Fool Me Once (Bad Boy Romance)

by Lexy Parker

  I growled. “No, not that I know of. He stuck around for a little while after my mom was diagnosed. As soon as he realized it was going to be a long, tough road and she wasn’t going to be the same woman he married, he left. He packed his shit and walked right out the door.”

  “Wow. That is—I don’t even know what to say that is. Bad, awful, I can’t even imagine what that must have been like for your mom,” he said, his voice full of sadness.

  I nodded as we continued to walk. “It was pretty tough, which was why I couldn’t leave her. I had gotten accepted to nursing school, but with him gone and her unable to work, I knew she needed the money they’d saved for my college education. Plus, she needed me. I can’t leave her. I could never do that to her,” I said vehemently.

  “I wouldn’t expect you to,” he replied easily.

  We walked, the trail taking a steadier uphill course, leaving us both focused on breathing and not falling to the ground. My calves burned as we kept up a steady pace. I was sure this was nothing to him. He probably ran miles uphill on a sandy beach every day before landing in Hope.

  “Whew, feeling the burn,” I said, more to myself than him.

  “Let’s take it down a notch. We aren’t in a race,” he said with a small laugh.

  I wanted to pretend I could keep up with him and his long legs, but it would kill me. “Works for me. I just need to catch my breath.”

  “I’m in no hurry. We’ve got all day,” he assured me.

  Once I was finally able to breathe properly without sounding like I was a ninety-year-old smoker, I felt a lot better. The burning in my legs subsided and the hike once again became enjoyable.

  “What about your family? Are you an only kid?” I asked him.

  He nodded. “Yep. My parents said I was more than anyone could handle,” he said with a sardonic laugh.

  I laughed, totally believing it. “Do you get along with them?”

  He sighed. “My mom and I have a pretty good relationship, but my father and I, not so much. I’m not sure what it is. I always feel like I’ve let him down. He doesn’t seem happy with who I am or what I’ve done with my life.”

  “Men tend to have a harder time expressing that kind of thing,” I assured him.

  “I don’t know. I bought them that house, they refused it. I wanted to buy him a new tractor, he refused it. I put money into their bank account, and they tried to reject it, but I made it damn clear I wanted them to have it. I’m making all this money now and they are still struggling. I’m their son. I’m not a stranger and it isn’t charity or pity money. My dad acts like I’m committing the greatest crime against humanity by trying to help them out,” he complained.

  I nodded in understanding. “Your father sounds like a proud man. He wants to do it for himself.”

  “But I can give them so much more. They refuse everything I’ve offered. I’ve learned to never try and offer them money again,” he muttered.

  “Not everyone is motivated by money or the number of nice things they own. Some people are truly happy with what they have. Money doesn’t define a person’s happiness or success. I think you should accept your parents’ refusal with grace. They are satisfied with their lives. By you constantly offering to give them money or expensive gifts, they might feel like they aren’t good enough in your eyes. Maybe your dad feels like less of a man because he can’t buy your mother that nice house with the gorgeous kitchen. I know it’s probably not your intention, but I’ve learned some things about people in my job and going through what I did with my mom.” I hoped I didn’t sound too preachy, but I didn’t want him to feel bad for his dad’s rejection.

  He was quiet for a few seconds. “You’re right. I never thought of it like that. Shit, I had no idea you were pretty and smart,” he teased, gently pushing my shoulder.

  I laughed. “I’m the total package.”

  “That you are,” he agreed.

  Our hike became more intense as we entered the final stretch. I wasn’t interested in slowing down. I wanted to get to the top where we had been promised there was a small store where we could grab a snack and refill our water bottles. I was thirsty and ready to take a break.

  “We made it!” I exclaimed when the shop, which looked like a rustic cabin, came into view.

  He put up his hand for me to high-five. “Going down has to be a lot easier.”

  I nodded. “I hope so. I’m not sure this was really a beginner hike.”

