Page 101 of Silver Player

Giant smiles, shaking his head. He’s been less grumpy now that he has Letty in his life. She lives in Chicago, though, and I don’t know how he does the long-distance relationship thing. For now, I know he has his reasons, but still. I’d want my woman daily, if I wanted a woman, which I don’t.

My eyes drift to the window once again.

“That’s what huh means.” He lifts his beer and points the stein in my direction. I’ve been caught.

“What’s going on?” He nods toward the glass.“I don’t think your wandering eyes are looking for your daughter. But you don’t like Roxanne if I remember correctly.” His lips slowly turn upward like he knows something else.

“I don’t. I didn’t. I…I don’t know.” My shoulders sag. I messed up so badly this morning, and all I want to do is turn back time and crawl under the bedsheet tent and bury myself inside her. I need a do-over. “We’ve been seeing a lot of each other.”

“Dating is hard,” Giant agrees.

“We aren’t dating,” I snap. I don’t know what we’re doing, and at this point, I don’t even think we’re doing anything ever again.

“You just said you were seeing each other.”

“You’re seeing someone?” My attention turns to the Minnie Mouse voice squeaking to my right.

“Kristy,” I grit. Usually, I do a duck and cover when I see her coming, but I’d been so focused on the window I hadn’t notice her arrival.

“Billy Harrington, did I just hear you’re dating someone?”

“Me?” I choke. “You know I don’t date, honey.” I wink at her and catch the eye of my brother. His face hardens as he watches me.

“Well, that’s what you’ve been telling me for months. You still like doing other things, right, sugar?” She’s leaning over the bar, pressing her fake tits together, making them swell enough they might pop out her low-cut T-shirt. It’s too cool outside for such a shirt, but I know what she’s playing at and what she’s insinuating.

“I sure do. I’m always up for a good time.” I smile, but my teeth clench. A hand hits my shoulder hard and holds. I look over at Clyde, who’s watching me almost as intently as my brother. The words taste acidic on my tongue, and then something catches in my periphery.

“Billy Harrington, you’ve been avoiding me.” Kristy interjects into my upset.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mock, knowing full well what she means.

“It’s been months.”

Nearly six, but who’s counting.

“I’ve missed you,” she pouts, and I might throw up a little in my own mouth. There’s nothing for Kristy to miss. It was one night and too many drinks.

“I heard you have a daughter.” She lowers her voice like it’s top secret information. “I didn’t know you wanted to be a family man.” Stars fill her eyes. Oh, hell no.

“I didn’t,” I say, finding another statement burning my tongue. Once upon a time, I figured Rachel and I would have kids eventually, but she’d been holding out on me for so long, or so I thought, and I thought children might never happen. I later learned she hadn’t wanted children in the conventional manner, and she’d been on the pill our entire marriage.

“It’s okay with me. I find daddies sexy.”

Something was so wrong in Kristy’s statement, and I stare back at her while she leans against the bar.

“I have something to do in my office,” I state, dismissing myself and making a hasty exit from the main bar. I usually duck into the kitchen and take the stairs to my second-floor office that way, but for some reason, I head to the main stairwell leading to the party floor. Just as I open the door to the well, I hear the sharp sound of heels following me.

“Honey.” I turn, attempting flirtation as a decoy. “You know you can’t come into my office.” It’s the excuse I used when I led her to her car and took her in the back seat like some pubescent teen. It’s my policy with any woman, except Roxie. She’s been in there on a few occasions.

Roxanne is the exception to everything.

“But you’ve been avoiding me for so long, and you seem so stressed lately.” She sidles up to me, slipping her arms over my shoulders. My skin crawls, and I circle her wrists, drawing her hands off me. Her fingers drag down my chest until I step back, holding her at arm’s length.

“I’m not stressed,” I say with a little too much force. “I’m just busy.” I’m not about to go into the details of embracing my new responsibility and learning about my daughter while fucking up the first relationship I’ve had in years. Kristy isn’t the person to share such things with. Roxie is. My chest aches.

“You could be busy with me,” she pathetically flirts, attempting to step into me as the door to the stairwell opens.

“Dad, why is—” Her words stop as I look up. Sadie’s eyes shift between me and Kristy and then fall to my hands around Kristy’s wrists and her body leaning toward mine.