Delicious Daddy Read online

  A heartwarming smile was replaced by a furrowed brow. “Really?”

  “I booked it this morning.”

  She bit her lower lip. “You couldn’t have, I closed the reservations when I read the mandate.”

  “Want to see?” I took my phone out of my pocket and opened the confirmation.

  Reaching for the phone, she withdrew before taking it. “We’re supposed to stay six feet apart. This new thing called social distancing.” Squinting, she studied the screen as I extended it.

  Stay six feet away from people? Insanity. I gave her a second.

  Dalilah rubbed the back of her neck. “That’s about the same time I blocked out all of the dates. Must have crossed paths. I’ve been contacting everyone that had a reservation. I don’t know what to tell you. The government even gave us instructions on how to sterilize everything before we re-open. I can get fined or shut down for accepting guests.” She frowned.

  “Am I supposed to sleep in my car?” I slid my phone back in my pocket and shifted my weight.

  She motioned the way I’d originally come from. “There should be rooms available back that way. They don’t have any cases yet, so their restrictions aren’t as extreme. We’re considered a feeder town for Powder Valley so they closed us. People stay here but ski there. More affordable.”

  “What’s it matter? I stayed here last night. If either of us are contagious, it’s too late.” I watched for a flicker of sympathy. “I’m not driving another mile the opposite direction of my daughter.”

  She flinched.

  The secret was out. I braced myself.

  “I wish I could help, but the rules are serious. I could lose my license. Usually it’s an avalanche or rockslide that traps us at home, nothing like this. You don’t look old enough to have a kid.” She wrung her hands and her tone was softer. A relieving sign she wasn’t completely opposed to kids or letting me stay another night.

  “Cora’s four and I was supposed to pick her up yesterday. Any chance you know a backroad I can use to sneak into Powder Valley?”

  “Word has it the cops are monitoring everything, even the back roads.”

  “Can I stay in your driveway while I sort this out?” Who would I call? My ex, my lawyer, the police station? Those were starting points.

  Dalilah glanced from my car to my duffle bag. “I don’t see any harm in that.”

  What would I do if I couldn’t pick up Cora before nightfall, sleep in my car? Shower where? And for how long? I retreated down the steps, uncertainty dashing my hopes.

  I’d forgotten to thank Dalilah. Turning around, I caught her staring at me. A hint of something passed between us but she waved and retreated inside.

  Her single glance filled me with hope.

  Chapter 3

  Dalilah

  I sank against the door, my heart racing. All I wanted to do was invite Jasper in. Completely contrary to my common sense approach of remembering that guests were customers. And since I didn’t run a brothel, I wouldn’t be having sex with the customers.

  Even more contrary to my common sense was the complication that he had a daughter.

  Shoving myself off the door, I peeked out the window again. He was on his phone, pacing, having what appeared to be a heated conversation. On a brighter note, his calf muscles flexed as he walked. His arms tempted me with their curves every time he moved them.

  I stopped in the kitchen for a glass of water. My gaze lingered on the stool where he’d sat. I dragged my fingers over it. Exactly the wrong thing to do in light of the sterilization guidelines. Minimize touching.

  The new rules were insane, but the last thing I wanted was to skimp on the precautions and have a customer get sick, or even myself. I tossed my hair up in a messy bun and tackled the bathroom. One task at a time.

  His toothbrush rested on the edge of the sink. A zing of excitement shot through me. An excuse to talk to him again. And I couldn’t see any way to return his toothbrush without being close to him. Jasper was one of those people who gave off a positive vibe. The kind that made him the center of attention. Was I falling prey to his charisma so easily?

  I fanned myself and caught a glimpse of my flushed cheeks in the mirror. Who would report me if I let him stay one more night? Then again, the newscast and the email I’d received had stated the end date wasn’t certain. If I let him in for a night, it would be hard to ask him to leave.

