Hard Knox - Riley Hart Page 0,7

flannel?” I asked Knox, pushing my sunglasses on top of my head.

He shook his dark hair out of his face, his brows pinched together. “Huh?”

“Flannel. Do you wear it?” I’d never been real big on it, but I could imagine Knox wearing it. I’d probably think that was hot.

I could see when he understood where I was going with this. He frowned and crossed his arms, which made the sleeves of his shirt tighten against the muscles there. Oh, he had great arms and nice hands. I loved hands. Straight, straight, straight. Kellan said he’s straight.

“What is it with the lumberjack thing?” he asked, and I chuckled.

“So I’m not the first to ask?”

“No. Law just—You know what? Never mind. You’re the first person who’s asked me if I wear flannel. I put two and two together when you asked because calling me a lumberjack isn’t new.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “Can I help you with something?”

There were so many things I wished I could say to that, but I wouldn’t, because I didn’t know him and he apparently didn’t do men. Such a shame. “Yeah, I’m here to pick up Mary Beth’s order.”

“Oh yeah. I can check you out, and we’ll get the stuff out to your vehicle.”

Don’t say anything about checking me out, don’t say anything about checking me out. “Deal,” I replied because I didn’t trust myself to say more than one word without making a joke.

“She called to pay over the phone,” the dude stocking the shelves said.

I rolled my eyes. Damn it. I’d wanted to take care of that for her.

“Thanks, Hank. I swear I’m all over the place today.”

“It’s to be expected,” Hank replied. Obviously, I was curious what they were talking about, but it wasn’t like Knox knew me. I had no reason to be all up in his business.

“I’m going to take this stuff out to his car, and then I’m heading out. Thanks for closing for me today,” Knox told Hank.

“No problem.”

Knox began to walk toward the back of the store, and I followed, saying, “Oh, hey, Callum, right this way. Come with me. Okay, Knox, no worries.”

He stopped suddenly, and I slammed into his back with an umpf.

“Your brake lights are out,” I joked. A tease of a smile curled his lips before he evened them out again. Knox didn’t want to think I was funny, but he did.

“Sorry, like I told Hank. Crazy day.” He began walking again.

“Is everything okay? I mean, I know we don’t know each other, but when I actually shut up, I’m a pretty good ear.”

He looked over at me, and this time he did smile, before rubbing his beard with his hand and covering it. “Yeah, it’s okay. My son, he lives in Colorado with his mom. He’s been having some trouble, and I’m flying out today to pick him up. He asked to come and live with me.”

Oh, wow. Definitely should have seen the whole ex-wife thing coming. “Yet you’re working?”

“Keeps my mind off stuff.”

I could see that. Knox didn’t seem the asshole-workaholic type the way my father had been. “Well…I think it’s great that you’re going to get him and letting him stay with you. Not all parents would. I know that had mine divorced when I was still a minor, my dad sure as shit wouldn’t have wanted the responsibility of me living with him. So it’s okay to be nervous. Sounds like the permanent-single-dad thing will be new. But your son clearly knows he can depend on you if he asked to live with you. Being a kid can suck. I hope everything works out. You’re a great dad.” I was pretty sure that covered everything.

Knox stood there staring at me. It was what I would say to a patient if they were worried about being a single parent—well, if I thought it was true, at least. Which I did with Knox. There was something about him.

I could see the wheels turning in his head, the appreciation in those strangely icy-green eyes of his. “Thank you. I think I needed to hear that from someone other than my ex-wife or my best friend. They have to say shit like that.”

“Well, I read it in a fortune cookie, so…” I teased. A laugh jumped out of Knox’s mouth, husky and deep. It obviously surprised him because he sobered quickly.

“Where did you get it? I might need to buy a few to get me through this.”

“I think you’ll do okay.”