Heartless: A Small Town Single Dad Romance

Cade: Just need like ten more minutes.

Willa: Any guesses on whether or not I put panties on this morning?

Cade: I’m sitting with my dad right now. I don’t need a boner.

Willa: No panties. My kitty is too sore from riding your massive pole.

Cade: Woman, are you intentionally ignoring my instructions?

Willa: You don’t tell me what to do. I thought we’d established that by now?

“Willa! Let’s go.”

My head whips around at the sound of Cade’s authoritative voice, barking at me like I work for him. Like it’s not my “day off” and we didn’t spend the entire night fucking each other’s brains out. I shake my head and widen my eyes down at Luke.

“We should hide from him,” Luke says, instantly dropping the sidewalk chalk. We’ve adorned the entire front driveway with hearts of all different colors, shapes, and sizes.

I nod. “Absolutely we should.”

“I know!” He slides his hand into mine, and I try not to think about how sticky it is. Chuckling under my breath, I jog behind him as he drags me behind a big well that sits beside the house. Cement peeks out between the layered stones, and the old wooden beams reach up tall above it. There’s a bucket hanging on a rope, but it has the distinct look of being out of use.

It’s charming, and symbolic, and it smells like wet flint, or the yard after a rainstorm.

“Helloooo!” Luke pops his little face down into the opening, cackling when his greeting echoes back up at him.

I sink to the ground, yanking him down with me. “Shush it, you little hellion. He’s going to hear us.”

“Oh, yeah. Right.” Luke chortles more. Such a happy, goofy kid, even if his attention span leaves something to be desired.

“Hey, Willa?”

“Hey, Luke,” I reply dryly, since the be quiet part obviously didn’t register.

“Sometimes I wish you were my mom.”

I blink at the boy, too stunned to speak, so he continues. “At that birthday party? Where I got held under the water? He told me that even my mom didn’t like me.”

I want to push that kid into the water all over again.

“Well, I don’t just like you, Luke.” My voice comes out thick with emotion, but I’m not so sure he picks up on it. “I love you.”

“You do?” His smile is shy—tentative.

“Yeah. And that kid is a major shithead.”

His hand slaps over his mouth and his eyes go wide before he whispers, “He’s a total shithead and I love you too.”

I instantly pull him close, feeling his tiny body press against mine right where we’re kneeling on the ground.

“Luke!” Cade’s voice is closer this time. “Willa! Why does it look like Valentine’s Day threw up all over the driveway?”

I clap a hand over my mouth to hold in the laughter. Of course, that’s how Cade would see it. Fucking pessimist.

“You two think you’re funny, don’t you?”

I move my free hand to cover Luke’s mouth because he has no chill and is going to burst.

Cade’s boots move off the paved part of the driveway, and I can hear them crunching against the packed gravel beside it, drawing closer.

“The worst part is . . . when I find you, I’m going to punish you both.”

Luke’s shoulders shake harder. He knows his dad is a big softy under that gruff exterior. I don’t think he’s punished Luke a day in his life.

Me though? I’m not so sure. Bedroom Cade is not Dad Cade. My body tingles in response—I don’t laugh at all.

“I bet you’re . . . behind the shed!” We can hear him jump and then groan when the spot he thought we’d be in is empty.

I turn and give Luke a warning glare because I feel the little puffs of air escaping his lips. After I mouth, Be quiet, he gives me a nod and takes a breath in through his nose.

Cade’s heavy footfalls draw nearer. “How about . . .” He’s approaching the well, but the opposite side. I give Luke a look and point upward, hoping he understands that we’re going to jump.

He nods.

My fingers count down from three.

Two.

One.

“In the well!”

We shoot up and shout, “Boo!”

And predictably, Cade jumps, his tall frame startling as he takes a step back. His handsome face momentarily appears very shocked, and Luke and I dissolve into peals of laughter.

“Gotcha,” I wheeze. “No wet T-shirt this time though!”

“You should have seen your face!” Luke points at him.

“Okay, that’s it. You’re both dead.” Cade points at us, spinning his cap backward and hitting me with a wink.

Dick. He knows it kills me when he wears it like that. Murder me with your dick, please, sir.