  The poor guy just wanted to see his daughter. I carried his toothbrush with my thumb and forefinger. Opening the front door, I called out, “Jasper.”

  He whipped around, a smile crossed his face, and he told the person on the other end of the call to hold on.

  Waving the toothbrush, I was surprised when his smile faded.

  “Thanks,” he said, taking the toothbrush and returning to his call.

  I eavesdropped on his frustration, repeated statements that there had to be a way. Had my dad ever tried to spend time with me? Bitterness kept the question from being more than a cynical musing. If my dad hadn’t stopped at the resort where my mom worked a second time, he wouldn’t even have known I existed. He sent checks for a while. He knew where to find me and he could have included a note if he cared.

  He’d barely been more than a passing penis, drive-by dick, come-and-go cock. I’d had far too long to create names for him. And to remind myself that in a tourist town, most guys weren’t around for the duration. My mom had told me about the money he sent but never gave me his name. That’s where my nicknames had begun, Paycheck Papa.

  By the time I was old enough to try to find him, I’d decided he didn’t deserve me.

  Jasper’s concern for his daughter made him even more delicious. I retreated to the bathroom, beginning the scrub down process.

  I kept my place clean. Scrubbing was merely compliance. Easy enough. Recalling his smile when I called his name made me question if there were rules I’d be less inclined to follow.

  But the smile had faded quickly. Had he been smiling at the person on the phone and I caused it to fade? Was I making up signs that weren’t there? Did I wish someone longed for me the way Jasper longed for his daughter? Not quite the same. My interests were of a different slant. To be wanted. To be cared for. To be loved.

  I ran the toilet brush around the bowl one more time then flushed the sudsy water, wishing my fascination with Jasper would swirl out of sight with it.

  Working from one room to the next, whether Jasper would have touched anything or not, I sprayed and wiped every knob, switch, and surface.

  The growling of my stomach brought the morning’s spree to a close. I glanced outside. Jasper was sitting in the shade eating from a TV dinner type of container. He’d mentioned having food with him. I’m not sure what I’d expected, but the rice, vegetables, and meat looked better than the sandwich I was going to make for myself.

  Hurrying to the kitchen, I slapped mayonnaise and meat onto my bread, then inspired by Jasper, I added lettuce. Was I fooling myself to head to the porch? Six feet apart would keep it casual. As I passed the living room window, he was at his car.

  The dilemma over whether I would dine with him or not was solved. My intentions for plotting to eat with him had been wrong. Guilt settled through me.

  After closing the car door, he rushed off. Where was he going without his car?

  I forced myself to the kitchen. The less I knew, the better. No going outside to see where he went. He was a big boy.

  Despite busying myself with spit-shining the rest of the house, I couldn’t stop glancing out the windows every time I walked past. And when he reappeared, happiness flooded through me.

  When he sat on my porch steps and maintained a smile for an entire thirty-minute plus conversation, I imagined he was talking to his daughter.

  For every thought I had about him being a great dad, I had to suppress ten more about my attraction. Being a good dad made him even sexier.

  My heart raced and sex tingled every time I saw him or thought about him, which
was almost non-stop. To try to distract myself and be useful, I called a friend who worked at a hotel in Powder Valley. She confirmed everything I’d read and heard, adding that the cops had stopped by to make sure the hotel was taking the new regulations seriously.

  The sun set behind the top of the mountain. Jasper pulled a hoodie on. There were a few hours left before it would get dark, but with the sun out of sight, the temperature had already dropped. Where had the day gone? The scent of cleaner reminded me.

  Was I going to make him sleep in his car when I had a perfectly usable guest room? He’d been right in noting we’d already been exposed to each other. Was it dangerous for him to stay another night? Or two. Or, my shoulders slumped, I had no idea how many.

  Would cops beat down my door? Was it worse to turn someone away in their time of need?

  I went to the front door, grabbed the knob and cautioned myself. Turning it, I dismissed my concerns. Not like he’d shown any interest in me. It was simply a good deed.

