Daddy in Disguise (Crescent Cove 7)

I turned off the music app on my phone and set down my hammer. It was probably better that I quit while I was ahead.

“You guys good here?” I called up to Moose once Luc had ambled off to heckle Pamela, the newest member of the crew. He’d probably have asked her out by dinner.

Moose pulled off his protective ear gear and backed down the ladder he’d been stationed on to work on the t

op of one of the built-ins. “Looks good here. You taking off for lunch?”

“Yeah.” And maybe more than that if Macy could take a break.

“That’s good. You’ve been here long hours and no matter the job, it can make you cross-eyed after awhile.”

“You too.”

“Just trying to log as many hours as possible before the twins come. I really appreciate you being so generous with the time off afterward.”

“Well, first off, it’s the law, and secondly, it’s not every day a man has twins.”

“That’s a true statement, although thank fuck I’m not the one actually having them.” Moose swiped a hand over his dusty forehead. “Women are amazing, man. Once you see your wife give birth to your child, you never forget they’re basically like Wonder Woman. And two? Vee’s so small.” He shook his head. “I keep worrying they’ll get stuck.”

I smiled as I clapped Moose on the back. “It helps they don’t actually come out at once. She’ll do just fine. She’s a warrior.”

“Yeah, she is.” He wiped off his hands on the bandana hanging out of his jeans pocket. “You ever think about doing it again?”

“Having more kids?”

“Yeah. You know, the family deal.” Moose’s ears tinged pink. “Not that you and Dani aren’t a family.”

“No, I know what you mean. I haven’t really considered it.”

But now that he’d mentioned it, I was back on that track of being annoyed at the world again, specifically Macy. She hadn’t done a damn thing to me, and that was the problem.

Things were going too fucking well. We just worked. She made me laugh and got me out of my head and I liked to think I did the same for her. Being with her just felt easy and natural—with the added layer of snark and sexual tension that seemed to flow between us like oxygen. The only sticking point I’d anticipated involved her being with Dani, and those concerns had turned out to be unfounded. They’d been spending a ton of time together since Karen had been out of commission, with Dani coming by the café after school most days while I worked.

Every time, I went next door to make sure she wasn’t driving Macy too crazy, I found her being put to work either decorating something or helping clean up or even to shepherd the little kids in the reading nook. And Dani talked about Macy and the coffee shop constantly, so she was clearly enjoying herself.

Which only pissed me off more.

Everything with Jessica just reaffirmed the ticking clock with Macy and I. If somehow the visitation problem went away, would Macy vanish too?

She agreed to date you before Jessica showed up. You don’t know she wouldn’t keep it going even after the whole Jessica thing goes away.

If it did.

Fuck.

Why didn’t Macy know we were so fucking good together? We could be even more so if we didn’t have these supposedly reasonable dating parameters boxing us in.

No strings, my ass.

“Look, man, I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject.”

“It’s not sore. Who says it’s sore?”

“Well, just was figuring with you dating Macy, but Macy being Macy, we all know that’s not really her bag. So, I have to figure more isn’t your bag either. Or you’re not thinking about that. Christ, can I step in it any more?” Moose let out a laugh. “Sorry. It’s just been long enough I’ve been married that I forgot being single is a different thing. And also that all guys aren’t like me.”

“No, not every guy wants to get married on the first date if he could.” I regretted the sharp tone I’d used as soon as the words were out, but Moose simply nodded.

“I knew she was the one before the first date actually. She was it for me from the first moment.”