Stripped Down (Tap That)

“Is that right? Wow, look at you. All grown up.” His eyes swept over her appreciatively. “Did you move back home?”

“Yes, I’ve been back a few weeks.”

“Well, if you’re looking for company, I’m available.”

“Dad,” Rick said, practically snarling. “She’s thirty years younger than you.”

He shrugged, giving an “aw, shucks” smile that somehow managed to not be creepy. “So is River’s mother. Love is love, Rick.” He pulled River into him to give her a hug. He kissed the top of her head. “What’s up, Girl Genius?”

“Just genius works. No need for a gender qualifier.”

“Got it. But anyway, the invitation is there, Sloane.”

“Don’t mind my father,” Rick said. “He doesn’t understand subtlety.”

“You’re as big of a flirt as I am,” Ralph protested.

“He’s right,” River said.

Was that Rick’s future, to morph into his father? Sloane wondered if he ever thought about that.

“Thanks,” she told Ralph. “But I’m straight off a divorce. I’m focusing on me for right now.”

And Rick.

There were goodbyes and promises to have River home by ten, then she and Rick were alone in the hallway. “Come in for a second,” he said. “I need to put on shoes.”

Rubbing Kate’s head and telling her, “Come on, girl,” she followed Rick inside. She’d been so focused on Kate s

he hadn’t noticed he was barefoot. He definitely made the whole T-shirt, jeans, no shoes thing super sexy.

“I’m sorry about my father. He doesn’t seem to grasp he’s in his sixties.”

“It’s fine. And hey, like he said, River’s mother went for it, so who am I to judge?”

“River’s mother has borderline personality disorder. She’s very extreme. She was all in for about four months, obsessed with my dad, then she was out. My father seems to have an uncanny ability to pick out women who are as compulsive as he is. Like my mother. Rachel’s mother.”

“That’s really sad,” she said, and she meant it from a place of compassion. “It must be hard to always be chasing that intensity.”

“I’m sure it is.” He watched her glance around his apartment. He was very neat. The place was spotless. Maybe even stark. Probably a reaction to the way he’d grown up. “Do you talk to your mother?” she asked. “I barely remember mine.” She watched Kate wandering around the apartment, sniffing here and there.

“Nope. Last I heard she was in Mexico working at a resort as a singer.” He sat down and reached for his shoes. “It’s kind of weird, isn’t it? We both grew up without our mothers.”

She sat down beside him and touched his knee, briefly. “I say it doesn’t matter to me, but of course it does. You know none of us O’Tooles talk about our feelings. I’m sure that’s the reason. Plus I think I married Tom because he had a career and I thought I could have everything, you know? The marriage, the house, the kids, the dog. It’s all I’ve ever wanted.” It made her feel wistful. “I don’t understand how my mother could walk away from all of that.”

“I guess because she wasn’t you,” he said simply. “But yeah, I totally understand where you’re coming from. I always loved being at your house because to me, you had a normal family. I know my father’s actions affect me. No doubt about it. I don’t want to be that guy,” Rick said, shoving his foot in his sneaker. “The one who tosses the word love around like it’s no big deal. Who makes promises of a fucking castle in the sky and how he’ll treat her like a princess and none of it is true. It’s a run-down house filled with garbage. Literal garbage.”

Sloane wanted to touch him, but wasn’t sure she had the right. “I’m sorry. For what it’s worth, I think you’re amazing for being a surrogate father to River. She’s going to grow up knowing she was loved by both you and her father.”

“That’s the other thing,” he said, turning to look at her earnestly. “What woman is going to want to be a part of my life? I live in an apartment with my kid sister.”

Sloane thought there were plenty of women who would easily take on that role. “It’s no different than being a single dad. It doesn’t drain your entire dating pool.”

Kate seemed to realize Rick needed a hug. She nudged between his legs and licked his hand. “Get a dog? Is that what you’re telling me?” He rubbed her head.

Sloane didn’t know what to say. What she wanted to say was that there were women who would be thrilled to have a man in their life who took care of the people he loved. Who ran a business and still managed to laugh. Women like her. But she didn’t want to make it awkward between them so she just said, “I think you can have whatever you want.”

He gave her a small smile. “That’s always been your motto, hasn’t it?”