  Swinging the door open, I stepped onto the porch and glanced around the yard.

  From inside his car, he waved, still wearing his sunglasses. Wouldn’t need them for much longer which reinforced he needed somewhere to stay. And as sexy as he was in the sunglasses, I longed to take them off and get a closer look at his eyes to decide what color they were.

  Why had I wasted the day cleaning when I could have spared a minute talking to him, getting answers to questions that weren’t any of my business. Why did I feel like he was my business?

  All of the denial from the entire day crashed onto me. I’d felt a connection to Jasper and instead of exploring it, I’d let my mother’s longstanding rules barricade the way. Is that why I was single? Had I kept everyone at arm’s length for fear I wouldn’t be enough? Instead of waiting for someone to fight for me, should I have taken the lead?

  My thoughts wandered.

  He started the car.

  I’d never dated anyone who’d been worth fighting for. Or I’d never let them close enough to find out if they were. I redirected myself. Why invest in someone who lived a thousand miles away, but I wanted to let him know he’d done a good thing fighting for his daughter. Every day was precious.

  Split between my carnal desire to be in the presence of a near perfect human, and wanting to offer my sincere appreciation for his dedication to family, I approached the car and motioned for him to roll down the window.

  Tugging his sunglasses down a touch, he peered over them. Did he have a never-ending playlist of sexiness? It might have been enough to override my birth control pills because I was fairly certain my ovaries kicked into gear.

  He lowered the window and his expression remained blank.

  My giddiness suddenly felt misplaced. I had no right to delay him. “I’m sure you’re in a hurry to get to your daughter. I just wanted to say I noticed how many phone calls you made. And I don’t know what kind of magic you worked, but that’s testament to what a good dad you are.”

  He frowned. “I can’t get her. We tried everything but the order’s strict. Fucking stupid. And a bunch of people left right before the roadblocks were put in place so all the hotels around here are booked up for hours. Tourists are moving their vacations farther down the highway.”

  The disappointment in his voice, the defeat on his face, and my inner turmoil all dumped themselves into a cauldron, brewing frustration. If I could have added a strand of my father’s hair, it would have boiled the mix right into anger.

  A pinch of rebellion stirred in my core. There were things in life I couldn’t fix, and there were things I could. Most rules weren’t black and white. And despite following them, it hadn’t made my life noticeably wonderful. “Need somewhere to stay?”

  Sitting taller, his mouth dropped open. “Here?”

  Excitement bubbled through me. “Yeah. But don’t give me any cooties. I don’t want my bed and breakfast blacklisted. It’s my only income.”

  He’d stepped out of his car and opened his arms. “Cootie free.”

  Putting his body on display tempted me to break the six-foot rule. Not ready to violate them yet, I headed back for the house and he grabbed his bag and followed. If the opportunity presented itself, we could mutually close the gap.

  “Thanks. It’s getting chilly and I didn’t want to run my car outside of your place all night. The Walmart parking lot was looking like my best option.”

  I shook my head and sat in the living room where we could maintain our distance. “Sorry I made you stay outside all day. Sometimes I adhere too closely to the rules.”

  “No problem. I had to make a shitload of phone calls. Honestly, it was kind of nice to talk to my daughter while staring at the mountains she calls home since I can’t be with her. Not exactly how I imagined Father’s Day playing out.” If ever there was a guy who needed a hug, he was sitting across my living room. What would the mental toll of social distancing be?

  I’d completely forgotten about my least favorite holiday. “You’re divorced?”

  He’d taken his sunglasses off and my efforts to assess his eye color were falling short. Something between the classic blue, green, and brown. I’d have to get closer.

  “Yeah, amicable. No fault. Whatever they call it. When Sylvia and I agreed to share custody, we both planned on staying in the Bay Area. The ocean, the weather, the opportunities. Then she met some hotshot who’d been on vacation and ended up moving with him to Powder Valley. She doesn’t have to work so the judge agreed she could take Cora and we could alternate holidays. Makes me feel like the bad guy.”

