Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 91595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 91595 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 458(@200wpm)___ 366(@250wpm)___ 305(@300wpm)
But the kids are right. It’s past time for the Kenleigh Colburn era.
I just don’t know if I remember how to be as carefree as she was.
CHAPTER
TWO
Dean
“Respond to the town library. Raccoons got in through the book drop, started a turf war with the therapy cats, and knocked over an aromatherapy candle. Romance section is on fire, and the raccoons are fornicating on the shelves, according to poor Miss Alice.”
I can’t help but guffaw loudly as all the dad jokes come to me at once.
Wagner Bellamy glances over at me with a knowing look. “Don’t, Cap.”
I blink innocently. “But doesn’t it sound…smoldering?”
My young chief isn’t impressed, nor is he ever. He’s a stoic fella, good kid, but I don’t think he knows how to have fun. He lets out a long-winded sigh as he turns on the lights on the fire truck, not even acknowledging how funny I am. The sirens ring through the small town of Thistlebrook, Tennessee, while I text my daughter. Wagner may not be impressed with my joke, but I know Skyye will be.
Skyye
Dad, you did not say that to Wagner. Did he laugh, even a small bit?
Me
He didn’t even smile.
Skyye
He’s so hopeless.
Me
True, but he’s a good deputy and scored two goals last night.
Skyye
Duh, all the character traits of a great guy.
Me
Exactly.
God, I love my kid. While I’m her dad, I’m also her best friend. Or maybe she’s my best friend? I don’t know; I just like her a lot. Of course I love her, but I like her too. She’s fun to hang out with, she still laughs at my jokes, and she doesn’t give me a lick of the heartache her mother and aunts did when I was younger.
I wince at the chaos that ensued as we head toward the library. The shops on Main Street are bustling with tourists here for the summer. The trails are open, and we have the best ones, which brings everyone to our small town. Some like to say it’s our hockey rink that drives people to our town, but that’s only in the travel hockey season. The summer is for the mountains and trails.
I glance out at the Smoky Mountains, and my smile grows. Everything is so bright green, lush, and beautiful. I’ve been here my whole life, but the sight still leaves me breathless. As I surf my hand through the air while Wagner drives, I lean back and watch my hometown pass by.
I thought I was bigger than this town, and I loved it when I got out, but nothing can beat these views. Our town is small, only two thousand full-time folks. Everyone knows everyone, and for the most part, we all get along. Of course, there are some squabbles here and there, but small-town living is good for me. I never thought I’d move back to Thistlebrook when I left, but when my grandma got sick, I came home to help out.
I had no intention of staying, but then Skyye was conceived. I grew up with my daughter’s mother, Missy Colburn. She’s a year older than me, and we were cool, but I never lusted after her. She has always been my sister’s best friend. Apparently, we both forgot that the night of my sister’s bachelorette party.
I was in my feelings that Sadie was getting married. I don’t know why. Maybe because we’d lost Granny six months before, or maybe because I couldn’t fathom why anyone would want to marry Sadie. But Matt did, bless his heart. Meanwhile, I had no one, I hadn’t been dating, and I didn’t know what I was going to do next.
Instead of staying home, I figured I’d watch the girls as they had fun at the Thirsty Pine. I was feeling really low and lonely when Missy decided I was the perfect person to take a shot with. She put a buttery nipple shot between her boobs, wiggled them at me, and I did what any stupid, sad, drunk fuck would do.
I grabbed her titties and buried my face in her flesh before taking the shot with a flair she obviously enjoyed.
And my sweet, amazing, perfect daughter was conceived after I busted through a condom when we had sex against the side wall of our local dive.
I may regret a lot of things about that night, but not Skyye. She is all the stars in my galaxy, and I will forever have a special place in my heart for Missy. She gave me Skyye, whom we named after my granny. Missy and I knew from the moment she showed me the pregnancy test that we wouldn’t be raising Skyye as husband and wife. We were too good of friends, and there was nothing romantic between us. That night was us being drunk and horny. In the daylight, Missy was…not the girl I wanted.