Ruthless Bastard (Dangerous Love 3)

“Hi, Sally, how’s things?” Kinsley asked, approaching the receptionist. Sally had gone to Whitby Falls High School like Kinsley, but she was two years ahead of her. Every Stoney Creek teenager was shipped off to Whitby Falls. The town simply didn’t have enough teenagers for its own high school.

“Same old, same old.” Sally smiled, sitting behind her desk, twirling her blond hair around her finger. “Samantha’s pregnant again.”

Samantha had been in Kinsley’s grade. “What’s this, her third child now?”

Sally nodded. “She’ll have her hands full for sure.”

Kinsley was still coming to terms with having just one child. She didn’t know how any woman handled three. “Is Sam still loving it out there in Texas?”

Sally’s mouth twitched. “I sent her a picture of the weather today and she told me she’s never coming back.”

Kinsley laughed. “I can’t blame her there one bit.”

“Me neither,” Sally said, gesturing back to the waiting room. “Go on and take a seat. Maria will be right out.”

“Thanks.” Kinsley grabbed a mint from the tin on the counter and unwrapped it, tossing it into her mouth and stuffing the plastic wrapper into her purse.

Before she could even sit down, her attractive middle-aged midwife, Maria, stepped into the room, reading through a file folder in her hands. “Kinsley, hi.” When Maria looked up from the file, her warm dark brown eyes weren’t on Kinsley; they were fixated on her father, who suddenly rose and offered his hand.

“Hank Knight,” her father said with his low gravelly voice. “You must be new to town.”

Maria blushed and shook his hand, then tucked her shoulder-length brown hair behind her ear. “Yes, I’ve only lived here now about a month or so. It’s nice to meet you, Hank.”

Her father smiled at Maria. All bright. Cheery, even. “I hope the town’s been kind to you,” he said.

“Very kind,” Maria said softly. “Thank you.”

Kinsley glanced between them repeatedly. She’d only known her dad to date twice after her mom had left. One was a teacher from Kinsley’s elementary school, and another was a woman who’d once owned a coffee shop in town. Both women eventually moved away, one after her father stopped seeing her, and the other before. Maybe this would be the third time she’d see him get some happiness in his life.

Kinsley smiled at them both, but gently intervened since she did have things to do today. “I won’t be long, Dad,” she told her father, who was still making eyes at Maria. And Maria was making them right back.

The front door suddenly flew open and snow whirled through it before Rhett appeared in the doorway. He shut the door quickly, stomped his feet, and shook the snow out of his hair. “Sorry, I couldn’t get here sooner,” he said, stepping out of his boots. “The roads are terrible.”

Kinsley’s heart squeezed and then turned to mush. He came…“Considering I just told you about the appointment, you got here really fast. Thanks for coming.”

Sally’s eyebrows rose as Rhett approached, obvious surprise washing over her face that Rhett had shown up to the appointment. And there was something in that surprise that bothered Kinsley. Like, really bothered her. She wished everyone saw Rhett the way she saw him. The good there.

Her stomach filled with butterflies when Rhett stopped beside her to kiss her cheek before addressing Maria. “I’m the father,” Rhett told her, offering his hand.

Maria blinked then finally looked away from Dad. “I’m the midwife,” she said with a laugh before shaking Rhett’s hand. “Come on, let’s take a look and see how things are going.”

As Maria strode away, with Rhett right behind her, Kinsley leaned into her father and said quietly, “Might want to wipe your mouth, old man. You’re drooling.”

Dad snorted and gestured her forward with a flick of his chin. “Better not keep her waiting, kid.”

Kinsley laughed, noticing him wiping his mouth as he returned to his seat.

She quickly headed for the door. When she reached Rhett, he said, “Dare I ask?”

“I think Dad just met a possible new romance.” She passed him and entered the hallway.

Rhett sidled up to her. “The midwife?” At Kinsley’s nod, he smiled. “Good for him.”

Kinsley returned the smile and nudged her shoulder into his. “I’ve got no doubt you want everyone to forget, but”—she grabbed his hand and stopped him to place a butte

rfly kiss on his mouth—“Happy Birthday.”

Rhett shifted on his feet. “Thank you.”