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“Save my life?”
&nb
sp; “Once you’re in the system, Mandy… it ruins you.”
The memories were potent. She could remember him gazing off into some unfocused point in his own history, his own timeline. She had never asked, but she had always suspected that her step-father had been abandoned himself. Only, nobody had come to rescue him and give him a good home. He’d been… in the system.
“Mandy, I’m home!”
Her step-father’s voice burst her out of her reverie, and she sat up on the sofa, a soap opera still playing on the television, grinning.
“Hey!” she said, getting up and smoothing out her tank top. She was wearing it tucked into high-waist denim shorts, and she gestured at her hips, looking at him expectantly.
“What?”
“What do you think? They just arrived today.”
He frowned for a split second. “Your shorts are short.”
She rolled her eyes. “Come on, of course they are. But seriously, tucked in or out?”
“Sorry?”
“My top, Dad!”
He smiled, and leaned against the kitchen counter after setting down his briefcase. She regarded him for a moment. He looked so good in his work clothes. He only ever wore a shirt, no tie, slacks, and with his sleeves rolled up. He never went to work that formal. But still he made it really work. There was something… something disheveled about his whole appearance but without being overtly messy. He just looked perpetually windswept… or something.
“I don’t know. Do women these days tuck in their tops?”
Mandy looked at him, exasperated. “Are you serious?”
“Yes,” he said, grinning. “I don’t pay attention.”
“What do you mean?”
He looked away then, breaking eye contact for just the tiniest of moments. But Mandy didn’t miss it.
“What do you mean?”
“Oh, you know. I just don’t pay attention to women.”
Hope swirled inside her. “Why not?”
“I’m just too busy, you know.” He paused. “Plus, you know, I’m a Dad.”
“Hey, Dad?”
“Yeah, baby?” he said, turning to get himself a glass of water. Mandy watched as he did so, admiring his figure. The man was in amazing shape. She knew he went to the gym all the time, but she hadn’t really appreciated the level of his discipline until she started paying attention to his diet. Lean meats and veggies. Rarely did he indulge, and when he did, it was usually because he was with her and wanted to please her.
“Um,” she stalled, wondering just where she was about to go. She felt a little like she’d caught herself trespassing, or something…
“What is it, sweetheart?” He turned around and smiled at her. He was really handsome, and Mandy knew it wasn’t just that she was hopelessly in love with him. He just looked good. Strong jaw, eyes that pierced, an easy smile. His slightly-higher-than-normal cheekbones lent him a touch of prettiness, too, which, honestly, Mandy didn’t mind.
“Do you think I’m a coward?”
“What?” he asked, stepping forward and putting down the glass. “Why do you ask that?”
“It’s just… I don’t think I’m very brave.”
