Best Friend's Daddy (A Single Dad Romance)

by Naomi Niles

  “You’ve been working like crazy recently,” I pointed out. “Maybe a break would help you out in the long run. You know, refresh your body and mind.”

  “Hmm, that does sound good,” John nodded. “But is it doable?”

  “You’d know better than anyone else,” I pointed out.

  John nodded and turned back to his plate of food. Sam was busy sucking on the bone of his third herb-crusted rib. “So, I’m going back to work in a couple of weeks,” I told them.

  They both looked up at me at the same time. “A couple of weeks?” Sam repeated.

  “Is that wise?” John asked.

  “Sure,” I nodded. “The doctor cleared me for work at my last appointment. He said my wound’s healed beautifully and everything’s on track.”

  “Have you spoken to the chief?”

  “A couple of days ago,” I nodded. “He was happy to welcome me back after I gave him the doctor’s recommendation.”

  “Well, damn,” Sam said. “That’s great news.”

  “It is,” I nodded. “It’ll be nice to get back to work after months of sitting around the house doing nothing.”

  “I wouldn’t exactly call it ‘nothing,’” John was quick to point out. “You’ve been working on the house, and it’s already looking ten times better now than it did two months ago.”

  “Yeah,” Sam agreed. “So, that’s one good thing that came out of getting shot at the carnival by your little brother’s old gang and current nemesis.”

  I laughed off Sam’s dramatic spin on the incident and tried to get to my point. “Considering I’ve got a few more weeks left before I have to get back to work, I thought I’d make use of the opportunity and start a new project.”

  “Which would be?”

  “An addition,” I said. “To the house.”

  “That’s a great idea,” John nodded. “It’s time we breathed some new life into these worn-out walls.”

  “Can I count on you two for some help when you’re free?” I asked.

  “My shifts are crazy,” Sam replied. “And unpredictable, but I’ll be happy to pitch in when I can.”

  “Same here,” John nodded. “And, I can take care of the all the expenses.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” I said.

  “I know,” John nodded. “But I want to. I live here, too.”

  “All the same, I’ll pitch in, as well,” I insisted.

  “Great,” John smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Chapter Two

  Madison

  I stared at my computer screen, feeling little pings of excitement flutter through my chest. Professor Murray’s email was short and concise, but it was also extremely positive. I had twenty-one more hours of study to log in. That amounted to roughly seven more classes and two more assignments, and then I would be eligible to graduate with the rest of the class.

  “Madison Ann Wright,” I said, saying my full name aloud. “Graduate of Colorado State University. It does have a ring to it.” I looked down at Apollo, who was at my feet, staring up at me with his big Spaniel eyes. “Don’t you think so, Polo boy?”

  He just blinked at me and then put his head back down onto my legs. I turned back to the computer screen and read Professor Murray’s letter again with a smile.

  I would be the first one in my family to graduate. I would have an alma mater. I would forever be known as a graduate. It had taken me six years to reach this point, and at long last, I could finally see the finish line.

  I felt a sense of relief, but it was pervaded by a lingering fear that had followed me through most of my life.

  Apollo whined at my feet, reminding me that it was his dinnertime. I rose from the desk and walked the five steps it took to reach the kitchen. I poured some kibble into his bowl and set it down in front of him. He set to work on his meal while I grabbed some iced water from the fridge.

  I leaned back against the sink and watched as Apollo devoured his food. Minutes later, he finished and turned to me with his tongue hanging out in a goofy imitation of a smile.

  “What do you think, Polo?” I asked. “Do you think I’ll actually be able to make something of my life?”

  Apollo cocked his head to the side as though he were considering my question. It didn’t matter that he never answered me; I knew intrinsically that he was listening.

  “Who knows?” I continued. “Maybe with my degree I can work on getting a real job with a decent pay. Then maybe one day, I’ll be able to afford to live in an actual apartment instead of this shoebox we call a home.”

  Apollo gave me an understanding woof, and I nodded. “Exactly,” I said. “I think it’s possible, too. I’m glad you agree.”

  The smile froze on my lips as I heard the sound of heavy footsteps just outside the apartment. A second later, the key turned in the door and I rushed to my computer to close the page with Professor Murray’s email. Apollo scurried under my desk with his tail between his legs, and my heart broke at the sight.

  “What’s for dinner?” Kameron asked as he stepped into the apartment and closed the door behind him. “I’m fucking starving.”

  It was obvious he wasn’t in a great mood. His blue eyes were distant and moody and his body was rigid with tension.

  I took a deep breath. “You told me you would bring home dinner, remember?” I reminded him.

  Kameron stared at me for a second and then groaned in frustration. “You fucking serious?”

  “Yes,” I replied. “You sent me a text this morning.”

  “Fuck!” he groaned. “That was before the deal blew up.”

  “Which deal?” I asked before I could stop myself.

  “We had this great hook up and then one of the guys backed out at the last second,” he said in frustration. “I lost out on two thousand dollars because that fucking pussy Greg got cold feet and didn’t show this morning.”

  “So, that was why you forgot dinner.”

  Kameron looked up at me as though I were stupid. “Isn’t that what I just fucking said?”

