It hadn’t even been a week, and I’d already kissed her father.My emotions were all over the place, but I was doing everything in my power to hide that from Lenni.She was a child, and she needed to see stability in the adults around her during her transition into a new life.
I parked the truck in front of the main house and then climbed out.A gust of wind circled around my head, and I hiked up my collar before I grabbed the Sweet Teeth bag from the passenger seat.The sky was a gray sheet, but it didn’t look like snow or rain.
Archer was pounding out a horseshoe on an anvil when I arrived at his workspace.The clang of metal on metal rang in my ears as I approached.He didn’t see me right away, and I didn’t want to distract him.So I sipped on my coffee and impatiently waited for him to notice me.
Finally, he lifted his head, his brown eyes lit with surprise.“How long have you been standing there?”
“Few minutes.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“You were busy.”I shrugged.
“I didn’t even hear you,” he murmured with a shake of his head.“I get so lost in this sometimes.”
“I get it,” I said, though I didn’t.Not really.No hobby or interest made me lose track of time.I envied him for that.“I brought you something.”
He took the bag and peered into it.“A chocolate croissant?Trying to chocolate me up, are you?”
I smiled slightly.“Can’t really butter you up, can I?”
“All you have to do is smile and I’ll give you anything you want.”
Please don’t say things like that.
I cleared my throat and attempted to sail past it.“I need to talk to you about Lenni.”I took a sip of coffee, my nerves past the point of frazzled.I should’ve switched to green tea.
“What’s wrong with Lenni?”he asked, his flirty smile dropping as he snapped into dad mode.
“I heard her crying at one a.m.”
“Crying?Why?”
“Several reasons, I think.”I gave him a run down about our conversation, but then I added my deeper concern.“I have to quit.”
“Quit?You can’t quit.Lenni needs you.Ineed you.”
I need you.What every woman wanted to hear.
I could feel myself waffling and then I strengthened my resolve.
“Don’t you get it?Lenni’s already attached to me.She’s worried I’m going to leave her just like her mom did.I don’t want to hurt her even more when I ...”
“When you what?”he demanded.
“Go back to New York,” I said lamely.
“Bullshit.”
“Excuse me?”
“I call bullshit.”His eyebrows snapped together in anger.“You’re not going back to New York.And if you are, you’re not going any time soon, so I call bullshit.You’re afraid.”
“Afraid?”I stalked toward him.“You think I’mafraid?Of what?”
“You know what,” he stated.“I kissed you last night and now you’re running scared.And you’re using Lenni as an excuse.”
“Oh please.”I rolled my eyes.“Your kiss might’ve made me weak in the knees, but I’m not a coward.”