  “Me either. I’ll be letting the concierge know not all of us are half mountain goat. Some of us flat-earthers are not used to the elevation and steep climbs.”

  “We definitely worked off that big breakfast,” I told him.

  We stopped outside the shop, pausing for a minute to catch our breath before taking in the stunning view from a small outlook. It was incredible to stare down at the tops of trees I knew to be at least forty-feet tall.

  “Beautiful,” Dayton said reverently from beside me.

  I nodded. “It truly is. I can’t imagine living here and seeing this view every day. I don’t think it would ever get old.”

  “Let’s go get something to drink,” he said, grabbing my hand and leading me inside the shop.

  There were several other people milling about. There were baskets of fresh fruits along with assorted bakery goods and a cooler filled with water, juices and even some energy drinks. A stand with little souvenirs caught my eye. I was browsing the postcards and magnets when I heard my name.

  My breath hitched as I turned to look in the direction the voice was coming from. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The man I had once known had changed. His normally cleanshaven appearance was now covered with graying beard stubble. He’d put on a few pounds around the middle and looked like he had aged ten years.

  “Evie! I thought that was you! What a nice surprise!” he exclaimed, walking my way.

  I couldn’t move. I stared at him, trying to understand how he was there. He couldn’t be there.

  Dayton was beside me in an instant. “Do you know him?” he asked in a low voice.

  I slowly nodded my head. “Yes. It’s my father.”

  Chapter 23

  Dayton

  I looked at the man coming our way before taking Evie’s hand in mine once again. I could feel the tension running through her. She was like a coiled snake, ready to strike. Part of me felt like I should warn the guy he was walking into a no-fly zone. Another part of me felt like she should get her chance to lay the guy out for what he had done to his wife and kid. I didn’t know the whole story and I was sure there was probably a bit more to it, but it was evident he wasn’t a standup guy. He had taken vows and I was pretty sure that included the line about sticking with your wife in sickness. He’d bailed.

  “What are you doing here?” Evie hissed.

  I pulled her back, away from the crowd of people. “Evie, maybe we should take this outside?” I whispered.

  She shook her head. “Oh no. Everyone deserves to know what a great man he is!”

  “Evie, please, you don’t understand,” her father said, his tone soft and gentle.

  “I understand perfectly. What are you doing here?” she asked again, accusing him of a crime that she wasn’t saying.

  “I work here. I own the place,” he said proudly.

  I inwardly groaned. Even I knew that was the wrong answer and I didn’t know the family dynamics.

  “You own this place?” she hissed, her tone dangerous.

  He smiled. “I do. I bought it and have a small apartment upstairs.”

  “Wow,” she muttered, but it wasn’t an impressed wow; it was a wow filled with disgust and loathing.

  “So, what brings you here? How’ve you been?” her father asked, and I found myself stupefied by his ignorance and complete obliviousness to what he had done.

  Evie looked up at me, silently asking permission. I nodded. She deserved a chance to say her piece. I would run crowd control.

  “You don’t have the right to ask
me anything. When you walked out that door and left your wife and your daughter behind, you gave up your right to know anything about me. You don’t get to know me. You are a despicable human being and I cannot believe I am truly related to you. It makes me sick to think you are my father. You are a shameful man and I’m embarrassed for you,” she said, her voice rising.

  A crowd was beginning to form. I’d give her another minute to get it out of her system before I whisked her away.

  “Evie, please. You don’t understand how hard that was for me,” her father protested.

  I had to fight the urge to slap my hand to my forehead. That was probably the dumbest, most selfish thing he could have said. Clearly Evie felt the same way. Her shoulders went back, her chin up as she stared at the man that was only a couple of inches taller than her.

  “Poor, poor you,” she said in a baby voice. “Your wife got sick and couldn’t take care of you. She couldn’t do your laundry and make you dinner every night while bending over backwards to make sure you were okay. Poor Don, no one to take care of him. You’re right. It must have been so hard on you to learn how to take care of yourself,” she spat.

