“Meetings wrapped up early,” he says, following me into the kitchen. “Thought I’d surprise my little girl.”
I wince at the stark reminder of exactly who Tessa is to him. “Right. Well, I’m sure she’ll be surprised when she wakes up.”
He turns to look around the cabin. His gaze lingers on my bedroom door a second longer than it should. Or maybe it’s my imagination. “She’s still sleeping?”
I nod. “I gave her my room.” I don’t meet his gaze while I scoop grounds into the filter. “Better than the old cot.”
“Thanks.” He grunts his approval. “For taking care of her for me. When she called to say she was in town…” He blows a low whistle. “I don’t want to think what might have happened if you hadn’t been here.”
It’s a damn good thing he doesn’t know what happened because Iwashere.
And he never will.
“It’s all good. You know I got you, brother.”
He clasps his hand on my shoulder, and I finally turn. The gratitude is all over his face, and it hits me hard. Wearebrothers. We literally went to war for each other. Would do anything for each other, and I just…
I’m the biggest asshole who ever lived. I can’t just stand here and?—
“Dad!”
We both spin at the sound of her voice. Iwatch my best friend’s face light up as she appears, fresh out of the shower, dressed in her own clothes—my shirt noticeably absent—her hair still damp at the edges, looking like she didn’t just have my hands all over her minutes ago.
He pulls her into a hug, and I step back instinctively, creating space I sure as hell didn’t want earlier.
Watching Luke embrace his daughter drives something sharp through me. I’d been about to—what?Tell him?That would have been a dick move, and I know it. If Luke found out what’s been going on for the last few days, it would destroy him. That won’t be good for anyone.
Besides. She’s leaving. It’s not like we were ever going tobeanything.
It might kill me to keep quiet, but that’s on me. I won’t do anyone any good by admitting the truth only to make myself feel better.
Tessa
It’s weird seeing them together.
Not wrong. Just weird.
My dad and my lover.
My dad’s just standing in the cabin like he belongs there. And maybe he does. At least more than I do. After all, he’s been Holt’s best friend since before I was born.
And Holt is next to him as if nothing has changed.
Like he didn’t just have me beneath him, his fingers inside me, less than an hour ago.
I should feel guilty.
I don’t.
If anything, the sight of Holt in his jeans and worn T-shirt, coffee mug in hand, looking unfairly hot, only reminds me how right everything between us has felt.
But the three of us in this room together, my dad’s arms around me—makes it feel like something is wildly out of place.
Dad pulls back from our hug and holds me at arm’s length. “You look good, kiddo.” He brushes the damp hair from my face. “So grown up.”
Behind us, Holt chokes on a cough.
Oh?That’s interesting. And I can definitely work with that.
