Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 104288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104288 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 521(@200wpm)___ 417(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
I let out a whistle. “Now who’s the fancy one?”
Dad chuckles. “You been rubbin’ off on me.”
A minute later he presses a frosty cold bottle into my hand. We sit on the captain’s chairs on the stern and watch a pod of dolphins swim past. They glisten in the sun. Their movements are rhythmic, steady, but somehow playful too. Watching them makes my chest feel tight.
I drink my beer. Its smooth, slightly bitter taste is familiar. A much-needed comfort during a mindfuck of a day.
“So.” Dad crosses his ankle over his knee. “Who’s your special friend? The girl that’s got you playin’ hooky on a Friday afternoon? You’re not one to run, son, but you’re running today.”
Tugging a hand over my beard, I sigh. “It’s a long story.”
“I got time.” Dad gestures to the ocean. The sun is still high in the sky. “Tell me, son. I know something’s bothering you.”
My dad is a good man. We’ve always been close. He’s not perfect, but he’s always been a solid presence in my life. I respect his opinion.
I also hate keeping shit from him. Makes me feel like a liar. A bullshitter. And let’s be real, I could use some advice right now. Especially from a man who doesn’t judge me for the (very) stupid things I’ve done.
“Funny you should mention Maren Morris.” I take another long, hard pull from my bottle. “My Maren—Katie’s nanny—she’s pregnant.”
Dad’s eyebrows pop up to his hairline. “Your Maren? Pregnant with your baby?”
I nod and drink more beer. The boat rises on a wave. For one awful, jarring second, I feel like I’m going to be sick. “Yup.”
“Robert Tucker Monroe.” Dad only uses my full name when he means business. “I knew y’all were up to something when I saw the two of you helping out at that wedding last month. The way you looked at her . . .”
“It was purely physical. The attraction.”
Dad’s turn to give me the side eye. “You can’t lie to me, son. You like her. So what are y’all gonna do?”
He says it so casually. You like her. As if that doesn’t jeopardize everything I’ve worked for. The hard-won peace and stability that’s taken me years to build.
I haven’t allowed myself to admit that I like Maren as more than a friend. It felt too dangerous. But now that I’ve heard those words spoken aloud, I’m suddenly swimming in the feelings I have for Maren. Like Dad saying what he did was the “open sesame” password that threw open the door I’ve kept firmly shut.
And lemme tell you, the feelings I have right now feel a hell of a lot stronger than like.
I’m not swimming, I’m drowning.
It’s terrifying.
“I saw it in her eyes,” I say. “Today. She wants to keep the baby.”
Dad nods. “And you want . . .”
“I want to keep my family safe. I have to protect Katie. We’ve already had things blow up in our faces. If we have to go through that again . . .” I shake my head. Slide my thumbnail underneath the damp label on my beer. “I can’t, Dad.”
Dad is quiet for a long beat. “You know, when I look back, I always find myself thinking about when you and your sister were little. Katie’s age. Life wasn’t easy. Your mama and me, we worked our asses off. But we worked together. Our family felt closest then. Those were the happiest times of my life, Tuck.” His green eyes are crystal clear when they meet mine. “I felt like I had a real partner in your mama. That made all the difference. Made things joyful, knowing I was part of a good team doing good things.”
I swallow the lump in my throat. Look away, holding my beer to my lips. “Those were good times.”
“I know you and Katie got a good thing goin’ on, just the two of you. But I’d hate to see you close yourself off to the possibility of something different. Sometimes I worry you’re missing out on the kind of happiness I knew because you’re so intent on doing everything on your own.”
“How could I not be?” I lift a shoulder.
Dad puts a hand on that shoulder. “Not every woman leaves, Tuck, and not every love story has a bad ending.”
The lump in my throat is a moon now. Lodged right in my windpipe. “Yours did. With Mom.”
“We grew apart. But I was happy for the majority of our time together. And now I get to be happy with someone new.”
I look up at the sky. “How did you do it? Let someone in again?”
“I was—I am scared as hell. But I’m going in anyway. I just jump in scared. From what I’ve learned, love is a worthy risk to take.”
“You’re a braver man than I am.”
“Says the Navy SEAL.” Dad grins. “All I’m saying is this. Having a baby with Maren, or a relationship, or whatever y’all decide on, might be a totally different experience than doing any of that with Becca. You’re thinking about what you have to lose if you let her in. But then you’re forgetting all the wonderful things you might gain. Like an excellent life partner. A mother for Katie. If you and Maren want to figure this out, you’ll figure it out, Tuck.”