stop.”
“Derek.” Her quiet, calm voice took his rage to the next level.
His knuckles turned white as his hands curled into fists on the counter. “No. Stop treating me like a goddamned idiot. I might not be the world’s best father, but I’m sick of you implying that I’m the worst. You fucking judgmental bitch.”
“Derek.” Her voice was sharp enough to make him turn around.
Haley stood in the kitchen doorway. Her big eyes filled with tears while he watched.
“Haley-girl.”
She spun and ran for her room.
“I tried to tell you she was there.”
He pointed at Deidre. “Don’t.” He shook with fury and shame. Even though he’d let the rage out, he still had that tight-lungs feeling. “Don’t say a word.” He’d made his Haley-girl cry and his fucking ex-wife had baited him into it.
Deidre narrowed her eyes at him. “You step outside and cool off. I’ll go calm her down. And then you are going to apologize and tell your daughter there is no excuse for that kind of language.”
Always fucking telling him what to do. Never a fucking hair out of place, never a fucking ruffled feather in those perfect fucking wings.
He didn’t trust himself to speak. He went outside, but not because she told him to. He got in his truck and drove away.
Chapter 6
Dream girl. It was the closest thing she had to a name. DG for short. She’d take it and be thankful she had any identity at all. Someone knew her. And liked her. Even if he only liked her in a carnal sense, it meant something.
Actually, it meant everything. He was everything to her in the most literal way.
And she’d only been able to run and make him doubt himself. She wanted to give him so much more, and she wanted to accept whatever he could give to her.
No more being cautious. No more worrying about conseq uences or obsessing about her purpose. If she ever got out of this fog again, she wouldn’t waste another second.
Time dragged, but she didn’t despair. Determination replaced the lost feeling that had reduced her to tears last time she’d been trapped here. At long last, the fog billowed away to reveal his semi-darkened room.
She scanned it eagerly, but found it empty. Disappointment swallowed her relief at being released from her prison.
On the up side, the door was wide open, revealing a brightly-lit hallway, the only source of light in the bedroom besides the street lights shining through the bare window. The other times she’d been in this room, the door had been cracked, but not open enough for her to slip out. Now, nothing stood between her and the rest of the house.
Except her own hesitation. What if Haley saw her roaming around and got scared? What if she left this room and couldn’t get back in?
Enough. No more what-ifs. No more bowing to caution and ending up with regrets.
She squared her shoulders and strode into the hall, pausing to listen. The house was utterly still. A pang of loneliness tried to sink her spirits, but she refused to let it. An empty house was better, after all. She had the freedom to learn as much as she could about the man.
The open door directly across from the bedroom led into a black-and white-tiled bathroom. She took in the aqua green toilet and tub. The sink was newer, a white porcelain pedestal model with sleek, modern fixtures. Tan and navy towels hung from the rods. There were no child things. No second toothbrush, no barrettes or hair ties, no bubble bath or shower soap the likes of which Haley might use. She must live with her mother most of the time and visit her dad for short periods.
Which meant he lived alone. But at some point he had probably shared domesticity with a woman. A wife, possibly?
Jealousy made her jaw twitch.
A snoop in the second bedroom confirmed her suspicion. Light from the hallway reflected off a silver frame sitting on top of an enormous metal desk that looked like it had been reclaimed from a 1950s schoolhouse. The frame held a five by seven picture of the
“Derek.” Her quiet, calm voice took his rage to the next level.
His knuckles turned white as his hands curled into fists on the counter. “No. Stop treating me like a goddamned idiot. I might not be the world’s best father, but I’m sick of you implying that I’m the worst. You fucking judgmental bitch.”
“Derek.” Her voice was sharp enough to make him turn around.
Haley stood in the kitchen doorway. Her big eyes filled with tears while he watched.
“Haley-girl.”
She spun and ran for her room.
“I tried to tell you she was there.”
He pointed at Deidre. “Don’t.” He shook with fury and shame. Even though he’d let the rage out, he still had that tight-lungs feeling. “Don’t say a word.” He’d made his Haley-girl cry and his fucking ex-wife had baited him into it.
Deidre narrowed her eyes at him. “You step outside and cool off. I’ll go calm her down. And then you are going to apologize and tell your daughter there is no excuse for that kind of language.”
Always fucking telling him what to do. Never a fucking hair out of place, never a fucking ruffled feather in those perfect fucking wings.
He didn’t trust himself to speak. He went outside, but not because she told him to. He got in his truck and drove away.
Chapter 6
Dream girl. It was the closest thing she had to a name. DG for short. She’d take it and be thankful she had any identity at all. Someone knew her. And liked her. Even if he only liked her in a carnal sense, it meant something.
Actually, it meant everything. He was everything to her in the most literal way.
And she’d only been able to run and make him doubt himself. She wanted to give him so much more, and she wanted to accept whatever he could give to her.
No more being cautious. No more worrying about conseq uences or obsessing about her purpose. If she ever got out of this fog again, she wouldn’t waste another second.
Time dragged, but she didn’t despair. Determination replaced the lost feeling that had reduced her to tears last time she’d been trapped here. At long last, the fog billowed away to reveal his semi-darkened room.
She scanned it eagerly, but found it empty. Disappointment swallowed her relief at being released from her prison.
On the up side, the door was wide open, revealing a brightly-lit hallway, the only source of light in the bedroom besides the street lights shining through the bare window. The other times she’d been in this room, the door had been cracked, but not open enough for her to slip out. Now, nothing stood between her and the rest of the house.
Except her own hesitation. What if Haley saw her roaming around and got scared? What if she left this room and couldn’t get back in?
Enough. No more what-ifs. No more bowing to caution and ending up with regrets.
She squared her shoulders and strode into the hall, pausing to listen. The house was utterly still. A pang of loneliness tried to sink her spirits, but she refused to let it. An empty house was better, after all. She had the freedom to learn as much as she could about the man.
The open door directly across from the bedroom led into a black-and white-tiled bathroom. She took in the aqua green toilet and tub. The sink was newer, a white porcelain pedestal model with sleek, modern fixtures. Tan and navy towels hung from the rods. There were no child things. No second toothbrush, no barrettes or hair ties, no bubble bath or shower soap the likes of which Haley might use. She must live with her mother most of the time and visit her dad for short periods.
Which meant he lived alone. But at some point he had probably shared domesticity with a woman. A wife, possibly?
Jealousy made her jaw twitch.
A snoop in the second bedroom confirmed her suspicion. Light from the hallway reflected off a silver frame sitting on top of an enormous metal desk that looked like it had been reclaimed from a 1950s schoolhouse. The frame held a five by seven picture of the
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