Page 46 of The Daddy’s Girl

“It’s not your fault,” I say with a huff. “Hell, the whole plan to retire and pass it down to them was my idea. I just never imagined I’d be this…”

“Unfulfilled,” he says, finishing my sentence for me.

“Yes.”

He takes another sip with a contemplative expression. “How are the dating apps going?”

I let out a groan, to which he laughs.

“That good, huh?”

“You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” I reply, finishing my glass.

“That’s not true,” he argues. “Look at me. I was older than you are now when I started working at L’Amour. I was older than you when I found Daisy and started a new family. I don’t think it’s ever too late.”

I take his words of wisdom into consideration. I still remember the day Ronan decided to move to Paris full-time to take up a more permanent position at the club. It felt like a new start to my life as well. He wasn’t just my mentor; he became my best friend.

But I find his words hard to believe. Starting over at this age? A new career? A new family? These are things young men dream about, not men well past their prime. Men my age are becoming grandfathers, not fathers.

Rules were made to be broken, though, right?

Ronan finishes his drink before placing a hand on my shoulder. “Don’t give up on the apps yet. You’ve got Amelia to help you, and if I know my daughter, she won’t give up that easily.”

Just hearing the word daughter out of his mouth makes me cringe. And the issue isn’t Amelia giving up; it’s me. But I hope he’s right. I hope Amelia finds the right person for me and gets exactly what she wants.

Rule #13: Don’t make eye contact with your crush when you’re about to kiss your date.

Amelia

Olivia is prettier than I expected. Annoyingly so. And I can’t tell if Matis actually finds her conversation engaging or if he’s just pretending to appease me.

She’s very loud and boisterous, constantly stealing the conversation with jokes and stories about their travels. Across from me, Jacob fidgets uncomfortably with the way his sister is dominating the double date.

“You’ve had a good trip then?” I ask, aiming my question at Jacob. He nods with a grin but stumbles over his response before he’s able to voice it. I can tell he’s shy and slightly awkward, a detail I found endearing and cute when I first met him.

“So tell me, Matis,” Olivia says, leaning over the table toward him. I hate the way she says his name, drawing out the sharp s like it’s a novelty. He is unfazed. “What sort of women do you normally date?”

“Trouble,” he replies with a flirtatious smirk.

My head snaps up, staring at him with astonishment that he would say that to her. That’s what he calls me. But if he meant anything by it, he’s not letting it show now.

Olivia giggles as she brings her glass to her pink-stained lips.

“So…” Jacob stammers. “You grew up in Paris?”

My feet dance under the table, and I’ve practically worn a hole through my bottom lip. Curling my too-short hair behind my ear, I nod. “Yes, I did.”

“You don’t have an accent,” Olivia remarks loudly as if she’s caught me in a lie.

I clench my teeth and force a smile. “I know. It’s probably because I grew up around so many Americans. We spoke English in our home and with friends.”

“Amelia speaks beautiful French, though,” Matis says proudly as he rests a hand between my shoulder blades.

His hand feels like an anchor. It holds me in place, calming my nerves and reminding me that I’m not alone. All too soon, he pulls it away.

“Thank you,” I whisper in response to his compliment.

“Will you say something in French?” Olivia asks, leaning closer to him. Even her brother looks uncomfortable now, and it takes everything in me to appear calm and normal, but my insides feel like I’m being lit on fire from the inside out.