A small smile played at her lips. “Your idea or hers?”
“It was the only place that was open. And it was as terrible as always. And Savannah’s a Marine. She was at my place when mymom got there—once. And I told Mom we were discussing a job. I don’t know why she’d say otherwise.”
She wrung her hands together. “I’m glad. Not about the pizza. I would’ve been surprised if it had been good. But that you didn’t date.”
“Did you?”
“Date?”
“Yeah.” Something flickered over Colt’s face. Uncertainty? Maybe some fear?
“No. Even if I wanted to, which I didn’t, I wasn’t in the mental place for that.” Hell, she’d barely been living.
He looked at her so intensely that, for a moment, she didn’t breathe. She had to force the air into her lungs as she turned and started walking again. Colt met her step for step.
They were almost at The Tea House when a guy stepped out of the café. He had a bag strung over his shoulder.
Indie immediately stopped. His head was down, but she could see who it was.
“That’s him,” she whispered.
“Who?”
“That guy was in the grocery store when I saw your mom. I don’t know who he is, but your mom went really pale and almost ran out of there.”
The man lifted his head, and Colt went very still beside her.
But only for a second—then he moved quickly, grabbing Indie’s arm and tugging her behind him.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Colt suddenly growled. And that rage…it tore through every word.
The man lifted a brow as he stepped closer. “Well, that’s not a nice way to greet your father.”
Fury coursedthrough Colt’s veins. Fury that Gordon Sharpdaredto ever show his face in this town again. That the asshole was standing so fucking close to Indie.
“It takes more than some DNA to make a father,” Colt said, voice low and dangerous. “I’m going to ask you again. What are you doing here?”
Twenty-six years. It had been twenty-six damn years since he’d set eyes on his father, and the asshole looked every one of those years, plus more. The smoking and drugs must have finally caught up with him.
Gordon lifted his hands. “Hey, you may not like me, but I’m still the man who raised you. You’re still a Sharp.”
“Wrong on both counts. You didn’t raise me, and my last name changed the second you left town.”
There was a small narrowing of his eyes. Yeah, the asshole didn’t like that. Good.
Gordon tilted his head to look around him at Indie. “You his?”
“Don’t talk to her. Don’t evenlookat her.”
There was a small lift of the corners of Gordon’s lips. “She the girlfriend?”
“She’s none of your business. Last chance to tell me why you’re here.”
He chuckled, his gaze going to the street before flicking back to Colt. “I’m here to seeyou, son. To see your mother. It’s way overdue.”
“The fuck you are.”
“Don’t believe me?”