Luke turns and guns it for the main house. Cade lets him get a little ahead before his long strides eat up the ground behind him and he scoops Luke up into his arms and starts tickling him. Luke squirms and his light giggles blend with Cade’s deeper baritone.

“Willa! Help!”

“Don’t worry, Luke. I’m coming!” I sprint heroically around the well and get my fingers right up in Cade’s ribs.

He squeals. He straight up squeals, and it is the least manly noise I’ve ever heard come out of such a manly man. We’re all laughing like lunatics, but Cade is stronger, taller, faster—meaner. And somehow, he tosses Luke over one shoulder and hefts me up over the other one.

Luke slaps at his back in breathless hysterics. “Let me down!”

Tossed over the opposite shoulder, I reach down farther and slap his ass, which just makes Luke laugh harder.

“Giddy up, Daddy!” Luke calls, and Cade’s breath huffs out on my bare thigh.

“You two are a pain in my ass.”

“How the hell are you carrying us? This isn’t normal. Put me down.”

“Woman. I can pick up calves, you two are nothing.” His finger traces the inside of my thigh, and I squirm.

“Looks like you’ve got your hands full, son,” Harvey calls out, but I can’t see him. I don’t need to see him to hear the smile in his voice. “Why don’t I take the tiny hell-raiser off your hands for a bit longer?”

“Yes! Save me, Grandpa!” Luke screams, thrashing wildly, shaking his dad’s body as he does.

Cade grunts and sets Luke down instantly. “Good plan, Dad. Divide and conquer.”

I hear Luke sprinting across the driveway away from us as I whisper, “Cade, put me down. I bet everyone can see my ass.”

“They can’t,” he whispers back.

“How do you know?”

“Because I checked. I thought the view might be better than it is. Disappointing, to be honest.”

“Dick. Let me down. I’m not a baby cow.”

Cade just laughs.

“You kids have fun!” Harvey calls, and it strikes me how blatantly obvious it must be that something is going on with us. “I drove past the other day and noticed your lawn. It could really use a good—”

“Dad, just don’t,” Cade grumbles and marches over to his truck with me slung over his shoulder like a bag of feed. Or a baby cow.

“Let’s go, Red. You’re with me today.” He claps my ass loudly to the delighted squeals of Luke and a bark of delighted surprise from his dad.

Blood rushes to my cheeks and I cover my face with my hands. I tell myself it’s because I’m embarrassed, but deep down, I know it’s because this side of Cade is doing something to me.

And that something is going to make leaving when this gig is up damn near impossible.

“Why are we trail riding together on my day off?” I ask Cade from where I’m seated on a pretty dun ranch horse. It makes me miss Tux, but I know he’s fat and happy in a field right now, recuperating just fine. He’ll probably never want to jump another day in his life. He probably thinks he’s retired now.

“Because I wanted to show you the land.”

I eye Cade skeptically. Blueberry’s bobbing head is slung low, totally relaxed as we walk between the sparse bales of hay rolled up behind Cade’s house.

“I’ve seen the land, Cade. I’m feeling pretty familiar with these hay bales too.”

“It’s been a good year for hay,” is his stupid response. He’s all serious, shoulders held taut, hands propped on the horn of his saddle. Stupid hat still backward. “Plus, I feel relaxed out here on the land.”

“You’re acting weird.” I give my gelding, Rocket, a little squeeze, urging him forward so I’m even with Cade. “Why are you acting weird?”

“Can’t I just take you out on a romantic trail ride?”

My lips roll together as I regard him. “You can. But you haven’t spoken a word to me since we got out of your truck. You look like you’re trying to disintegrate the leather in your hands, and your mouth keeps popping open like you’re about to say something, but then you shake your head and slam it back shut so hard your teeth clank. And I can hear you grinding said teeth until your mouth pops back open again.”

He turns and gives me his annoyed scowl. “What are you? A shrink?”

I hit him back with my best cheesy grin. “Nah. Just the daughter of one.”

He huffs out a soft laugh and shakes his head, staring out over the flat expanse of land that looks like it shoots straight up into the Rockies. It’s beautiful—gold-green grass, gray rock, up to a blue-bird sky.

“It’s Luke’s birthday next week. The little party we’re hosting is the following weekend. It’s casual. Just family.”

