9. Pipsqueak

CHAPTER 9

Pipsqueak

NATE

W hy did I carry Tori to bed? The scent of her expensive perfume must have rubbed off onto my shirt. It drove me nuts all night.

My body remained on alert, tossing and turning, thinking about her, about us, about this crazy situation, and analyzing any sound I heard from outside—or within. Just a few feet away, she slept, hopefully comforted by the fact I was here, watching over her.

Guarding clients was my job. But yesterday, in our brief hug, when she broke down in my arms, for one moment, I wanted to be more for her.

Great, now my morning wood made a fine appearance, conveniently forgetting how Tori warned me to keep things professional between us.

Cap’s rule about not getting too close would be so easy to break. Not only was Tori getting under my skin as my fake wife—and visions of her under me getting in the way—but there was Porsche to consider. Cute as a button, any father would be so lucky to have her as a daughter. Not that I would know anything about being one.

Fuck me.

My head muddled among all these thoughts, and, as quietly as I could, I got up and made coffee shortly after sunrise, operating only from the light coming in the window. Having arrived so late last night, I got a better view now of the Love Ranch outside where a handful of other tiny log cabins like this sat in a circle, with a fire pit in the middle of it all.

Kipp had informed me that Cody Love had been struggling to make ends meet on the ranch after his father passed away. He’d recently hired a consultant—Charles Montgomery, of all people—to invest in the ranch with some new ideas, and help him turn operations around. Apparently, this remodeled campground with new cabins was their first endeavor together.

Hell, if it could impress the likes of Tori last night, then maybe Cody and his Love Ranch would succeed.

Footsteps entered the kitchen behind me. “Morning, Dad.”

Porsche really got into this family charade. On the tip of my tongue, I wanted to say she could just call me Nate around here, but then thought better of it. Even if we were only here a few days, it’d be better for her to act natural and call me Dad.

“Hey pipsqueak.” I didn’t know where the hell that nickname came from, as I turned away from the window to see her reaching for a mug for coffee. “That stuff will stunt your growth, at least my dad told me that growing up every time I snuck a cup.”

She eyed me. “Uh, apparently you did not listen to him. I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry, little one.” I smirked. We needed to buy provisions today, and I had only one set of clothes on my body, and they were well into the second day of wearing. “Your mom is still sleeping?”

“She’s half awake. Takes her some time to get up, usually.”

“Hey, how does she take her coffee?” I reached for another mug.

“Black, unless it’s pumpkin spice latte season. She likes it sweet then. Aw, are you going to make her a cup and take it to her bedside?” With her hand over her heart, her eyes shifted, turning almond shape, getting all soft. “That’s so romantic.”

“Uh… I was about to take her a cup, yes. But listen, pip—” The nickname almost came out again. “Don’t get any ideas. Your mom and I are just, you know, keeping things professional. I have a job to do here, to keep you both safe, and you need to remember that. Okay?”

“Sure. I understand. But can’t you at least be friends? I mean you and I are friends, right?” Jesus, this girl… Thinking about her yesterday when Connor kissed her hand, I’d gotten my back up just a bit. As her fake father, protecting her sweet innocence was yet another thing to add to my list. Was that getting too personal? It was becoming crystal clear now how Cap got in too deep with Tori and Porsche.

I only answered with a nod. “Listen, why don’t you take a blanket off the couch over there, wrap yourself in it, and sit on the porch swing while I wake your mother up. I’ll be out in a few.”

“Okay. And yes, Dad, you can call me Pip. I like it.”

I shook my head, watching her follow through with my instructions. Goofy teenage girls perplexed me enough when I was in high school. Now I had to sit here and go through it again with her?

I sighed. When she was outside, out of earshot, I took the mug to Tori. Her eyes opened on me as I rounded her side. She appeared a little more refreshed than last night, like the sleep did her some good.

“Morning. Now, this is nothing but cabin coffee I made, but I’d like to think it’s a step above stale diner coffee.” I set it on the nightstand.

“What time is it?” Her hoarse morning voice did a number on my cock. Those eyes, her mouth, her tongue licking her dry lips, the way she stretched her arms above her head, arching her back, pushing pert nipples through her shirt. Holy fuck. I turned away quickly, and peered out the side window for a distraction before my morning wood made a grand entrance.

“It’s a little past sunrise,” my voice came out in a groan. Just then, I saw an SUV driving up toward the cabin, dust kicking up behind the tires, with lights on the roof and painted black and white. “Shit. This might be Robbie coming to talk to us. Kipp said he’d leave him a message.”

“Did you tell Kipp about us?” She sat up.

“I said you had some issues with your father-in-law and I wanted Robbie’s advice. That’s all he knows.” Just in case it wasn’t Robbie, and not knowing who I could trust, I grabbed my gun from the drawer and tucked it into the back of my waistband. I went outside and observed from the porch, alert and standing close to Porsche until I could see clear enough through the windshield that it was indeed him.

“Listen, pip?—”

“Yeah, Dad?”

“Uh, you see that man there? That’s Robbie Boyd, the Police Chief of Kissing Springs. You ever need someone, and if for some reason, I’m not around, you call him, okay? Mayor Meadow Boyd, too. Or Andrew. Or Kipp. Even my sisters. Any of them would be there for you in a heartbeat.”

“Like a real family?” Her eyes welled with tears.

This girl. She fucking tugged the hell out of my heart strings.

“Yeah. Something like that.”