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Though it was sweet that he thought he needed to shield her. She could kill a man in ten different ways and absolutely had more combat and close-quarter fighting training than most of the people in this bar combined. Though she would bet the sheriff and the big guy who owned the place could give her a run for her money.
And then she wasn’t thinking about the possibilities of having to fight her way out of the situation—next to none—because she caught sight of the man standing at the edge of the dance floor.
He was tall, topping out at least six foot three, but there was a slight hunch to his shoulders that made him seem smaller. The hunch didn’t feel like some mark of age. No, it was almost a readiness, as though the man was constantly on edge and prepared for battle. She couldn’t tell the color of his hair because he was wearing a trucker hat, but his eyes were so familiar to her. “Who is that man?”
Van seemed to relax. “That’s your dad.”
Elisa had to take a deep breath because the world seemed to oddly slow down as she took in the man who wore overalls and had a big dog at his side. And a woman with long gray braids who was grinning like this was the best day ever.
The music suddenly changed from the sexy R&B song that had served as the soundtrack to her saying yes to kinky ménage sex to the opening song of Lion King.
Someone was an asshole.
It made for a deeply surreal moment.
The man who might be her dad was frowning as he stared at her.
Was he going to publicly denounce her? Tell her to go away? That he wanted nothing to do with her?
He took a step toward her, and his eyes narrowed. “The Harper boys tell me you’re looking for me. You from the government?”
She moved around Van and noticed Hale had made his way to her side, too. Well, it was good to know at least she wouldn’t be alone in her humiliation. “I’m not from the government. My name is Elisa Leal. My mom was…”
“Nora.” He stopped a mere foot from her, and his gaze softened. “Nora Leal. You look so much like your momma. She was… Well, she was a good partner. She was smart and brave, and I wish she could have accepted love the way she deserved.”
Tears pierced her eyes because that did not sound like a man who was about to throw her out of town. It sounded like a man who’d really known her mom. “I do, too. I’m a lot like her, but I’m trying to do better for myself.”
“Is it true?” The man asked. “What the boys said… They told me you think you might be my daughter. They said you look like me, but I don’t see it. You’re far too pretty for anyone to say that.”
“I see it.” The woman with braids had joined him, and there had never been anything cold about her. She was a warm presence. “She has your eyes. I don’t think she’s the alien one.” She turned her attention to Elisa. “See, we’ve always known Mel probably has a kid because the alien queen stole his sperm years ago, but you look very human.”
Oh, there was a scenario she hadn’t considered. That they were loony toons.
She was going to go with it. “I’m a hundred percent human.”
“Of course you are. Ripley likes you,” the man who was probably her dad said.
Apparently the dog was an important part of her dad’s life. The good news was she liked dogs. She held a hand out, palm down, and let the dog sniff her before she offered her head up for a pat. Elisa got to one knee because this she could definitely deal with. Dogs didn’t hesitate to ask for the affection they needed. “Hey, girl. You’re a good girl, aren’t you?”
Big doggy eyes looked up at her. She’d never had a dog as a child or an adult, but she’d been around them in the military.
“She is a good girl,” the woman assured her. “I’m Cassidy. I’m your father’s wife, though you should know we’re technically not married because that would create a paper trail for the Reticulans to follow. But I love him and intend to spend the rest of my life with him, and that means I’m going to love you, too.”
Yes, the crazy was strong with that one. Elisa straightened up and held out a hand. “Good to meet you.”
A weird gasp went through the bar as someone finally unplugged the obnoxious soundtrack. They still had an audience, but she felt like the chances of Luthor Hughes lifting her up like he was showing her off to the savannah had decreased significantly.
