I gave him a squeeze and said softly, “Mike, this is your daughter and I haven’t known –”

His hands slid around to lock me in his arms and he gave me a squeeze, cutting me off. “Dusty, she is my daughter and I trust you. My guess is you’ve been gettin’ your period a while now so clearly you’re more an authority on that than me. I love my girl, we’re close but she’s never gonna come to me with that shit and you might think this is f**ked, but I’m not only glad about that, I’m relieved. The rest of it, honey, the way you turned out, I am not stressed about. You guide her to bein’ her version of a woman like you, smart, funny, self-reliant, strong, sweet, warm, loving, I’m totally down with that.”

I stared up at him, nose tingling and warned, “You’re gonna make me cry again.”

He grinned, gave me another arm squeeze and dropped his head to touch his mouth to mine.

When he lifted it, he ordered, “Don’t. We got sandwiches to eat. Then we gotta get, dressed, get to the DQ, get cake, get home and you gotta deliver on your promise to kiss me all over. We don’t have time for you start bawling again. We got important shit to do.”

He was right.

So I told him that.

His grin became a smile and his arms left me as he issued another order, “I’ll get plates, you get me a Dr. Pepper.”

“Done,” I agreed, turning to the fridge. “But I don’t need a plate. We can eat at the counter.”

“Pure Dusty,” he muttered.

“What?” I asked into the opened fridge.

“Nothin’, sweetheart,” he kept muttering.

I let it go because whatever he was muttering he was doing it with a smile in his voice. I got him a Dr. Pepper, me a diet one of the same and met him at the counter. Mike got a bag of Chili Cheese Fritos and ripped it open.

I popped my soda and grabbed my sandwich. After a bite it became clear Mike made top-notch sandwiches. Heavy on the condiments but not so much horseradish my eyes watered. Two slices of cheese, one on each piece of bread. And a massive mound of shaved roast beef. I could barely get my mouth around it and it would be better grilled with that cheese melted but it was awesome all the same.

“Thanks, Angel.”

This came soft and, chewing, my eyes went to see his as soft as his voice on me.

“What?” I whispered through roast beef, rye and swiss.

“You took on my shit and made me feel better about Reesee,” he explained then repeated, “Thanks.”

I swallowed. “Anytime, babe.”

His hand came up, tagged me around the neck, pulling me in and up and he gave me a horseradish, roast beef kiss.

It was nice.

We ate. We got dressed. We went to the DQ and got the biggest ice cream cake they had. We came back. We got naked. I kissed Mike mostly all over then Mike took over and kissed me at my best spots. Then he gave me another orgasm, I returned the favor, we showered, dressed and were in the kitchen cooking dinner when Rees got home.

She was happy to see me.

She was happier when her Dad told her she could call Fin and ask him over for dinner.

Even though Fin was there and Mike had not lied, he could lay waste to DQ cake and Fin was his partner in that particular crime, Rees and I managed to save a piece for No.

But barely.

Chapter Fourteen

Gifted

Mike reached to Darrin’s will that was sitting at the side of his desk.

He had half an hour before he had to meet Audrey at Mimi’s. He’d also received a call from Tanner five minutes ago asking where he was then informing him that Tanner’s wife, Rocky would be swinging by because she needed to chat.

He didn’t know what that was about but he did know that Tanner’s wife, Merry’s sister Raquel Merrick Layne was a bit of a nut so it could be about anything. A teacher at the school, a cop’s daughter and sister, an ex-cop/current private investigator’s wife, Rocky Layne tended to stick her nose in shit.

It turned out to be good she did. Though he could say that removed since she wasn’t in his bed. She’d stuck her nose in the situation The ‘Burg had with a dirty cop in the Department and an adolescent sex ring recruiting through the local church. Mike couldn’t say she assisted much in that situation but her getting into that business lit some fires under a few asses in order to keep her safe. This meant shit happened faster than it would have, something that ended up saving three young girls from a lifetime of pain.

As he waited for Rocky and his eyes skimmed the will, his thoughts moved over the last two days.

Mike had had his Sunday with his woman and his Sunday night with his woman, his kids, his girl’s new boyfriend and a DQ ice cream cake. Aside from Audrey’s visit, it was a f**king good day. His best in a while.

Before that, wasteland for nearly eighteen years.

So it was safe to say Sunday being a f**king good day was something Mike Haines savored.

Mike was settling into Fin being around. He was doing this because he liked the way Fin was with his girl. And the way Fin was, gentle, watchful, intent, Mike sensed was not for Mike’s benefit. Perhaps this game was how Fin got his hands in a number of high school girls’ pants and Mike could see that play working and working well. But as much as he wanted to guard his girl against that kind of game, his gut told him there was something genuine about it.

What Mike knew well was that Fin was a Holliday. Darrin played the field and got himself some but the minute he locked on Rhonda that shit died. Completely. Darrin had found Rhonda after he graduated from high school but Mike now saw the same coming from Fin.

This was a new concern. His daughter was fifteen. She didn’t need some kid fixing on her. And although he didn’t want years of dealing with a revolving door of boyfriends who could be losers or ass**les, he had to admit he wasn’t entirely comfortable with Reesee fixing on Fin either.

But even so, Mike couldn’t say some part of him didn’t like it.

Monday night went as expected. Dusty’s Dad, Dean Holliday was beyond pissed at Debbie and regardless of the veil of grief that still hung at the Holliday farm, he didn’t mind showing it.

This was because his anger was mixed with alarm. Dean Holliday knew his firstborn daughter and undoubtedly knew she could be both stubborn and resentful. Not a good combination. Dean had also found time to share with Dusty and Mike that he’d called Debbie repeatedly since being let in on the situation and she was not backing down.

Further, Dean knew Bernie McGrath and Mike providing the information McGrath was involved did not help Mr. Holliday’s mood. Taking Mike aside, Dean had shared that Darrin had informed him that McGrath had made five approaches since his Dad left the state.