“He cried twice about it yesterday.” Cass throws me under the bus with a soft smile. “Dad, I know you have your feelings about Chase. But… I’m honestly glad it’s him instead of Derek.”
Oh yeah,she’s definitely getting anything she wants to repay her for that.
Dave’s eyebrows are drawn together so tightly they create a canyon in the skin between them. His eyes slice between me and Cass. “Let me be clear, Red. I don’t trust you. I don’t think you’re good enough for my daughter, and I haveverylow expectations for you as a father.”
“I know I’m not good enough for Cass. Don’t need to tell me what I already know.” I stare back at Dave’s unwavering glare. “I think I’ll be a pretty good dad, though.”
His nose crinkles with disagreement, huffing. “Mmm—Apple doesn’t usually fall far from the tree.”
“Dad, that’s not fair.” Cass shakes her head with a sneer.
Fucking typical. It always comes back to my piece-of-shit father.
“He taught me exactly whatnotto do. I’m not him. Not even fucking close.”
Dave shrugs, likely not believing me. People don’t know half of what went on at home. Joe Thompson in public was a hot-headed, drunk nuisance.But at home?When I was six, I figured out how to barricade my dresser against my bedroom door to create a makeshift lock. Growing up on a ranch led to a lot of scars—falling off animals, barbed wire scrapes, and climbing trees, all marked up my body. But most people don’t know that Wells Ranch wasn’t the only source of my injuries. I might drinkmore than I should sometimes, and I’ll be the first to admit I can have a temper, but I’m not a mean drunk. Definitely not abusive.
“If my dad is your main argument against me, what about Cass’s mom?” I’m quickly losing control of the heat swirling inside me. I know it’s not fair to pull Cass into this with me, but my brain’s scrambled and a landslide of words tumble out. “She’s nothing like her mom, but I’m automatically the same as my dad?”
“That’s different.” Dave clocks my clenched fists and raises a brow, clearly thinking he’s onto something. Of course he thinks that’s different somehow.
“Honestly, fuck off. This is between Cass and me. You can think whatever the hell you want about me—it doesn’t change the fact that we’re having a babytogether,and I’m stepping up to the fucking plate. None of this involves you.”
“None of this involves me?” Dave yells, rocking forward like he’s ready to launch himself at me. “Cassidy is my daughter and—”
“And she’s carrying mine!”
My chest rises and falls in a rapid commotion, hot blood pooling in my ears, tension building in my fists.
“Chase! Dad!” Cassidy’s pleading voice brings everything to a grinding halt.
“I’m gonna head out. See if the roads cleared back to the ranch.” I stand, shaking my clenched hands out and heading for the door. If I stay a second longer, I’ll punch my baby’s grandfather and lose any chance of being allowed around the baby or Cass.
I’m halfway to my truck when I hear the front door shut and Cass calling my name. She’s barefoot, tiptoeing on the balls of her feet through the ankle-deep snow.
“You’re gonna get frostbite,” I say.
“I just needed to tell you that I’m going to talk to him, okay? It won’t be terrible like this forever. He just…”
“Thinks I’m a piece of shit. It’s fine. I’m used to it. Your feet can’t handle getting any colder than they usually are. Go back in, and I’ll talk to you later.”
“My dad being upset about this doesn’t change anything, so you know. We’re still friends, and I still want you to do this with me.” Her hand smooths over her stomach. “I’ll try to talk to him. Can you come over again tonight?”
I want to kiss her, despite the stupid rule she created. But tenderly kissing her in front of her house, with her dad inside, is a boyfriend move. And we’ve already established I’mnotthat.
“Please, Chase.”
A cozy warmth settles over me, despite the snowy weather. “I like that you’ve been calling me Chase.”
“It suits you better. Are you going to come over?”
“I’ll be here.”
Even though I shouldn’t. I’m not the right guy for Cass. For a minute, I was starting to think I could be, but her dad jarred me back to reality. I’m only here because she’s too good a person to tell me not to be.
Even still, if she asks, I’ll be here.
14
