Page 85 of Singled Out

That much was true. I wouldn’t fault anyone who wanted to take the chance, but I knew when the odds weren’t in my favor.

Harper, by her own admission, wasn’t the staying type. That very fact was why we’d gotten together in the first place. She didn’t want anything serious. I didn’t want anything serious. We’d had our fun and then some. I’d be stupid to hold on much longer.

“Screw waiting till after dinner,” I said. “I’m breaking open that whiskey right now.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Max

Our dads’ night ended earlier than usual—a lot earlier.

After we ate, Chance had checked his daughter’s location on his phone, found her not at home, and left to spoil her fun.

Not thirty minutes later, West’s babysitter had texted that Scarlett, one of his twins, was inconsolable and scared her daddy had left too, so West had taken off, putting a damper on our moods, because damn if we didn’t feel for him and for his little girl.

The remaining three of us had shot the shit for a few more minutes. Then Ben and Luke had left by nine. I’d had the terrace cleaned up by ten after and had been sitting on the end of my dock ever since.

The temperature was cool enough to light a fire, but I was more content to sit in the dark, nearly surrounded by the water. Alone.

I didn’t know how much time had passed, probably at least an hour, when I noticed the distant echoes of laughter from a party across the lake had died down. The insects were chirping at full volume when my phone vibrated with a message.

I knew before looking it was Harper. She usually messaged when all was clear on her end. I waited several heartbeats before pulling out my phone, a knot forming in my gut.

Beautiful, sexy Harper. She deserved so much better than what I could offer.

How’s the dad party?

All done.

You guys quit early. Danny’s at Levi’s all night?

Yes.

I’ll be over in a few.

When we first started this…fling…she’d always been careful to ask if it was okay, but somewhere along the way, our nights together had become a given. If we were both available, she spent most of the night in my bed.

We’d drifted over a line at some point.

Tonight, when I should’ve felt freer than usual with Danny out of the house, I was unsettled instead. It didn’t feel right for my son to be gone, and it didn’t feel okay to carry on with Harper.

I texted her one more time:

I’m on the dock.

Twenty minutes later, I heard her rustling through the grass, but I didn’t turn around. She reached the dock, stepped onto the surface, and made her way to me with quick, light steps.

“Hi,” she said as she sat down next to me.

“Hi.” I looked over at her in the darkness. It killed me how pretty and young and happy and…expectant she was.

“What are you doing out here?” She glanced around as if making sure we were alone.

“Just…thinking.”

“Anything good?” Her tone had dimmed, gone a little serious, as if she sensed my state of mind.

Instead of answering directly, I closed my eyes, wondering if I was really going to do this.