AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Take the damn money.” She tries to shove it against my chest, but I step back, preventing her.
“I don’t want your money, Scarlett.”
“Well, I don’t want to owe you, Tucker.” I’m quick. She’s quicker. In the blink of an eye, she has the wad of money shoved into the breast pocket of my shirt, and the front door slams in my face.
Again.
Damn, she’s feisty.
Stunned, I run a hand along the back of my neck and debate whether to knock or say “fuck it” and go home.
Home would be the easy choice.
But she deserves an apology.
I’ve been in a shitty mood since she arrived back in town, and it has nothing to do with the woman herself and everything to do with the feelings I harbor for her. Feelings I thought were long gone. Feelings I damn sure don’t want to have.
For the third time tonight, her front door flies open. “What’s your problem, Tucker?”
“You,” I blurt, startling us both. There’s silence for a heartbeat as we just stare at each other.
“Me?”
I’ve already admitted it, there’s no sense turning back now. “Yup.”
“But I haven’t even been home. What could I have possibly done to make you mad?”
“That’s exactly the point. You haven’t been home. For twelve fucking years. You’re so goddamn selfish. You just up and left your friends, your family. Everyone. And you never looked back. Not once.”
“Hold grudges much?” But it’s not bitchy. In fact, she looks completely flummoxed.
“I’m not holding a fucking grudge, Scarlett. I’m hurt.”
Good Lord, Scooter is right. I grew a fucking vagina, and now I sound like a pussy.
Scarlett’s eyes widen and then soften at my admission. “Tucker—”
“Tucker, is that you?” Rick sidles up next to Scarlett and pokes his head out the door.
“Daddy! What are you doing up? You know you’re not supposed to get up on your own.” She looks at me with wide, pleading eyes. “Can you keep an eye on him for one second while I grab his walker?”
“Sure.”
I step forward. With one hand against Rick’s back and the other on his arm, I make sure he’s steady.
“You here to ask my little girl on a date?”
I nearly choke on my saliva. “No, sir. I just stopped by to drop off the spaghetti.”
“Oh.” He frowns. “Well, that’s too bad. Scarlett could use a good, strong man like you in her life.”
Scarlett shows up a few seconds later with the walker. “I don’t need a man, Daddy. Quit trying to pawn me off.”
“If you don’t need a man, then I don’t need this damn thing.”
“Yes, you do,” she admonishes. “Your physical therapist and occupational therapist said you need to use the walker until you regain the strength in your arm and leg.”
Rick looks at me and rolls his eyes before skirting off toward the living room. “Come on in and have some spaghetti with us,” he hollers. “We can talk about the date you’re going to take her on.”
“Daddy, Tucker and I are not going on a date.”
“Sure, ya will. Just as soon as ya both pull your heads outta your asses.”
Scarlett closes her eyes and fights a smile. When she looks up, I feel it like a punch to the gut. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.”
“I, uh…I’m gonna go eat before the food gets cold.”
“Yeah.” I glance over at my house and then take a step back. “I need to get home anyway. It’s been a long day.”
She nods, and I turn on my heel. I’m halfway down her walk when Scarlett calls out to me.
“Tuck?”
“Yeah?” I glance at her over my shoulder.
“Thanks for bringing the food over.”
“You’re welcome, princess.”
Her easy smile falls. “Quit calling me that.”
“Call it like I see it.”
I expect some sort of quick retort. Instead, Scarlett growls and slams the door.
5
~ Tucker ~
“Hey, sweetheart. How was your sleepover?” I grab Chloe’s bag from her hand and wave to Jessica’s dad as he pulls out of the driveway.
“We had fun.”
“What’d you do?”
She shrugs. “Stuff.”
“Stuff. That’s it? What kind of stuff?”
“Just…girl stuff.”
Okay. This conversation is going nowhere fast. “What do you want to do today?”
“Can I play on my iPad?”
“Twenty minutes. It’s nice outside, and you’re not going to waste your Saturday staring at a screen.”
“None of my friends’ parents limit their electronic time.”
“You’ll thank me later.”
“Probably not.” Chloe grabs her iPad and curls up in the corner of the couch.
My little girl is growing up so fast. Long gone are the days of her following me around the house, begging to play dolls or have a tea party. There’s no more water gun fights or digging in the mud. These days, she’s all about her friends and clothes and makeup—which I refuse to let her wear. Maybe when she’s twenty we’ll talk about it, but eleven is way too young, and I don’t give a shit what other girls in her class are doing.