  “That’s not what I meant. My wife was dying. I didn’t want to watch that!”

  I winced. Every time the man opened his mouth, he was digging a deeper hole for himself. It was almost pitiful he didn’t realize it.

  “We should go,” I said to Evie.

  Evie was glaring at her father. “Guess what, asshole? Your wife didn’t die!”

  “She isn’t the same person—”

  Evie dropped my hand, and, in that instant, I knew she was about to punch the man. I grabbed her, wrapping my arm around her waist and pulling her out the door. It was one thing to verbally berate him, but if it got physical, it would be a different story. I didn’t trust the man not to try and have her arrested for assault. I refused to let her get into trouble.

  “Come on, let’s get out of here,” I said, keeping my arm firmly around her. She was trying to pull away. I knew she wanted to go back and lay him out. Hell, I wanted to lay the guy out, but violence wasn’t going to change what he did.

  “I can’t believe the audacity of that man!” she fumed.

  “It was pretty ballsy. I’m so sorry I brought you up here. I had no idea,” I told her, hating that a perfect day had come to such an awful end.

  “You couldn’t have known. I couldn’t have known. I think I always thought he went into hiding in some foreign country. I can’t believe he’s been right here, starting his life over while my mom and I struggled day in and day out!”

  “I’m sorry, I truly am.”

  She shook her head, stomping down the trail. “This was stupid. I never should have left Tennessee. It’s a bad omen. It’s the universe telling me I should have stayed in Tennessee with my mom. I’m not meant to leave—ever. Bad shit is going to happen when I do.”

  “Evie, you can’t think like that. This was a completely freak coincidence. Your dad can’t be everywhere. Now you know where he is, we don’t come back here. You can’t let him control your life. You are free to roam the planet as you see fit,” I argued.

  She was still walking fast, her arms swinging back and forth, giving her even more momentum on the downward slope. I worried she was going to trip and roll all the way down the mountain. I reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her against me and forcing her to stop walking for a minute.

  She looked up at me, pain in her eyes. “I want to go home.”

  I nodded. “We’ll go back to the hotel.”

  She shook her head. “For tonight. I want to go. I don’t want to be anywhere near that man.”

  “Okay. Whatever you want to do. Now, will you please slow down? I’m afraid I’ll stumble,” I told her, knowing she would do it for me because she would be worried I would injure my arm. It was a sneaky move, but it was necessary.

  The walk back down was quiet. I could feel the anger and sadness rolling off her in huge waves. I didn’t know what to say or do to make it better for her. She was really worked up. We had taken off from the shop so quickly we hadn’t refilled our water bottles. I was dying of thirst and knew she had to be as well. I texted the driver, asking him to please be sure there was water in the car when he picked us up. I realized a little too late that I didn’t have service. It wasn’t until we were in the homestretch the message finally went through. I hoped he was close, and we wouldn’t have to wait for long. I needed to get Evie back to the hotel, get some food in her and maybe a stiff drink to help her relax.

  We emerged from the trail, the parking area in front of us and the beautiful town car waiting. “There’s our ride,” I told her, feeling like my feet weighed twenty pounds each, and thirsty enough to guzzle a gallon of water.

  I opened the car door and let Evie get in first. There was a cooler sitting on the floor. I opened it to find it filled with ice and several bottles of water. Evie and I both grabbed one and started to guzzle. The cold water sliding down my throat was better than sex in that moment. Every drop helped restore my strength and infused me with energy I had been sorely lacking.

  “Thank you,” I told the driver once I’d downed the first bottle.

  “Yes, thank you,” Evie said. “This was absolutely what I needed.”

  He chuckled from the driver’s seat. “Back to the hotel?”

  “Yes, please,” I said, exhausted and ready to crawl into bed.

