Secret Daddy - J.R. Gray Page 0,50
I hoped it would be a mostly manageable disaster. We stood around, nodding at each other.
“Let me go get you two some food. I wanted to ask what Ellie likes to eat.”
“McDonald’s!”
“Kids,” Avery said, exasperated. “There isn’t one in town.”
Ellie made a face like ‘what kind of fresh hell did you bring me to?’
“I’ll grab burgers and fries, Ellie. They’ll be just as good. I promise.”
She pointed at me. “They better be!”
“Otherwise I get negative uncle points?”
She jutted her chin out and nodded. “Correct.”
“Tough customer.” I walked toward the door when there was a knock.
Avery and I both jumped and looked at each other.
“Are you expecting someone?” I hissed.
He shook his head going over to look through the peephole. “Shit.” He pulled open the door a little aggressively and I was expecting Adam, except it wasn’t Adam. It was Danny—the guy who ran the body shop.
“So it’s true.” There was a bite to Danny’s words.
“What?” Avery asked.
“You’re fuckin’ standing here.”
Avery held out his hands.
Danny shook his head and turned around and stalked off.
Fourteen
AIDEN
How’d it go with your brother?” Jensen asked as we got dressed to go to dinner.
“I don’t know,” I said, not sure I’d processed it myself. It had been fine eating there in that dump when I wanted to invite Avery back home with me. But walking in with a kid in the middle of the night wasn’t my brightest idea.
“What does that mean?”
“He wants me to warn them, but I don’t think that’s the best idea.” I made a face at Jensen as he turned around.
“I can’t believe you’ve left them at Hilltop for days.”
“It’s not that bad in there,” I said, completely ignoring the semen comment Ellie had made. “It’s only for a few days, and he wasn’t ready to see Mom and Dad the first day they were here. Avery said he had some things to deal with.” I shrugged and picked up my scarf. “But what do you think about me warning them?”
“I think you should do as your brother asked.” Jensen buttoned up his flannel, making him look exactly like a lumberjack.
I shamelessly leered at him.
“We are not having sex again before we go. You’ll have to wait until tonight.”
“I can’t help that you’re very lumbersexual right now and I want to climb you like a tree.”
He stared at me. “I don’t even know what to say to that. Is it an insult or is it a compliment? We may never know.”
“I can explain it to you—”
He cut me off. “We will never know.”
I huffed, following him as he left his bedroom. “It’s a good thing, for the record.”
“Jury is still out. Can’t decide.” He patted his pockets and looked around. “I feel like I’m forgetting something.”
“You’re forgetting to be nice to your boyfriend.”
“No, can’t be it. He called me lumbersexual.”
“At least he didn’t call you a hipster.”
Jensen’s mouth hung open. “He better not. I’m not some dude who lives in California and pretends to live this lifestyle. I'm an actual park ranger who wears flannel unironically and actually likes craft beer.”
“Sure you do.” I trailed my gaze down his form like I was assessing him. “Or maybe you only did it once it was cool. I don’t remember you being like this in high school.”
“You’re making me uncomfortable right now.”
“How so?” I scoffed.
“Making me feel like a piece of bear man meat.”
“We are leaving, and possibly breaking up. I haven’t decided.”
“Rich.” He held a finger in the air. “You sexualize lumber then make me the bad guy!”
“That’s not what it means…” I sighed. It wasn’t even worth explaining. “Come on, bear man meat, we are going to be late.”
“That’s my new nickname, isn’t it?” He asked, clicking the key fob to unlock his Jeep.
“Yes, including in front of my parents.”
“There will be payback for every time you make dinner uncomfortable.” He stared at me as he put the key in the ignition.
“My parents will do that job for me. I don’t even need to say anything.”
“You all feed off one another. Don’t act like it’s just them.” He put his hand on my thigh and turned around to back out.
I put my hand on his, trying to hide my smile.
“I’m doing it as a service to Avery. The more uncomfortable everyone else is the less they will pay attention to the estranged brother.”
“I don’t think that’s how that works.” He stared at me again, a little like ‘can you really believe the shit you are spewing?’ But the answer was yes. I