McKenna held up her hand to cut him off. “I agreed to do it. He didn’t force me. He asked and I said yes.”
“Kenny,” Dad said, shaking his head. He’d made a couple of comments, just in passing, over this season about her working too hard. He knew why she did it, so he didn’t usually push the envelope. “I think we both know you have a hard time saying no to Benny because you’re determined to prove you deserve the job. You’ve proven that, kiddo. A million times over.”
She appreciated him saying that. Not that it would stop her from feeling otherwise, but that was simply because it was in her nature to worry.
“Maybe so, but I still agreed.”
“So what happened? Why are you here tonight?”
“A bunch of the guys went to the pub to celebrate tonight’s win.”
Dad’s nod told her that he knew that.
“I was there too. Tank was late.”
Dad grimaced. “I held him back after the other guys left.”
“I know,” she said. “You’re giving him a hard time because of me.”
He shrugged, not bothering to deny it.
“Anyway, Tank showed up later…with Lara. She’s one of the women from that video.”
“I know who she is,” Dad said.
“He said he was just giving her a ride because someone had vandalized her car, but seeing them together…” Her throat started to close again.
“You realized you have feelings for him.”
“It’s not fake to me anymore. Actually, I’m not sure it ever was,” she confessed.
“But it is for Tank.” Dad’s words weren’t a question, but McKenna felt like maybe they should be. Mom seemed to believe—though it was probably wishful thinking—that Tank’s feelings might be genuine, too.
“I don’t know,” she said. “Neither of us has admitted it’s not fake, but when we’re together…” She felt her cheeks heating, knew without a mirror she was blushing.
Dad blew out a hard breath. Mercifully—for both of them—the kettle began whistling. He got up and made them both a cup of tea, delivering them to the table and resuming his seat.
“The two of you are sleeping together,” he said, as McKenna bit her lower lip, flames erupting on her face.
“Yes,” she whispered. “I know it was stupid, but…” There wasn’t anything to say after “but.” It was just plain stupid. She wasn’t a casual-sex girl, and she knew that going in. The problem was, nothing with Tank felt casual. It just felt…wonderful and right.
“When he walked into the pub with Lara, I realized I’d let it all go too far. And while Tank assured me it was perfectly innocent, that he’d only given her a lift, I couldn’t help but remember all of Eddie’s lies when I confronted him about Lisa.”
Dad knew about Eddie, the two of them discussing her ex when she called to tell him she was considering a move to Baltimore, and he’d asked why. She hadn’t gone into a lot of the emotional details, merely stating that it was hard working with her ex-boyfriend and the woman he cheated on her with.
“I’m sorry, Kenny,” Dad said, reaching over and patting her hand consolingly. “Have you talked to your mom? What does she say?”
“She thinks I should talk to Tank about my feelings.”
Dad grinned crookedly. “Of course, she does. Your mother is the queen of talking out feelings.”
McKenna was slightly confused by that response, mainly because while she knew that, she didn’t know how her father did.
Dad answered her unspoken question. “I’ve called Ellie quite a lot over the years,” he confessed. “Your mom’s been helping me deal with…”
“Me?”
“No. Not you. Me,” he replied. “And my feelings.”