  By the time we got back, we were both anxious to get our shoes off and rest our tired bodies. Evie was quiet as she stripped out of the clothes she’d worn on the hike and pulled on a pair of shorts and an old T-shirt. I put on shorts and nothing else.

  “I think I’m going to lie down for a little bit,” Evie said, exhaustion evident in her voice.

  “I’ll join you. I’ll order room service later, unless you want to go out to eat.”

  She shook her head. “No. I’m fine staying in.”

  I climbed on top of the blanket, pulling Evie against me. “I’m sorry about today. I hope you enjoyed the hike though.”

  “I did, until I saw him.”

  “Your dad said he left because your mom was dying. Is that true?”

  She sighed. “I suppose he thought it was. I mean, obviously with cancer it’s a strong possibility, but she wanted to fight. The doctors were hopeful. He just didn’t like what the cancer did to her body. That’s why he left.”

  “You know, not every man is like that. I read stories all the time about men and women sticking by their partner through their darkest days. Your dad is just a bad egg,” I offered.

  She scoffed. “You think?”

  “I wouldn’t do that.”

  “You don’t know that until it happens to you,” she replied.

  “I do know that. I would never leave a person I loved, let alone two people I loved,” I said firmly.

  She adjusted her head against me. “I don’t know. I know I will never let myself become dependent on anyone. I will never trust someone to be there for me when I need them most. I prefer to only need to count on myself.”

  I hated that she believed that. I wanted to tell her she could count on me, but I didn’t know that she could. I wasn’t sure what life held in store for me and didn’t want to make any promises I couldn’t keep. My hand lazily stroked up and down her back.

  “We’ll sleep for a bit and then I’ll get food,” I mumbled, more as a reminder to myself than anything.

  “Is your arm okay?” she asked sleepily.

  I smiled. “My arm is feeling just fine. Sleep. You’re beat. I’m beat. We’ll deal with my arm and our hungry bellies after we’ve gotten some rest.”

  “Okay,” she said on a yawn.

  I smiled, closing my eyes and relaxing into the comfortable mattress. I loved holding her. It immediately set me at ease, helping to lull me into sleep faster than I normally did. She was better than any sleeping pill.

  Chapter 24

  Evie

  It was hung
er that woke me up, but guilt over my behavior was what I felt the second I woke. It had been haunting me in my dreams all night.. I could hear Dayton’s deep breathing and knew he was still asleep. I smiled, remembering his promise we would sleep a little while before ordering dinner. We had burned a lot of calories and needed some serious replenishment, but our bodies had tuckered out before we ever managed to get the meal we had desperately needed.

  I felt him stirring next to me. “Good morning,” I whispered.

  “It’s morning?” he asked, sounding a little surprised.

  I smiled. “It is.”

  “Wow,” he mumbled, running a hand over his face.

  “Are you hungry?” I asked, hoping he said yes.

  “Yes. I am famished.”

  “Me too,” I said with a small laugh.

  “I’ll order room service,” he said, making a move to get out of bed.

  “Wait,” I told him, reaching out to put a hand on his chest.

  “You don’t want room service?” he asked.

  “No. I mean, yes,” I said, sounding flustered. “I’m sorry about yesterday. I kind of lost my cool and I didn’t mean to blame you for what happened. You couldn’t have known he was there.”

  “It’s okay. That had to have been a shock. That’s the first time you’ve seen him since he walked out on you?”

  I slowly nodded. “Yep. Last time I saw him he was at home with my mom. He was sitting in his chair, the remote control in one hand and a bottle of beer in the other. It looked totally normal. According to my mom, he went to work and never came home. She found a letter that said he couldn’t deal with it and was sorry.”

  “Wow. That is cowardly,” he muttered.

  “Yes, it is. I do want to go home though. I’m sorry to cut your escape short, but I need to be back in Tennessee.”

  He smiled down at me, kissing my forehead. “I get it. I’m absolutely fine with it. We’ll eat and get the first flight out of here.”

  “Thank you.”