Page 32 of Chasing Honor

It took me a moment to digest what I was seeing. Honor, Carson, and my mom were in the kitchen. Carson was standing on a chair mixing waffle batter, my mom and Honor were watching her and smiling. My dad was sitting at the table, coffee in hand.

“Morning,” I said to him as I passed the table in need of my own cuppa joe. “Good morning, Mom.” I kissed the top of her head then poured my morning pick-me-up. “Smells good,” I told Carson and, without thinking, I kissed Honor as I passed.

Shit.

Three pairs of eyes bugged out. My mom was the first to recover. Her smile told me she approved, which should’ve put me at ease, but didn’t. I had fucked up big time, kissing Honor in front of Carson.

“The next batch ready, darlin’?” Honor asked Carson, ignoring the gigantic elephant in the room.

“Almost,” Carson answered, giving the batter another fast beating with the whisk. “Now it's done.” She pushed the bowl toward Honor.

“Great job. Why don’t you go set the table?” Carson jumped off the chair and went about grabbing the plates someone had already set out on the counter. Then Honor turned to me. “Go. Enjoy your coffee with your dad. Your mom and I will finish up.”

Not believing it was possible, my mom’s smile got bigger with every order Honor doled out.

“Are you trying to tell me I’m in the way?”

“Kinda.”

“Copy that, smalls.”

My ass hadn’t even warmed the chair before my dad tore his gaze away from the women bustling around the kitchen and leveled one of his legendary “Dad Glares” at me. Carter and I had coined the look as legendary by the time we were teenagers. One glance and we’d spill our guts. It was good to know, at twenty-four, the look still worked; I was ready to tell him all my secrets.

“Glad to see you lowered the shield, son.”

What could I say to that? If I denied it, he’d know I was lying in a red-hot-second. If I confirmed, he’d circle the waters like a shark and start asking questions I didn’t have the answers to. I knew my dad wanted what was best for me. He’d always told Carter and me he wanted nothing more than for us to find good women.

“Daddy? Gran said I could go over and swim later. Is that okay with you?”

Normally, Carson and I would veg out in the house on Sunday mornings—just the two of us. Weekends were precious to me, I got to have my daughter’s undivided attention. But for the first time, I wanted someone else’s attention—undivided and uninterrupted.

“Sure, Squirt.”

“Really? I can go?” Carson threw her arms around my neck and kissed my cheek. “Thanks. You’re the best, most wonderful dad in the world.”

“All that because I said yes, to swimming?” My dad and I chuckled.

“Breakfast,” my mom announced bringing over a plate stacked tall with piping hot waffles. My dad stood and took the plate from my mom, setting it in the middle of the table. I followed suit when Honor approached, taking the syrup and butter from her.

“You sit next to Daddy,” Carson told Honor.

In a moment of disbelief, I stared at Carson. She always, and I mean always, insisted she got the chair next to mine. Even when her favorite uncle, Carter, was in town, she still favored me.

I pulled out the chair for Honor to sit, and Carson took the chair at the end of the table on the other side of Honor.

“Thanks,” Honor mumbled and sat.

“Everything looks great. I’m happy to see my son and granddaughter are no longer starving,” my dad said.

“Lenox,” my mom scolded.

“What? I didn’t know it was a secret Ethan’s a crappy cook.”

“Hush,” my mom tried again.

“You don’t have to worry, Pop. Honor is teaching me to cook. We made meatballs and a roast and baked chicken. She even taught me how to make homemade pizza,” Carson told him.

“Is that right?” My dad looked across the table at me and realized there’d been more going on than just the kiss he’d witnessed.