“Good.” He smiled and hugged me, kissing the top of my head. “You deserve the world, Joy. You’re a good woman. If he doesn’t see that, it’s his damn loss.” My smiled watered a little, and he frowned. “None of that!” he exclaimed, letting me go to pour us another shot and handing me my drink.
As I watched him, I thought to myself that even though I had crappy luck when it came to dating, I was lucky with the kind of dad I’d been blessed with. Because of him and his example, I knew what I deserved and didn’t.
* * *
I broke my promise to my dad.
I’d had way more than two shots of tequila.
Especially after Karma and Faith brought out the karaoke machine. But I knew by the way he’d hugged me and helped pour me into Karma’s car, he wasn’t mad at me. I was singing old mariachi songs since the tequila had loosened my inhibitions and I’d let the music take over. God help me. If Karma or Faith had recorded me and my crazy-ass rendition of Selena’s No Me Queda Mas.
I groaned as I plopped onto my couch, too tired and hungover to even reach for the remote control. Not that turning the TV on would be the greatest idea. It could be on mute, and it would probably feel too loud.
“Tequila cures everything, my ass,” I mumbled under my breath as I lay on the couch. A knock sounded at the door, and I frowned. I got up and opened it, ready for it to be Karma or Faith, completely shocked to see the man on the other side of the door.
“Lincoln.” I swallowed, frowning, feeling completely off kilter.
“What the hell, Joy?”
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he grunted, and I blinked. Taking in the sight of him. His brows were narrowed, eyes locked with mine as his hands rested at his lean hips.
He almost seemed… mad.
“Why do you look mad?”
“When I hear my girl telling me to go to hell, you bet your ass I’m gonna be pissed.”
“Excuse me?” I whispered, but when he opened his mouth, I put my hand out and he didn’t say a word. In the recesses of my mind, I remembered that phone call. I’d called and left him a very drunk voicemail while Karma drove me home.
“You left without saying goodbye.” He opened his mouth, but I jerked my head. “YOU ghosted me. For nine days,” I clarified as calmly as I could. “I don’t know why you’re here, but you can get in your car and drive back wherever you came from. Because I am not the kind of woman you play stupid little mind games with.”
“Joy, it wasn’t—"
“I don’t care.” I crossed my arms in front of my chest. “I wasn’t lying when I told you I didn’t have that much experience with men and sex. But just so you know, for whatever poor woman crosses your path next, you don’t need to lie. If you had told me all we had was that one night, that would have been fine.” I pressed my lips together. “I didn’t need sweet words for you to get between my legs, Lincoln. But you had your fun and—"
“Baby—"
“Don’t,” I clipped, cutting him off. “You disappeared. You didn’t call or text—"
“I know. I thought I had.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Please let me explain,” he pleaded, and I blinked.
I wanted to know what had happened.
Not only had I promised my dad I’d let Lincoln do that, my heart and brain both did because they’d been at odds over him since he’d left.
“You have two minutes,” I clipped, holding on to attitude I had no idea where it was coming from. Attitude that was more like Karma than me.
“I got back from your place, and I had a mission to go on. I texted you, or I thought I did, before I shut my phone off. I landed an hour ago.” My eyes skimmed his wrinkly clothes, noticing he was in cargos instead of regular clothes. “I heard your voicemail and came right over here after Rowdy dropped me off,” he confessed honestly.
I wasn’t sure if it was the hangover or the fact I’d been holding in tears all week, but I broke down and cried.
Right. In. Front. Of. Him.