Page 16 of Dad Next Door
“Wait until you discover slash fiction,” I said. “You’re gonna go down the rabbit hole.”
“Now you know I gotta google that.” Nick darted away. “Finish your manual labor so I don’t eat all the snacks,” he shouted over his shoulder.
“Don’t you dare!” River shouted after him.
“No promises.” Nick’s voice faded out as he ran into one of my garages.
“Ready to finish up?” I asked the guys.
They nodded and got right back to work.
The rumble of a car turning up Tristan’s driveway caught my attention, but I focused on the tablet in my hand and the spreadsheet I was trying to decipher.
My earnings report from one of the sites I sold content on had the most convoluted system I’d ever dealt with. I spent way too much time each month going through it.
Muffled voices filtered through my open garage door. One of them sounded angry.
Lowering my tablet, I concentrated on the conversation coming from Tristan’s driveway. He was arguing with someone. Another man, by the sounds of it.
“You can’t just keep changing things without telling me,” Tristan said. “We have an arrangement.”
“You’re being dramatic again.”
“Dramatic?” Tristan’s voice went shrill. “How is it dramatic to ask you to respect my time and follow our arrangement?”
“I’m done talking about this,” the other man said, his tone bored and distracted. “Where is he?”
“Getting his stuff. You’re over an hour late.”
“All the more reason he should have been ready when I got here.”
“Can you at least text next time? He was worried about you.” Tristan’s tone was defeated and small, like all the fight and energy had left him.
The soft sound of a door closing stopped the conversation. The mystery man and Tristan lowered their voices to the point I couldn’t make out what they were saying.
A minute later, the same engine rumbled down the driveway and turned onto the street.
“Asshole!” Tristan exclaimed loudly.
Putting my tablet on my chair, I stood and went to check if he was okay.
“God damn fucking asshole.” He kicked at a rock on the driveway.
“You okay?” I asked over the useless shrubs that separated our driveways.
“Jesus!” Tristan whirled on me, one hand over his heart.
“Sorry.” I winced. “I didn’t mean to sneak up on you like that. I heard arguing and wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
He dropped his hand. “It’s fine. I’m fine. Just…” He blew out a shaky breath. “That was my ex-husband. Leo’s other dad.”
“I take it things aren’t amicable?”
He snort-laughed. “I don’t think Simon knows how to be amicable.”
“You look like a man who could use a beer.”
Tristan slowly blinked, his forehead wrinkling in confusion.