“Get your shit together.” Derek turned to leave, pausing before he opened the cottage door to issue a final warning. “Don’t fuck this up. You won’t get another chance.”
“Get the fuck out!” Jackson threw the bag at him, a spray of potato chips falling across the room as Derek closed the door.
Chapter 7
Who knew that a man doing a phoenix impression could be so hot?
Jo tucked the fitted sheet around the edge of the pull-out couch in the living room as the sound of Derek reading a bedtime story to his daughter floated down the hall, punctuated by Annie’s overtired giggles. He’d returned to the cottage with a deep furrow between his brows and his lips turned down in an intimidating scowl, but the moment he’d seen Annie and Jo curled up together on the couch in their pajamas readingSecret of the Phoenix Princess, all the tension rippling off his broad shoulders melted away.
She was dying to ask him what had happened, but it was clear he didn’t want to discuss it in front of his daughter, so there she was, remaking the sofa bed for the third time while she listened to Derek do all the voices for his daughter’s graphic novel. Obviously because she cared about whether or not theprincess escaped from the evil king. Not because she’d gone all gooey inside at Derek being an amazing girl dad.
Jo didn’t go gooey for things like that. In fact, she didn’t go gooey at all.
On the coffee table, her cell phone pinged with an incoming message to her group chat with the girls back home.
Kyla:Excuse me, what is this nonsense about you jetting off to California without saying goodbye?
Molly:With a hot single dad. Don’t forget that part.
Jo:It happened fast. One of those leap before you look scenarios.
Tessa:It’s supposed to be look before you leap.
Jo:That’s never been my style.
Molly:We know.
Tessa:Tell us about the hot single dad.
Jo:His name is Derek. He works for the label that handles Midnight Storm.
Tessa:Have we met him before? Has he been at one of their concerts at the Bay Breeze?
Jo:Not that I know of. And he and Jackson are definitely not getting matching tattoos any time soon. He seems to be cool with the other guys though.
Kyla:Enough about the band! I want to hear about Derek.
Tessa:I heard from Mrs. Kemp who heard from Natalia who heard from Cheryl that he was all growly and gorgeous and couldn’t keep his hands off you at the bar last night.
Molly:Cheryl was at the Bay Breeze?
Tessa:Oh, yeah. She’s the biggest Midnight Storm fan in Aster Bay.
Molly:So what happened? Did you go home with him?
Kyla:Did you pull him into that back room at the Bay Breeze and have your way with him? That’s a good back room. Sturdy desk.
Jo:Kyla Elsbeth West!
Kyla:Not my middle name.
Jo:What has gotten into you?
Molly:Gavin’s out of town.
Tessa:She’s horny and going stir crazy.
Jo:Aww, Ky, are you dick-deprived?