Baby Daddy Wanted (Crescent Cove 5)

Working on the crew of Gideon Gets it Done required a whole lot of hardware. And a truck.

Being a game designer, not so much. I had a sweet, high end system, blazing fast internet, and lots of time spent alone in the middle of the night in the cabin I’d helped build in the forest behind Crescent Lake.

But I liked working with Gideon. It kept me from turning into a hermit. College and the Masters programs I’d flown through had taken me well and truly down that path. I’d always been painfully shy. Being the youngest boy of the six Masterson kids didn’t help. I’d always been the brainy one, not the athletic one. I looked like I belonged on the football field, but I’d gotten a second helping of clumsy while my brothers took all my share of grace.

It only really mattered during Sunday dinners and I was more than happy to help my mom in the kitchen while my brothers beat the crap out of each other in the backyard.

“You coming back to work or what?”

I slammed the door of my truck, tucking in my T-shirt as I strode back to the work site. The shirt was too tight, making me feel almost as exposed as earlier.

“Look at Moose with his wares on display. Trying to one up me, man?” Lucky grinned. His shirt had already gone missing with the noontime sun. He flexed his pecs and I widened my eyes. “Not for you, though you sure are cute.” He winked and gestured behind me. “That was for Judy.”

“Don’t distract me while I’m bringing out lemonade, you rascal.”

I raked my fingers through my hair, embarrassment heating my face.

“He’s so cute.” Lucky whomped me on the back, pushing me two steps forward. The guy was a freaking beast. “Judy, my love. I just love your lemonade.”

I rolled my eyes and checked my phone at the light buzz against my thigh that signaled my usual email notification. She couldn’t have replied that fast.

Sure enough, it was just a gamer newsletter. I pushed my phone back into my pocket and crossed over to help Gideon with the greenhouse windows we were installing.

Three hours later, I was still checking every notification.

Gideon was starting to

give me a damn side-eye about it. I wasn’t the kind of guy who was always on his phone. Then again, it wasn’t every day that the girl of my dreams posted in the community group that she was looking for a baby daddy. Oh, and that she was up for the fun part of the equation as well.

Nope.

Just a regular day on the job.

“Dammit,” I muttered as a screw grazed my knuckle.

“You going to join the party today, Murph? Or just daydream?”

“Sorry.”

“The Vee thing, huh?”

“Christ, you know about it too?”

“Who doesn’t? If I didn’t hear it from Judy, I’d have heard it from Charlie and Frankie. They’re worse than a horde of women when it comes to gossip.”

That was true. I shook off the sting from the knuckle buster and hefted up another beam for Gideon to screw into place. “I was just surprised.”

“Thinking of throwing your hat in the ring? Frankie is trying to get up the guts.”

“It’s not a fucking game.”

He used a level then stood back to wipe sweat off his face. “Or is that why you keep checking your phone every five seconds? Did you already send her a message?”

My molars clicked shut before I could say something I’d regret.

Like the truth.

Gideon’s eyebrows shot up. “I know you have a thing for her. Better get in there before someone else does.”