Page 63 of Axe Marks the Spot

“Yeah, honey?”

“I go visit Dad soon, right?”

At the mention of Jeremy, I attempt to keep a calm and cool face. I’d nearly forgotten he existed with everything that’s been happening recently. Dane has replaced my thoughts of him, which, until a second ago, I thought was a good thing. But maybe it’s not so good considering he’s supposed to be my platonic Dom.

“Yep. Next weekend.”

She plays with her food. “Do you think he’d come here instead?”

The idea of Jeremy coming here, invading my mountain town, which has truly become my safe haven away from bad memories, makes my skin crawl.

“No, it’s better if you go visit him in Santa Solana.”

“Can I skip it then?”

My eyebrows lift, her question surprising me. “Why? I thought you liked visiting your dad. Did something happen last time?”

She shakes her head, and relief floods me.

“Then what is it, honey?”

“I don’t want to miss the obstacle course.”

I stab a forkful of salad, thinking this is my perfect way to ask about Tyler. “Oh?” She nods. “Does this have to do with a certain guy in attendance?”

Kas’s brow furrows before she asks, “You mean Logger Dane?”

“Logger Dane?” I grin.

“Yeah, that’s what we all call him now. He’s nice for an old guy. Kind of reminds me of Uncle Fox but less treelike.”

I laugh. Not only did she call Dane old, but she called Fox a tree. He does have legs and arms like tree trunks, come to think of it.

“Have you told Fox you compare him to a tree?”

“Yep.”

I shake my head at my kid and eat a bite of my food before answering her previous question. “I can ask your dad if we can reschedule, but you start school at the end of August, so it gets a bit tricky.”

“That’s why dad should come here. Can’t he stay at the motel or something? Or with us?”

I think of Jeremy and his prissy girlfriend in a cheap motel and almost cackle. Then I think about him in my home, and I want to throw up.

“He’d rent a house,” I say. “But I don’t think he’ll have time with such short notice. And you know he works a lot, too.”

“But so do you.”

Kas doesn’t say it with any malice, but I see the way her eyes lose a bit of their sparkle. Guilt over my work schedule and lack of time with her that I’d managed to shove down by hanging out with her today comes back in full force.

“I know. I’m sorry.” I wish I could say something different, like if her asshole dad paid child support on time instead of being a dick, then I wouldn’t have to work so much.

That reminds me, I need to call my lawyer and see if there’s any update on that front. I just haven’t had the time.

Kas picks up a french fry and plops it back down on her plate. I’m about to change the subject from me being a crap mom and her asshole dad to asking her about Tyler when the door to the diner jingles.

I’m sitting with my back to the door, but Kas looks up at whoever walked in, and the spark in her eye flickers back to life. I’m about to turn to see if it’s Nathan or one of her friends when she says, “Logger Dane!”

The back of my neck prickles, and I know without turning that Dane is staring at the back of my head. I hear his booted footsteps, and a second later, he’s standing at the head of our table. He’s freshly showered, silver and dark-brown hair damp so it looks darker in color than usual. The scent of his cologne, or whatever it is on his person, wafts to my nose, and my mouth waters at the masculine scent.