see anger and ice. I saw hope and pleading. I shook my head and touched her soft curly hair.
“No. That’s not the truth. I didn’t take this job because I secretly wanted to get next to Evander. When I took this job, I thought your dad was a stick in the mud. In my mind, we couldn’t have been more different.”
“Then why are you two…”
“Together?” I didn’t want to give her an opportunity to use any other word she had stored in her brain.
“Is that what’s going on? You’re actually his girlfriend?” She sat up and faced me instead of talking to me while she laid on her stomach.
“Yes, Frankie.” I stroked her hair. I hoped she knew I was being truthful. “At first we were just…messing around. It wasn’t something you needed to know about because as much as I love you and as mature as you are for your age, you don’t need to know everything.” She wrapped her arms around herself and looked down at her hands.
I heard the door downstairs close with a little more force than usual and I knew Alexis must have been gone. Evander’s footfalls grew closer to Frankie’s room then he appeared. He was weary. Annoyance tightened his features.
“Frankie, your attitude is out of control,” he said immediately. “Now, I understand your feelings being hurt over finding out about Xari and me the way you did. We’ll take full responsibility for that, but we talk things out in this family. We don’t run from them and we damn sure don’t take passive-aggressive swipes at each other.”
There’s something about the way a real father addresses his daughter that can unravel her. I know because I’ve been in that situation before in my life. It’s how I knew I’d made a shit show of my own life after getting my car repossessed. When Dad didn’t budge or offer to help, I knew I’d fucked up.
Frankie had a look on her face that said she knew she took things too far.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I was upset and…I didn’t know what to do about it.” She shrugged her shoulders and finally lifted her gaze to meet Evander’s.
“You made poor decisions but so did Xari and I. We planned to tell you that we were together as soon as we mapped things out. We should have been more careful about when we spent time together.” He loosened his tie even more, sliding the knot down to his chest. “Now, I will take full responsibility for you walking in on us. I’m so sorry you had to see that, Frankie. I know it was insanely awkward.”
“Understatement of the year,” I muttered, tucking hair behind my ear.
“It was,” Frankie agreed, nodding. “I was mad at you and Xari because it felt like you guys were doing it behind my back. It felt like you thought I was a stupid kid. Like the promises you both made didn’t mean anything.”
I squeezed her shoulder and said, “Frankie, that’s not it at all. You know your father and I care about what we promise you.” Did I just say your father and I? That felt way too parental. What was my life? “Sometimes unexpected things happen and trust me nobody was blindsided by our relationship more than me.” Evander shot me a warning look and I grinned at him. I knew he’d melt over my dimples.
“You promised you wouldn’t be one of those women though, Xari.”
“One of what women?” Evander asked, lifting a dark brow.
“One of the women who trip over you. I’ve seen the way all the women in the world look at you, Dad.” She folded her arms tight across her chest.
“Well, I mean, can you blame them?” He chuckled. He was definitely in classic dad mode.
“Cringe,” Frankie said, scrunching her face into an embarrassed frown.
“I am not tripping over your father,” I blurted with my finger in the air.
“You’re tripping a little bit,” Evander countered. He held his thumb and pointer finger centimeters apart and I sucked my teeth.
“No. I don’t trip over anyone.” With that bold declaration, Evander bit his bottom lip and eyed me knowingly. My clothes wanted to surrender at his feet and my thighs throbbed. I cleared my throat and tore my eyes away from him.
“Okay, maybe a little. The point is,” I continued, “Being in love and tripping over a guy are two different things and I’m very much in love with your dad, Frankie.”
“The feeling is mutual,” Evander said. All traces of playfulness