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“Secondly,” he spoke over her interruption. “Dating your mom’s friend would be a very bad idea.”
“Why? It’d be awesome! Nicole and I could be sisters if it worked out!”
“And, what if it didn’t? Did you even stop to consider that? What if one of us liked the other, but the feeling wasn’t mutual? Say, for example, I really liked Lydia, but she didn’t feel the same way. Then you wouldn’t want to go over there because you’d feel awkward being around the woman who broke my heart. And Nicole wouldn’t want to come over to our house because she’d worry that I’d try to pump her for information about her mom.”
“You would never do that. You don’t do even do that about Mom.”
“But Nicole doesn’t know that. Or maybe Lydia wouldthinkI was going to do that and wouldn’t allow her to come. Then your friendship would be strained.” He paused and glanced at her again as she processed the scenario he’d just painted.
“We didn’t think about it that way. Nicole just knows her mom would like a boyfriend, and Kailey and I think you need a girlfriend, so…”
“It’s not a good idea, Bug. Besides, you don’t think your old man can get his own dates?”
“Well, you haven’t so far, and it’s been over a year since your and Mom’s divorce was final.”
Eighteen months since the day he walked in on her. The sight of her naked ass in the air and Bjorn’s hard cock jutting out at him was forever burned in his memory. He hadn’t even yelled or decked the guy, just went upstairs and packed his shit, numb at her betrayal.
“I’ve gone on dates,” he replied defensively.
“You have?”
Well, hookups—but those counted, dammit. Of course, he couldn’t tell his teenage daughter that.
“Yeah, I’ve been on a handful over the last year.”
“How come you didn’t tell us?”
“Because there was nothing to tell. There were no second dates. I promise, the minute I’m seeing someone worthy of meeting you two, you’ll be the first to know.”
That seemed to placate her, either that or she was really hungry, because she changed the subject by asking, “Do you want to pick up a pizza?”
**
The three of them sat around his new kitchen table, eating the pepperoni pie and talking about the girls’ upcoming trip to Wisconsin.
“It won’t be the same without you, Dad,” Kailey said with a sad smile.
“What? You don’t think Bjorn can fish?” he replied with a smirk. Enough time had passed that he could crack jokes about Susan’s lover.
“I don’t think he can do much besides play tennis.”
And nail your mom.
“He hasn’t helped out since moving in?”
Into my house.
Aiden had let his ex-wife have it in the divorce in exchange for reduced alimony and child support. He’d agreed so the girls would not only have less disruption in their lives by not having to move, but so he never had to worry about them having a roof over their heads when they were with Susan. In the back of his mind, he’d known another man would move in someday. He just hadn’t thought it’d be the guy he’d caught fucking his wife in his living room.
“I mean, I guess, kind of. Mom hired the housecleaning service again once he moved in, so I suppose that’s contributing, since she originally said we couldn’t afford it anymore.”
That was how Aiden had contributed to the household when he’d lived there. He worked his ass off so he could afford to pay other people to do shit he either didn’t have the time or just hadn’t wanted to do. Not that he couldn’t change his own oil or mow his own lawn—he’d done those jobs enough through high school and college that he could do them in his sleep. But now, it just made more sense to hire them done so he could spend his precious free time with his family.
But he somehow doubted the tennis pro’s schedule was as hectic as a heart doctor’s. He guessed it depended on how many clients he had like Susan who needed “special service”.
He didn’t want to think about that shit anymore.
“What are we watching tonight?” he asked as he picked up their empty paper plates and disposed of them in the trash. Kailey put the remaining pizza in a plastic bag, then stuck it in the fridge while Brianna refilled their soda glasses and gathered snacks from the pantry.
