AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I wouldneverhurt Sawyer,” she says.
“You already have.”
She covers her ears, though I’m not even shouting. “Just stop it. My marriage is falling apart. I don’t need this from you right now.”
I sigh, exasperated. “All these years, you’ve steered clear of this place. Now here you are, reaching for my dick like it’s been waiting for you all this time. Well, guess what, it hasn’t.”
Miranda holds her face in her hands for a long moment. I grab a spare fuse from the box on a nearby shelf and turn to go.
“You said, I didn’t touch her,” she says.
“What?” I ask.
Miranda cocks her head, studying me. “To Noelle, just now. You said, I didn’t touch her. Why would Noelle care if you touched me?”
I watch the realization dawn across her face. I shake my head. “It’s not what you—”
“Oh my God. You’re fucking her, aren’t you?”
“Miranda—”
“You’re fucking my stepdaughter.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re standing there, lecturing me about being a shitty parent, knowing full well you’re sleeping with your son’s girlfriend.” She scoffs. “Richard told me all about Noelle’s mother. I guess it runs in the family.”
“You’re in no position to judge anyone else’s sex life,” I remind her. “Now, who I fuck is none of your goddamn business. So please, do us all a favor, and keep your mouth shut till morning. You don’t know anything about anything.”
“I think I get the picture, Colton.”
I bite back all the things I desperately want to say to her. Because at the end of the day, putting Miranda in her place it isn’t worth the explosion the truth would cause. I don’t give a rat’s ass what she thinks of my character. She’s never cared what I thought—or what her son thought, for that matter—about her own bad behavior. It’s Noelle’s feelings, her heart I’m worried about.
“Do us all a favor,” I tell her. “Keep Noelle’s name out of your mouth for the rest of the night.”
I leave Miranda in the workshop and manage to catch up to Noelle behind the DJ booth. She eyes me warily. I take her by the arm and guide her into a corner.
“Colton, we shouldn’t do this now—”
“This’ll only take a second,” I tell her. “I swear to God, I didn’t instigate any of that. Miranda followed me into the workshop and grabbed my dick and I didn’t have time to push her off before you walked in.”
“It’s okay,” she says. “I believe you.”
Relief pours over me. “You do?”
“Of course.” She smiles. “Don’t forget, I know what you look like when you’re turned on. This ain’t it.”
I chuckle, wishing I could kiss her. Right here, right now, in front of everyone.
Her gaze snags on something over my shoulder. “Hey,” she says, “isn’t that Sam and Louisa?”
I look to where she’s pointing and recognize the couple whose water heater I fixed the other night. Sam’s got his arm wrapped around my son’s shoulders and a broad smile gracing his wide face. Noelle and I head over to join them.
“This guy can cook one hell of a meatloaf,” Sam says to the small crowd that’s gathered, including Richard. “You gonna come cook for me in Los Angeles, kid?”
Sawyer and Noelle share a warm smile.
“I’m flattered,” Sawyer says. “But I’ve decided to move back here. I’m thinking of opening my own restaurant, or maybe starting a catering business.”
