As long as it doesn’t involve any naked body parts on any of my desks, yes.
Scout’s honor.
I reach the sand before Leo, completing a series of stretches while I wait for him to arrive. As I move through my flow, my mind reels with ideas as a plan begins to form. I’m practically vibrating with excitement when he shows up, asking far too enthusiastically, “What are Willow’s favorite flowers?”
He frowns, crossing his arms. “Awfully focused this morning, are we?”
“You’ll have my undivided attention as soon as you answer.”
“Sunflowers.” He rolls his eyes, but his lips twitch upward. “Because they follow the sun. They’re always drawn to light. She loved that fact when she was a little girl.”
“That sounds like something she’d love.” I smile. “Do you think it would be possible for me to take the afternoon off from Heathen’s?”
“I suppose,” Leo drawls, raising a brow slowly. “What for?”
“Was gonna drive over to Golden State and see Penelope. She’s teaching her lecture there today.” I rock back and forth on my heels.
“The same lecture my daughter assists?”
“Oh, is that...” I cough a laugh, rubbing the back of my neck. “I completely forgot she’d be there.”
“I’m sure.” He deadpans. “Impress me today, and we’ll see.”
Hours later, I’m panting, dripping with saltwater, and high off one of the best training sessions of the summer, smiling like a goddamn fool as I wade out of the waves beside Leo. The swell ischoppy today, the conditions less than ideal, and yet I performed damn near flawlessly.
“So…” I plop my board into the stand, tilting my head at Leo as a shit-eating grin splits my face. “How about that afternoon off?”
He scoffs, rolling his eyes, though I don’t miss the twitch of his lips. “I suppose I could find someone to cover for you, but?—”
A chiming erupts from the bag at my feet where we keep our phones and towels. I squat to check, and find it’s my phone ringing with a number I don’t recognize, and several previously missed calls from the same number. When I silence it, Leo asks, “Who is it?”
“Dunno.” I shrug. “No ID.”
He nods toward my screen, jaw hard set and strained. “Answer it.”
His tone leaves no room for question, so I swipe my thumb across the screen and raise my phone to my ear. “Hello?”
“Is this Weston?” The voice on the other side of the line is deep and stern.
“Yeah? Who’s this?”
“Are you dating Willow Graham?”
I glance at Leo before muting myself. “He asked if I’m dating Willow.”
Leo puts his hands on his hips, raising his head toward the sky as he lets out a long sigh. “Fuck.”
I unmute myself. “Why don’t you tell me who I’m talking to and maybe I’ll answer your question.”
“Speaker,” Leo barks, and I tap the speaker phone button.
“Is that Daddy?” The rough laugh echoed on the other side grates every nerve ending in my body. “He know that his daughter is fucking a criminal? Attempted murder, if the article I read from after you were stripped of your title is correct.”
Shame mists over me, and I flick my gaze away from Leo. Of course, he knows everything. He accepted me and my past, but that was before I got involved with his daughter, and the truth of who I am—who I come from—is a sucker punch for both of us, I’m sure.
“Fuck you,” I grit, masking the humiliation in my voice with rage.
He laughs again. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, though. Really, Weston, I’m a friend. I’m offering you a warning, man. You should be aware of the kinda girl you’re with now. Did you know she?—”