I say nothing because I know where he’s going. He mentioned it once, and I never asked more questions because it wasn’t my business.

“His mom always shows up for it.”

“As she should,” I reply because it’s true. “Cade, this is really none of my business. If Luke is happy, I’m happy.”

He sort of wobbles his head. “I’m not so sure that she makes Luke happy, to be honest. Nine out of ten times, it’s awkward. He doesn’t know how to act around her, and she sure as shit doesn’t know how to act around him. It’s not getting any better with age.”

“Okay.” It’s all I can think to say. I don’t really know why he’s telling me all this.

“I have a sinking suspicion it’s going to be more awkward with you there.”

Stiffness permeates my neck as I shift to sit taller. “Are you saying you don’t want me there?”

“No.” His response is quick and firm. I let out the breath I’d been holding back, ready to keep it together if he’d said yes. “Not at all. If you want to talk about something that would upset Luke—that would be it.”

I nod, dropping my eyes to my fingers wrapped around the reins in my hands.

“I want you there too,” Cade adds, and I can feel the weight of his gaze on my skin. “She might not like it, though, so I just want to prepare you for that.”

My face scrunches as I turn to look at the man beside me. “Why would she not like me there? I’ll be there as his nanny.”

His jaw works, and I watch his Adam’s apple bob when he swallows. “She’s . . . I don’t know.” He chuckles now, scrubbing a hand over his beard. “You know, I try so hard not to say bad things about her, because she’s half Luke and I love everything about that kid. But Willa, his mom is a fucking nightmare. I don’t know how my biggest mistake brought about my most cherished gift. But here I am.”

“You’re so mature,” I quip. Because really, he is.

He groans and stares up at the sky now. “Talia is oddly competitive. I was a trophy to her. But once she won me, she realized maybe it wasn’t the trophy she wanted. I can keep you and me under wraps because that will help keep her claws from coming out. But I can’t keep the way Luke loves you under wraps. And that’s going to bother her.”

I sigh. Feeling way out of my depth with this sort of family dynamic.

“Harvey is hyper-aware of it too. He’s not the biggest Talia fan. But he is a huge fan of you.”

“Yeah, you did a great job of keeping us under wraps earlier,” I joke, thinking back on the way he carried me away like a caveman who just won the hunt.

“Wasn’t trying to, Red. Don’t want to if I’m being honest.”

I snort. “This is weird.”

I see his lips tip up when he glances over at me. “Totally weird.”

“But I’m not mad at it.”

Cade tags on, “I might even be happy about it.”

I squint my eyes at him—fuck, but he’s hot. It’s really just stupid. “Is that your happy scowl?”

He shakes his head and snickers. “Can I tell Harvey that I’ve adequately prepared you for the party?”

“Yeah, yeah. You don’t deal with a bunch of drunken idiots and catfights for years without learning a thing or two about handling shit like that. I’ll be fine. Let’s just keep it about Luke. Okay?”

He nods, eyeing me like he’s checking me for any signs I’m stressed. And truthfully, I’m not. I’m not a drama seeker. In fact, I avoid it like the plague. If I have to smile and nod and fade into the background, then that’s what I’ll do.

“Okay,” he agrees with a firm nod.

“Okay. Good.” We stare at each other for a beat until a smile tugs up my cheeks as an idea to kill the tension pops into my head. “Last one to the mountains is a rotten egg!” bursts from my lips before I can stop it, and then I’m urging Rocket up into a canter, glancing over my shoulder at Cade, who’s grinning at me like I’m a psycho.

“Git up!” he calls to Blueberry, and her hooves pound behind me.

I lean forward in the tack, coming off Rocket’s back to give him some space to gallop, pushing my hands up his neck and giving him slack in the reins. He stretches out, and when I glance back again, Cade isn’t gaining on me like I thought he would.

“You scared, Eaton?” I shout.

“No, baby. Just enjoying the view. Your ass looks mighty fine from back here.”

We both laugh and joy bubbles in my chest. I don’t let up though. He can stare at my ass, but I’m still going to kick his.

“Thank you!” I shout back as a joke. But deep down, it doesn’t feel like a joke.

It feels like he’s wiggling his way into my heart.