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Lanie kept her voice down, “Jesus. He’s hot. What is going on there? That is the single dad you took in? Yes, daddy!”

I smacked at her with my flip flop. “Stop it!”

“Well, him in a pair of jeans? Fucking yikes! I’d have no self-control, Chlo! I didn’t know you were into older guys.”

“I didn’t say I was.”

Lanie sipped. “Could be fun.”

I snickered. “I have no idea how old he is. I didn’t ask. He’s kind—a little quiet. Piper is a total sweetheart. They keep to themselves.”

Lanie sipped her drink and cocked her head, staring at the same place Cole had been. Wistfully, she sighed, “I was hoping he might take a dip.”

“Down, girl! Look, he’s only here for a bit. I hired him to train my two youngsters and so far they seem happy, so… that is the extent of it, I can assure you,” I said. “He rides western, but his daughter is a cracker jack little dressage rider. They’re a cute family. I hope things work out for them.”

13. LOCKED OUT

CHLOE

I appraised the dwindling crowd at my mother’s party. While I’d gotten my standing ovation, I now waited longingly for the festivities to end. People milled and laughed, but I couldn’t find joy. People kept asking me about Jasper. I told them he wasn’t here and left it at that. Then, I watched their feigned sympathy with a plastered-on smile.

Slowly, one by one, my friends left before me. I knew my parents would guilt me over an Irish goodbye, but I couldn’t lie anymore about Jasper. Nor could I continue through the “I’m so sorry” breakup round up. Once I could, I ducked out.

My hired driver soon dropped me, and I looked around my silent house. Lanie and Baz were asleep, probably. Alone and still mostly sober, I longed to get stoned and eat tacos. As the taco place was closed, I decided to order pizza.

I spotted Cole swimming laps in the pool once I opened the patio doors.

“Damn,” I whispered as I watched Cole slowly freestyle. It was hard to deny just how hot he was. He stopped and I should have looked away, but he caught me in the act.

“Hi,” I said, nervously. “You made use of the pool?”

“Evening,” he said. “Yeah. The weather was too nice. Piper is in with friends.”

“Cool,” I said, not trying to think about how much I wanted to check out his abs—currently buried below the surface. “Well, don’t let me bother you.”

I turned to distract myself, beelining towards the gummies stashed in the cabinet above the fridge, only to fall off the step stool in a legendary way. I luckily landed on the kitchen mat before the sink rather than the hard marble floor. Before I could stand, I got a bit of help.

There, in swim trunks, was Cole aka Sexy Daddy as Lanie dubbed him. He ducked to my level, checking me out like a concerned paramedic. In my ridiculous state, I finally caught sight of his incredible chest. He was in amazing shape for a guy his age and here I was floundering on the floor!

“Did you hit your head? Don’t move,” he said, as though he was saving me from anything more than a slightly bruised behind and some embarrassment.

“No, I’m good. I just fell right on my ass.” I looked at my shoe and saw the heel just flipping around by its leather sole.

“Fuck! These are Prada,” I whined.

He laughed heartily.

I felt judged, “Look I know you probably think I’m shallow or⁠—”

“No, no I didn’t say that,” Cole sat cross-legged and looked at me with sweetness in his eyes.

He nervously ran fingers through his wet hair. As he did, I got a great view of his abs and pecks moving. Fuck. I didn’t usually go for older men. That wasn’t my thing. But right now? He looked like a steak. I’d never do anything about it, of course. That would be stupid.

“I told Piper that spending a lot on brand names doesn’t necessarily mean quality,” he said.

“Correct, but I loved these shoes. To their credit, they’re a decade old. They’ve had some wear.”

I straightened my legs, wincing as the leather strap dug into my ankle. My foot had split the back of the shoe in an odd way.