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“Are you watching the dog?” She asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “It’s convenient. Piper does more with her than I do.”

“She’s so cute,” Chloe cooed. “Oh wait! Is she trapped? We must break the door down!”

Paranoia.

“Nah, she’s fine. If I woke her right now, she’d ignore me. I’ll bother her in the morning. It will be fine.”

I almost dropped the robe, totally out of it before tightening the tie. “Oh! Shit! I forgot myself. Where is… the bathroom?”

“Down the hall, past the butler’s pantry,” Chloe pointed.

I changed quickly, trying not to freak out about how much I hated somewhat clingy athletic shorts and zero underwear. So, I kept on the robe for a little more security. By now, Chloe was back in the kitchen with a fresh pizza, setting out plates.

“Isn’t that like wet? Are you cold?” Chloe asked.

“Oh… uh, no,” I lied.

“Do the shorts not fit? I have⁠—”

“It’s a debatable fit and… I’m not going to say more.” I flushed bright red. “I’m not really a shorts kind of guy.”

“Why is that? Is this a grey sweatpants thing? It has to be. If so, you don’t see what you’re missing out on.”

“A grey sweatpants thing?” I cocked my head as she plated my pizza.

“Yeah, like… you know… they emphasize things.”

“What?” I snickered.

“That is why women like men in grey sweatpants. Make it work for you. You’re single, right?”

“Yeah,” I answered.

Painfully single.

“So, make it work for you. When you find a woman you’re interested in, sidle up to her in grey sweatpants and it will definitely do the trick. Promise you. 110%.”

I shook my head. “That’s not me, Chloe.”

“Yeah, well, sometimes you have to go outside your comfort zone.”

“I am too embarrassed. I already feel bad for almost disrobing in front of you.”

“Why? You saw my tits out there,” she waved her fork. “I am still mortified.”

“Your tits are nothing to be mortified about,” I said, immediately stopping myself.

She did a double take. “Noted. And, given how much the women at the barn fawn over you in jeans, you probably shouldn’t feel bad about the shorts. Just sayin’.”

My jaw dropped. I couldn’t even respond to that.

“Oh, what, you don’t notice? I bet if you asked Piper, she’d be fucking mortified and be like, ‘eww, dad, gross’ because she knows they do. It’s like MILF city. You should be staking your claim, not running. Single dads in the horse show world can get more ass than a toilet seat.”

Her candor surprised me.

“What? Cat got your tongue now, Cole?”