  I averted my gaze and walked to the kitchen. “I can make something,” I said, hoping to avoid another fight.

  “Your cooking is fucking terrible,” he told me bluntly.

  “I can go out and buy something from the corner?” I suggested.

  “I’m too hungry to wait,” he said as he walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. “What have we got?”

  “Some stale bread, two pieces of four-day old pizza, and a couple of eggs.”

  “You can make French toast, right?” he asked as he grabbed a piece of cold pizza and stuffed it into his mouth. “It’s hard to fuck up French toast.”

  “I can make French toast,” I replied quietly.

  “Good.” Kameron smacked me hard on the ass. “Hurry up; I’m starving.”

  I moved around, getting together the eggs and bread, but Kameron didn’t leave the kitchen. Instead, he started rifling through the cupboards as though he hoped to find a secret stash of chicken wings or something. He came across Apollo’s kibble and opened up the bag curiously.

  “That’s Apollo’s food,” I told him.

  Kameron acted as though he hadn’t heard me. He sniffed the inside of the bag and then he tipped some kibble into his open palm before tasting some. “The dog gets better food than I do.”

  I didn’t say anything. I just focused on putting together a meal that wouldn’t give Kameron another reason to complain. There were days when I honestly couldn’t remember how I had ended up with him. Had he changed so drastically in the few years I’d known him? I wondered.

  I thought back and realized that Kameron had changed very little. I was the one who had changed.

  I wanted more out of my life now. I wanted to be surrounded by better people. I wanted to make better choices, and I knew that I would never be able to do that with Kameron around.

  “How much is this shit?” Kameron asked, fixing me with those piercing blue eyes. It was hard to believe that there wa
s actually a time when I had found him attractive. Now every time I thought of him, my stomach turned and all I felt was trapped.

  “Ten dollars a bag,” I replied. “I get the cheap stuff.”

  “Cheap?” he said incredulously. “You call that fucking cheap? You got too much money on your hands.”

  He turned with the bag of kibble still in his hands and called to Apollo. “Here, boy,” he said, in a tone that suggested affection. I knew Kameron well enough to know that he was just playing a game because he was bored and hungry, and he wanted to distract himself. And whenever Kameron wanted to distract himself, he got mean.

  “What are you doing?” I asked, turning around. “I just fed him.”

  Kameron ignored me and continued to call for Apollo, who was looking tentatively out from under the desk. He was weary of Kameron, but he also loved kibble.

  “Come here, boy,” Kameron cooed. “Come and try some nice, tasty kibble.”

  “Kameron…” I said, but my words fell on deaf ears.

  He managed to coax Apollo out from under the desk and just before Apollo was about to eat the kibble from his hand, he reached out and smacked him hard on the nose. With a yelp of pain, Apollo ran back under the desk.

  I cringed at the sound, but I knew that if I said anything it, would only make Kameron worse. We’d already had a fight the previous week about Apollo, and I had spent the next few nights trying not to sleep because I was so scared that Kameron would take Apollo out in the night and then leave him in the middle of nowhere.

  Quickly, I finished with the French toast and placed it on a plate next to the remaining piece of pizza beforeI handed it over to Kameron.

  “There,” I said.

  He eyed the toast suspiciously for a moment and then took an unnecessarily large bite. “It’ll do,” he nodded with his mouth full.

  Then he fell back onto the ratty sofa that took up most of the space in our so-called living room and scarfed down the rest of his meal without so much as a thought as to what I would have for dinner. I tried to call for Apollo discreetly so that I could take him into the bedroom with me, but Kameron looked up at me.

  “Come over here and give me a foot rub while I eat,” he said, with a smile that I had once thought was charming.

  Suppressing the revulsion that overtook me, I went over to the end of the sofa and took his left foot in my hands. “Mmm,” he breathed, as I massaged him. “That feels fucking amazing,” he said, as his eyes closed in response.

  Five minutes later, he was done with his meal. He wiped his hands on the side of the sofa and fixed his eyes on me. “You look hot today,” he observed mildly, as his eyes ran up and down my body.

  I felt myself tense, but I ignored his lascivious compliment and continued massaging his feet as though he hadn’t said anything.

  “Hey,” Kameron continued, when I didn’t respond. “Why don’t you come over here? I have a friend in my pants I want to introduce you to.”

  I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. “I’ve met your friend before,” I said. “And to be honest, I wasn’t all that impressed.”

  He laughed. “Really?” he said. “Well, I’ll bet he can change your mind.”

  “I doubt it,” I said, feeling the patience drain out of me all at once. I dropped his foot and moved over to my desk to collect my laptop.

  “Hey,” his voice hardened the moment I let go of him. “Where are you going?”

  “I have some work to finish, okay?” I said. “I don’t have time to play the maid.”

  “Who’s asking you to be the maid?” he asked, as he sat up. “I don’t need a maid right now. I need a whore.”

  “Well, I’m sure there are plenty around the corner and down the block,” I said. “Maybe you should go and fuck one of them?”

  I felt Kameron rise, and I turned around instinctively. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he asked menacingly.

