you know that Bailey talked to us about you two.”

“Yessir,” I say.

“You have a thing for dating young women?”

“Ian,” Alice says quickly. “That’s not—”

“I can’t ask the man a damn question?” Ian snaps.

“Why don’t we have this conversation another time?” Alice suggests.

Ian grunts, throws his napkin onto the dining table, and pushes back his chair. The wood screeches across the floor, a sound that makes Bailey grimace.

Ian grumbles something under his breath and walks away from the table.

Bailey rises from her chair, too. But I reach out and catch her hand before she can go after him.

“I’ll talk to him,” I say, getting up from my seat.

Walking through the house, I spot him standing out on the back patio. As I step outside to join him, he remains facing away from me, his arms crossed in front of him as he looks out into the woods.

“Ian,” I say.

He doesn’t say anything. Doesn’t even look in my direction.

“Ignore me all you want, but I’m not going back inside,” I tell him.

When he finally turns around, I see that his expression is filled more with sorrow than anger.

“She’s my only daughter, Dax,” he says.

“I know that,” I say. “Look, Ian. I don’t just want tobewith Bailey. I want to care for her, support her, be her rock. I want to have a family with her.”

---