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"Why is Alisha upset?"
"Because she's unreasonable."
"What? I don't believe you. Alisha is funny and sweet, Cole, and I want to be like her when I grow up."
I cough as her words create pictures of my daughter dating guys and asking them to have sex. "Oh, that will not happen," I state in a firm tone.
"Why not? Do you think I'm ugly?"
My mouth opens and closes, but when my reaction drags out, her eyes dampen, and she hurries out of the kitchen. I follow her and stop her midway through the living room by placing myself in front of her. She tries to pass me, but I'm not letting her.
"Samantha, please wait. You're not ugly. What I meant is that trying to be someone you're not will make you unhappy. You're perfect the way you are."
Her lips quiver. "You mean that?"
"Yes."
"So, you think boys will want to date me?" Again, I pause and stumble to find the correct words. Every fifteen-year-old young man is a horny hormone bomb, and I don't want them to take advantage of my daughter. But of course, Samantha interprets my hesitation in her own unique way. "See? You think guys won't be interested in me! Jeez, thanks, Cole." She slides past me and runs off. "I'll be in my room. I’m not hungry."
God, women are the most complex species in the goddamn universe.
I stroll back to the kitchen, and when my attention falls on the doorpost where Alisha and I exchanged that mind-boggling kiss, I remind myself,I’m not some fucking male escort.I remove my jacket, throw it on the counter, and start pacing through my kitchen. Okay, time to focus on Samantha and make matters right with her, before even thinking of the other blonde. With these two women, I have to overthink my words twice because they will blow up in my face if they interpret them wrong.
I walk to the hot plate warmer, and as I lift the foil off, the sweet smell ofJessica's cinnamon pancakescauses me to voice that one deep burning question. "God, Jess, why didn't you tell me about our daughter? I'd have loved to meet her before… She's beautiful. You did an amazing job raising her, and I'll try not to mess her up too bad." I grab a tray and fill it with two platters, syrup, and a bunch of pancakes before traveling at an easy pace out of the kitchen, through the living room into the hallway, and stopping at Samantha's bedroom door. I balance the tray and knock. Time for a talk.
"Samantha?"
A few seconds pass before the door opens a crack, and two blue irises stare at me.
"Room service," I say jokingly. Her eyes inspect me, and when she sees what I'm holding, a slight smile appears, and my heart leaps. "Can I please come in?"
She clears the doorway, and I walk inside. A chaos of clothing and other stuff lies scattered on the floor, but I ignore it. The television is on, and her messy bed sheets tell me she was on her bed before I arrived. I place the tray on the covers and face Samantha, who's observing me.
"I'm sorry if I made you think boys won't like you because they will. You’ve got the Walker genes," I say with a grin. "They will fight to go on a date with you. But I've been fifteen myself Samantha, and guys of that age think..." I glance up when she giggles.
"Breathe, Cole. I know most fifteen-year-old boys think with their dicks. Mom already gave me the sex talk and a whole lecture about men and their hormonal behavior. So you're off the hook."
I scratch the back of my neck.Thank you, Jessica.
"Hungry?" I say, pointing to the pancakes.
"Yeah..." She offers me a shy smile and walks towards me. "Sorry for blowing up. You didn't deserve it. But…" She lets out a puff of air. "I talked to my best friend, Rachel, and I miss her."
The longing in her voice for her friend makes me sympathize with her. I knew that by bringing her with me here, to the other side of the country, meant she had to leave her life behind. But guess I never thought about how deeply it could affect her.
Right away, a question arises.How can I make this easier for her?An idea pops into my head. "I'm sorry, Samantha. I didn't know that. But maybe I can suggest something that might help?"
She nods.
"Ask Rachel if she wants to come over to see you. She can stay here for a few days."
"What?" Samantha's head shoots up, and her eyes are round like watermelons. "Are you serious?"
"Yeah."
Samantha surprises me by wrapping her arms around my waist. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Cole!" she gushes. "Oh, I can't wait to tell her." I hug her back and enjoy how I made my daughter happy with this simple gesture.
"So… you made your mom’s specialty: banana, cinnamon pancakes."