  I felt fear rise to my throat, but I refused to let him see that. Instead, I took a deep breath and kept my tone calm and even. “It’s been a long day, Kameron. I’m hungry and tired, and I just want to get to bed okay? I’m not in the mood for sex right now.”

  “What if I’m in the mood for sex?” he demanded.

  “Then maybe you should think about treating me a little better,” I said, as the words exploded out of me. “So that I’ll actually want to have sex with you.”

  “Look at you,” Kameron said, with narrowed eyes. “Is this you demanding respect or some shit? You think you’re better than those whores around the corner turning tricks for a living? I’ve got news for you, Maddie baby: you’re just a cheap, white trash whore from the gutter – and if it weren’t for me, you’d still be in the gutter. You treat each bitch the way she deserves to be treated: remember that.”

  I shook my head. “Kameron, I can’t do this anymore.”

  “Oh you’re going to have to,” he replied, with ice in his tone. “Because if you ever leave me, I will hunt you down and I will find you. That is a promise.”

  A second later, the terrible silence was broken by the sound of Kameron’s cell phone. He answered it without taking his eyes of me.

  “Yeah?” he demanded aggressively. “Oh Tucker… Yeah… Yeah… Fuck… Okay, I’ll be there soon.”

  He hung up and glared at me a moment longer. “When I get back, I expect a better attitude. Don’t fuck with me, Maddie baby, because I’ll be forced to discipline you.”

  The moment he left, I felt a tear slip down my cheek. My hands were shaking uncontrollably as I opened up my laptop and searched the Internet desperately. Apollo stuck his head out from under the desk, and I could feel his big brown eyes on me.

  “Don’t worry, Polo boy,” I said, as my voice shook audibly. “Because I’m getting out. I’m getting us both out.”

  Chapter Three

  Peter

  I woke up the next morning to find a note on the fridge from John. He had left early for an unexpected client consultation, so I settled in for a laidback breakfast by myself. I put together some eggs, sausage, and bacon for myself, and once I had cleaned my plate, I decided to make use of my day by going down to the hardware store early.

  It was a fifteen-minute drive to the local hardware store, and given how early it still was, I found parking easily. I walked inside to the smell of rust and nails and realized that the store was virtually empty, save for one lone customer walking around at the back by the lumber section.

  I walked over and realized that I knew him. He had lived in the house next to ours for years before he finally decided to put it up for rent to move into an apartment closer to the city.

  “Andy!” I greeted.

  He turned around and his eyes brightened with recognition as he saw me. “Peter,” he said. “How have you been?”

  “Good,” I nodded as I came forward and shook his hand. “Very good, actually.”

  “Well, you certainly look it,” Andy nodded. “I heard about the shooting. I sent flowers to the hospital.”

  “I got them, thanks,” I nodded. “I probably should have sent a thank-you note.”

  “Ah, don’t worry about it,” he said, waving away my words. “You’ve had a lot to deal with lately. How’s the recovery been?”

  “The doctors claim it’s been fast,” I laughed. “But to me, it has felt glacially slow. Still, I’m alive, so I can’t complain.”

  “And, no one was charged after the shooting?” Andy asked with concern.

  “No,” I said with some hesitation. “It all happened really fast.”

  “I can imagine,” he sighed. “And at a carnival, no less.”

  “I’m going back to work in a few weeks, though,” I said.

  “Hey, congratulations,” he said, clapping me on the back. “You must be thrilled to get back in the trenches.”

  “Like you wouldn’t believe,” I nodded. “I did appreciate the time I got to spend at home around the house, but…”

  “It’s not the same,” Andy fi
nished for me. “I hear you.”

  “I haven’t seen you around in a while,” I said. “Have you managed to find a tenant for the house?”

  “I have, at last,” he nodded. “That’s why I’m here so early. She contacted me yesterday in response to the online advertisement I’d placed. She seemed to be in a hurry to find someplace cheap to rent. It’s a good thing, too… I was starting to think no one would be interested in renting out that house.”

  “You’re doing some work there before she gets here?”

  “The house has been closed up for a few months now,” Andy replied. “I wanted to make sure everything was in order before she comes into town.”

  “When does she arrive?” I asked.

  “Sometime tonight, I believe,” he told me.

  “Whoa…that doesn’t leave you much time.”

  “No, it doesn’t,” he said, shaking his head. “But she needed a place as soon as possible, and I didn’t want to risk asking for more time. So, I figured I’d try to bang out all the little repairs today before she gets here in the night.”

  “Well, I have a proposition for you.”

  “Propose away,” Andy said willingly.

  “I need to get some lumber over to the house,” I explained. “If you can help me unload the lumber, I’d be happy to help you with the repairs. It’ll go easier with two of us, anyway.”

  “That’s an even trade,” he nodded, extending his hand out to me. “I accept.”

  “Great,” I nodded. “Give me a few minutes to get what I need, and I’ll meet you back at the house.”

  “See you there,” Andy nodded.

  Forty minutes later, I pulled up outside the house with the back of my truck stacked high with lumber. The boys at the hardware store had tied it down with rope, and I unfurled the knots as Andy approached.

  “I take it you’re doing some work on the house, too?” he asked, as he helped untie the rope that held the lumber in place.