Page 3 of Steamy Mountain Daddy

“I need a minute,” I grumbled, unable to meet Charlotte’s eyes.

I didn’t wait for a response as I quickly turned on my heel and walked away, even ignoring the giant dog that lay on the floor, sleeping. My mind was racing as I walked out the front door, seeing that it was getting pretty dark outside already. I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea for me to leave tonight, so I would just have to bear with it tonight.

“Taylor.” I heard a deep voice grumble from behind me.

I spun around, half expecting to see Rhydian to chew me out, but I was taken back to see Laz standing there, an unreadable expression on his face that I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to decipher. I cleared my throat, but I wouldn’t show him any weakness as I crossed my arms over my chest, glaring at him.

“What do you want?” I muttered, not caring if he liked me or not.

Laz seemed to feel the same way.

“Listen, I don’t know why Charlotte didn’t tell you what had happened between her and her bastard ex, but I’m sure she will tell you now.” Laz muttered, a dark look in his eyes that scared me even so, “but I’m going to just tell you this. I love Charlotte. She is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I quite frankly don’t care if you don’t like me or whatnot. It’s not your opinion that matters to me. Charlotte has been so excited about announcing her pregnancy to you, so don’t bring her down just because you want to be an asshole. Come back inside when you can apologize to her.”

“What do I have to apologize for?” I snapped, stiffening my spine as he glared at me, “she’s the one who lied! The one who hid things from me. I have every right to be mad at her right now.”

Laz’s eyes narrowed, and the next words he spoke made my blood run cold, “and I wonder why she did that.”

Before I could have a chance to retort something smart, Laz had already turned around and walked back into the house, letting the door slam shut behind him.

Just what exactly did he mean by that?

I never did anything to deserve to be lied to!

What an ass…

CHAPTER FOUR

Rhydian

The tension in the house was high, and I wasn’t really sure what I was going to be able to do about it. After Taylor had stormed off and Laz had followed her, Charlotte looked like she was about to burst into tears. I wasn’t sure how to console her, to somehow make things right. I didn’t have a chance to though as she got up to her feet, quietly excusing herself before she headed off to her bedroom.

Well, this wasn’t how I was expecting all this to go.

“Fuck!” Laz cursed as he walked into the kitchen, dragging a hand through his hair with irritation, “I swear that woman is going to be the death of me. I really don’t know how Charlotte is related to her!”

“What happened out there?” I asked him curiously, knowing he would’ve kicked her out of here if she wasn’t Charlotte’s sister.

Laz sighed, shaking his head, “I’m not even sure. She’s pissed that Charlotte lied to her. Why Charlotte lied to her, I don’t know, but I’m starting to see the reason. I’m thinking that Taylor thinks she knows everything about Charlotte, and now that Charlotte is doing what she wants, Taylor doesn’t like it.”

I frowned, seeing the frustration on his face. I knew that Laz wanted Taylor to approve of him, but even if she didn’t, he would just give up on Charlotte. He wouldn’t just let others’ opinions of him deter their relationship, but he knew that it was going to cause Charlotte stress.

That doesn’t mean though that Taylor should just do and say as she pleased.

The disrespect there is appalling.

“What should I do, Rhydian?” Laz asked me as he sat down on the chair across from me, his eyebrows etched together in concentration, “yes, I want Taylor to approve of us, but I don’t have to prove anything to her. She’s making it seem like Charlotte and I having a baby is such a big thing. I don’t understand.”

Maybe now would be the best time to tell him.

“I know that now isn’t the best time to tell you, but I feel like you have to know,” I told him, immediately catching his attention because he knew I wouldn’t just say that without a reason.

“Yeah?” Laz looked even more confused, “what happened?”

“When I got here,” I explained to him, hoping that he wouldn’t get too mad that I didn’t tell him right away, “Taylor had said something about getting Charlotte ‘home’. At first, I was confused because this is obvious her home, but now I think Taylor is going to try to get Charlotte to leave here.”

Laz’s eyes flashed, and I saw the anger raging there, his hands clenching slightly, “Charlotte won’t be going anywhere! What exactly is Taylor thinking? Charlotte and I are expecting a baby, does she really think Charlotte is just going to up and leave?”

“She might try to convince Charlotte that you are a bad guy,” I admitted, knowing that Taylor’s intentions here were anything but good.