Page 40 of The Dating Mishapp

He shakes his head and sucks his teeth. “And he died never having met his daughter?”

I nod, pushing away thoughts of Kyle Crawford.

“What about his family?”

“They sent checks until she was eighteen, but they said it was too hard to see her.”

Two minutes later, we arrive at my house, and I point to my driveway. “Go around back.”

Once he kills the engine, something occurs to me. “Wait, I never gave you my address.”

He releases his seat belt and chuckles. “Just another perk of being Chief.”

I open the door, but it’s a long way down to the ground. As I start to step out of his truck, my foot slips on the ice. My hands clutch onto his shoulders as he catches me.

“I’ve got you,” he murmurs, pulling me close and letting me slide down his chest. His breath is warm on my face and the scent of his cologne tickles my nose. The temptation to kiss him is almost too much to bear. The way he looks at me sends shivers down to my toes.

“I’ve got you,” he repeats, scooping me up like a bride.

“I can walk,” I protest.

“Too late.”

He bends to the side and retrieves something from the ground.

“Did I drop something?”

He shakes his head. “Change of clothes.”

“Overnight bag?”

His eyes connect with mine and his lips graze over my cheek. “As tempting as that is, I was hoping to change out of this bloody monkey suit.”

“Oh.” I know my disappointment is evident.

As Jack carefully carries me across the slick driveway, he mentions the earlier scuffle.

“Oh, God! You mean the dating mishap?”

“You were dating that guy?”

He sets me down, so I unlock the back door. “No, Kylie had this brilliant idea to set up an online profile and find a man for me. Turns out he was supposed to be my blind date.”

As soon as we enter the kitchen, my nose scrunches at the smell of a floral fragrance.

“What’s that smell?” he asks.

I wrack my brain trying to place the scent then grimace when I realize where it’s coming from. “Ugh! I bet Kylie left her candle burning.”

Following me through the house, Jack stops at the entrance of my daughter’s messy bedroom. It’s a disaster with clothes and shoes strewn everywhere. I’m embarrassed for her.

“That’s not safe.”

“Obviously.” I blow out the candle. “My father would be so mad right now. He doesn’t allow my mother to burn candles. Hazard of the job, I guess.”

His expression appears strained as he nods. “I get it, trust me.”

The iPad on her bed pings with an alert. I wonder if Tre is messaging her. As soon as Jack leaves, I swear I’m going to delete that stupid dating app, the source of tonight’s trouble.

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