Page 62

“Iris actually isn’t too pleased that our poker nights always conflict with their girls’ nights,” Dair remarked blandly. Iris was his much younger wife.

I stifled a laugh. He was clearly messing with Turner.

“The poker started initially because all your wives were going to that thing, if you’ll recall,” Turner shot back instantly. “And your wife is banned from playing with us anyway,” Turner continued without stopping for a breath as he shuffled cards. “Did she forget?”

“She cheats,” Estella added dramatically. Iris was one of her closest friends.

“She just never loses,” Heath, Iris’ brother, defended, though his tone was expressionless, just stating facts. He wasn’t much of a talker. “There’s a difference.”

“Even I won’t play with her,” Dair said. He paused. “Poker, that is.”

“We don’t need to know any more of your kinky bedroom shit, man,” Turner told Dair, shooting him a disgruntled look. “We’ve seen and heard enough. Think of your poor brother-in-law.” Turner shot Heath a sympathetic look that bounced off the other man like a rubber bullet.

I refreshed everyone’s drinks, and we took our seats around the table.

Just as we were settling in to play, Nova walked into the room, looking unsure of herself.

Everyone stopped and stared.

I sighed. “Everyone, this is Nova. She’s one of my students, and she’s staying with me.” I went around the room, introducing her to everyone she hadn’t already met.

I wished I’d planned it better, but I hadn’t noticed that the last empty seat at the table was between Rod and Mark, the only other single men here.

I gritted my teeth as she sat between them.

The first thing Rob fucking did was offer her a beer.

“No. No. No,” I said, voice raised a bit and hard with anger. “She can’t drink. She’s a high school student. Use your head.”

“Stern Dad Carter,” Bella said with a grin. “I like it.”

“Stop that,” I said instantly. “That’s not even funny to joke about.”

“Okay, Daddy,” Ariel jumped in. “I think it has a nice ring to it. How about a teeny tiny glass of wine? Can Nova have that? We don’t want her to feel left out.”

“Absolutely fucking not. She’s underage,” I told them sternly.

Just about everyone in the room did a double take at me. I was usually affable to a fault.

“Isn’t she eighteen?” Bella butted in again for no fucking reason.

“She’s still in high school, my student, and under my direct care,” I said, trying to sound calm and reasonable but knowing I was coming off a bit deranged. “She’s not drinking. And in case anyone forgot, twenty-one is the legal drinking age.”

Everyone was staring at me, some of them looking a little shocked.

Not Turner. He was shaking his head and starting to smile. “Haven’t seen the teacher side of you before,” he noted. “You’re like an overprotective dad. Maybe it’s time for you to settle down and have kids. Baby fever’s in the air, if you haven’t heard.”

“Nope, not on my radar,” I said instantly, not even thinking about it. It was the automatic response and always had been. “Maybe in ten years,” I added. “No, more. Fifteen.”

Nova stood suddenly, not looking at anyone. “I’m just going to the restroom,” she said quietly and darted off.

NOVA

I didn’t go to the bathroom. At least not right away. Instead I left the room, lingered just around the corner, and listened in.

What I heard made my shoulders fold forward in defeat. Everything that was said was something I’d already feared, which was why I’d left the room. I hadn’t wanted to betray my reaction when I heard it.

Whatever silly dreams I’d had that we were building something lasting disappeared in a little puff of smoke.