Hell, the whole reason he’d set his alarm was that he’d secretly been hoping Teagan would need to borrow his ovens again. Why he’d been disappointed when she didn’t show up was beyond him. He had more offers from women than he had days in the week. So why then was he so caught up on the comings and goings of a woman he should be avoiding?
One month was all it took for Teagan to draw him into her crazy, chaotic, sexy vortex. He found it humorous that she was always pointing the finger at her sister for being a hurricane when Teagan herself could be a category five. It appeared Colin was drawn to hurricanes. Which explained why he was sitting in the one place that provided a clear view into her kitchen.
For the most part it was nothing but dirty bowls and cluttered counters. But every once in a while, he’d catch a glimpse of a knockout in an apron, flour, and, of course, her barely-there pajamas. It reminded him of that barely-there bra. It had been peach, lacy, and the inspiration for recent cold morning showers.
He hadn’t been this giddy to see a girl since high school. Same girl, vastly different circumstances. Didn’t mean he wasn’t going to visit the farmer’s market later. The way she glided around the kitchen, shaking her bum as if listening to an upbeat song, had him grinning.
His original plans had been an early morning surf, then heading to the clinic to start his patient load. He’d decided to skip the surf and instead go to the farmer’s market.
Ethan’s family was coming over for dinner and Colin had been thinking about barbecuing some salmon, and maybe steamed clams, in his mom’s garlic and white wine recipe. All ingredients he could get at the farmer’s market. Maybe he’d pick up a loaf or two of fresh sourdough to soak up the clam broth.
He didn’t know why he kept putting himself in the way of the woman he was trying to avoid. Maybe it was because he felt bad for her. Divorce was hard. Being a single parent was overwhelming. Not that there weren’t amazing moments. In fact, most of his time as a parent had been incredible. But it was the difficult times that really tested a person. And Teagan seemed to be tested at every turn.
At least Colin had Ethan and Kim, and when Maddison had been little, his parents had been a huge help. Teagan had Harley, but it was clear she wasn’t confident she could rely on her sister. Colin understood that fear—he’d lived it. It was better to have no help than someone who would disappoint your kid.
The doorbell rang and a small ripple of anticipation zinged through his body. He walked through the house, took in a deep breath, went for casual, and opened the door. “You come to show me your cupcakes?”
“Uh, no, sir, but I’d be happy to go get you some if you’d like.” Dressed in a pair of board shorts, a hooded sweatshirt, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it beard, his beanpole of a lawn boy shifted nervously from side to side.
“You okay?” Colin asked.
Kade just nodded, took off hisPACIFIC COLLEGE SURFING TEAMballcap to wipe his forehead, put it back on, and nodded again.
“Oh man, did I forget to pay you this month?” Colin asked, rifling through the catch-all bowl on the entry table for his money clip. “How much do I owe you?”
It appeared Teagan wasn’t the only one letting things slip through the cracks. Skipping a payment to Kade wasn’t like being late on the cable bill. The kid was a hard worker and most of his money went to help his mom.
“Yes, well . . . no, sir.” The kid nervously shuffled his feet. “I mean, yes, sir. You owe me for two weeks, but I’m not here on business.”
Colin barely suppressed a grin. He liked this kid. Punctual, respectful, a hard worker. All traits that made him a good mini-entrepreneur. Even if he did look as if he were about to puke.
“All right, what can I do for you?”
“I was hoping you’d tell Maddie I’m here.”
“Not going to happen.” Colin slammed the door, then reopened it, right as Kade was getting ready to knock again. “And you’re fired.”
“You didn’t hire me, sir. Maddie did.”
“For what?”
“Surfing lessons.”
Colin thought back to the bathing suit he’d discovered in her closet. Not that he’d been snooping around—even he had his boundaries—but he’d been looking for her laundry hamper and there it was, two red triangles held together with fishing line. He hadn’t seen the bottoms. Didn’t need to. He knew exactly what went with that top.
His worst nightmare.
Surfing lesson, his ass. Maddie had hired a twenty-year-old college sophomore as an instructor, a boy who was studying marine biology and How to Seduce Girls at the local junior college. If she needed surfing lessons, Colin could teach her. When he was younger, he could have gone pro if vet school hadn’t been calling.
“Yeah, that’s a hard no.” And he slammed the door—for a final time.
This was how he’d survived single parenthood, using skills left over from medical school to analyze and categorize information at lightning speed, then taking quick and decisive action. Sure, he’d made some mistakes over the years, but keeping his family in the forefront of his priorities was key. So it surprised him that he was waffling somewhere between Ethan and Kim’s advice.
He didn’t want Maddie to sneak behind his back. Then again, he didn’t want her losing sight of the next chapter of her life—her life away from Pacific Cove. No matter how much he griped about her leaving for college, or how much the idea made his heart ache. He was proud of Maddie for working hard and getting into one of the most competitive public universities in the country. But, damn, he was going to miss her. He also wasn’t going to be there.
So while he wanted to tell the kid to fuck off, he was no longer confident about what the right call was. He opened the door. “Come back after three and you and I will have a talk. Just you and me, man to man, and we’ll see how I feel then.”
Kade actually smiled as if he’d just won the lottery.