  With clarification of his scenario and confirmation of his ex’s name, I felt bad for my assumptions about his text messages. But I could have listened to his voice all day. The kind of voice that would sound spectacular whispering sweet nothings into my ear. And his broad chest would be plenty for me to lean against while he stroked my hair.

  I rethought my naughty intentions. The guy was stressed. He shouldn’t have to worry about whether I could respect his space. “Wow. There are so many dads who don’t take the time even when their kids are right under their noses. Look how much trouble you’re going through.”

  “It’s an imperfect world. But I’ll do whatever I can to make it right.”

  What an interesting take. “That’s really admirable.”

  “Exaggerate much?” Only one side of his lips curled and the crooked smile worked its way into my heart. Either he was too modest, or he couldn’t fathom someone not doing their part.

  “You drove all the way from California for your daughter. Some dads wouldn’t bother.” I pursed my lips. No need to unload my baggage. Although I was heating up like I’d been unloading lots of something. A small part of me hoped the quarantine would continue. Spending time with Jasper was going to be a lot more interesting than spending time alone.

  He leaned forward. “Mind if we don’t talk about my daughter?”

  “Sure. How about a walk instead?”

  “Sounds excellent.”

  Inside my house, his presence was commanding, nearly intimidating. And I may have brought some of it on myself by deciding I’d feel him out, see if there was anything between us. Did he feel the strong connection I did? Was it the circumstances? I’d never been with a guy with as much physical prowess. And I already knew he was leaving. There would be no surprise when he drove away. No risk of being abandoned. A clean break.

  He was checking all of my boxes. I had to figure out if I was checking enough of his.

  Chapter 4

  Jasper

  Dalilah led me down a path into a canyon across from her house. At points where the path narrowed, I fell behind and the six-foot rule came naturally, but where the path widened, I wanted to walk side by side. When I had to trail behind, the curve of her ass tempted me. But so did the rest of her. I wanted to slide my fingers around hers. Hold hands while we walked. Show her what was in my heart. I wanted her in my life.

  I exhaled deeply, wondering if there w
as some way to explain my attraction. Would she consider a long-distance relationship?

  “Out of breath all ready?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “Tell me if I need to slow down.” She smiled over her shoulder.

  Would it be too much to ask her to hold the pose and let me take a picture? I wanted to capture the playfulness in her eyes. She didn’t need to slow down. I did.

  She pointed to wildflowers. “This is my favorite time of year. The new growth, the flowers, and the critters running around. A month ago, it was dirt. In a few months, it will be nearly impassible when the snow and ice accumulate. It’s constantly changing, full of promise and renewal.”

  “When does the snow start?”

  “As early as September.” She stopped and pulled her phone out of her pocket.

  I stepped beside her.

  She glanced between the length of our bodies. “That’s a short six feet.”

  I scooted away. “Sorry.”

  She motioned for me to come closer. “I’m not worried. I want to show you the snow.”

  Resuming my spot inches from her body, my heart raced at the invitation.

  “Here.” She turned the phone my direction. The picture was nearly unrecognizable except for a few boulders serving as landmarks against the sparkling white snow.

  “Amazing, but you’re right. It wouldn’t be as easy to hike then. Those are interesting.” My arm brushed hers as I pointed to a long stretch of small holes in the canyon wall that was also on her screen. They were each less than a foot and birds were inside of them.

  She tilted her head and seemed to be considering what to say. The longer she studied me, the more I wanted to cup her head and kiss her.

  Her smile widened and she grabbed my hand. “I’ll show you.”

  A flash of heat raced through me. I gripped her fingers, unwilling to lose the precious contact. Instead of walking me toward the wall, she directed me to the opposite side of the narrow canyon.