I winced. “That obvious?”
“Last time you came at me with that look on your face, you told me I was going to be a granddad. Before that, it was that you rolled your car on the track. Pretty sure both of them cost the same in the end.”
I huffed out a laugh. “Ain’t that the truth.”
“Who’s the girl? Please don’t tell me it’s Jody.”
“What? God, no.” I didn’t think I actually had a laugh in me, but the idea that I’d hook up with the ticket girl at my father’s pizza joint was laughable. “Is she even eighteen yet?”
“Why the hell do you think I asked? She’s got huge hearts in her eyeballs for you, boy.”
“God, really?”
He shook his head. “So, who’s the girl?”
“Teacher.” I cleared my throat. “Wes’s teacher.”
“Miss Ford?” My dad blew out a startled breath. “Wow. When did that happen?”
“You don’t really want a blow by blow, do you, Pop?”
“I am partial to redheads.”
I could feel my cheeks flush. Christ, my mother was a redhead. Well, she had been once upon a time. Now she was more of a salt and sand. “Let’s just say it was a weak moment.” More than one, but I really didn’t want to get into details, for fuck’s sake.
He shoved his hands deeper into his Carhartt jacket. “I raised you to be careful.”
“And we were. But hell…” How the hell did I tell him it might not even be my baby? I didn’t want my dad to think less of Kelsey. The whole damn town was probably talking about her already. “It’s between me and another guy.”
At least I was pretty sure it was just one other guy. Even the little bit I knew about Kelsey led me to think that way.
Maybe it was even the guy whose text I’d deleted. I still had to tell her I’d done that.
Shit.
Dad’s eyebrows shot up into the shade of his ball cap. “Well, then.”
“Yeah. I don’t know the particulars. I just found out today and it’s a goddamn clusterfuck. But I didn’t want you to hear about it from your customers or whoever else is going to tear into her.” Jesus. Just the thought of everyone talking about her had the rage bubbling in my gut again.
“This more than just a one and done thing, Dare?”
“I don’t know, Pop. But if it’s mine, I’ll do right by her.”
“I don’t like the sound of that.” He widened his stance and his jaw was set. “Katherine did enough damage for five women.”
“I know it.”
“And now you have Wes to worry about.”
“Pop, I know. I don’t know what the hell I’m doing yet. I gotta think on it.” A fucking lot. But if that kid was mine…
Even a small chance was enough.
“And the mother?”
It was like he yanked the thought right out of my head. “I barely know her.”
“Knew enough to—”