Page 44 of Primal

But what if it wasn’t? What if…

I mentally shook my head. No, I couldn’t go there.Couldn’t let on that my dad’s words may have hit a sore spot. Again.

Dad looked at me with sympathy, and he softened his voice. “You really believe that, hon? What would he want with a girl the same age as his son?”

I couldn’t tell my dad about the mate thing, that Cody couldn’t help himself when it came to me. I sort of felt like it would resolve a lot of his objections, but I’d promised I’d keep Cody’s and Tyler’s secret.

“Sometimes, you justknowwith someone,” I attempted, as an explanation. “It feels right. Like destiny.”

My dad rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I thought it was destiny with your mom, too. Look where that got me.”

His words hit me like a punch to the gut. It was true Mom had fooled around with a lot of men. She was the type of woman who craved attention and had to seek it everywhere. Not just with one guy but withallthe guys. Guys that took her away from Cooper Valley.

Dad didn’t want me to be likehim.Ditched.

I cradled my waist. “He’s not like Mom,” I said, but my voice had lost its power.

“Honey.” My dad stepped closer and tried to hold my shoulders.

I sidestepped away from him, trying to gather some of my previous rage. He was wrong about Cody.

Iknewhe was. I didn’t have the mating thing inside of me, but I felt a connection to Cody. Something special.

“Cody isn’t the kind of guy I want for you, Riley Roo. He’s not a family guy.”

I spread my hands. “He literally is, Dad. He has a son.” Even I winced thinking about that son who was the same age as me, not a preschooler where I worked.

Yipes. Would I be Tyler’s stepmom if this worked out? That was so weird.

“He had a son twenty years ago. You think he’s looking to start all over with you? Did he tell you he wanted more kids?”

A stone settled in the pit of my stomach. I hadn’t thought about that. Shit. I couldn’t imagine Cody wanting to start over with a baby again. He’d gotten rid of a crib right around the same time Dad ditched mine.

I didn’t want to admit my dad might be right about that part. But I could talk to Cody about it, see what he thought. Kids were something I always wanted. It wasn’t like I felt my biological clock ticking or anything, but it was something for later. Either way, it wasn’t my dad’s business.

I mustered as much anger as I could. “I appreciate that you have opinions, but bottom line–you don’t get to choose for me.” I made my voice firm and my gaze hard. “Leave Cody and his business alone. Until you can get on board with the idea of the two of us together, leave me alone, too!”

I picked up my purse and keys and marched back out his door, slamming it hard behind me.

Damn my dad and his overprotective bullshit.

And damn him for making me feel a bit queasy about this thing with Cody. How dare he put doubts in my head! He was sabotaging us without having to check anyone’s ID.

I blinked back tears as I got behind the wheel of my car. I suddenly felt lost–trapped between the man who had been my entire world and the one who made me feel like I washisentire world.

I swiped at my tears with the back of my hand and dialed Cody’s number.

“Riley?” He sounded concerned, as if he already knew I was a mess. “You talk to your dad?”

“Yeah.”

“How did things go?”

“Not good.” I sniffed.

“I’ll meet you at your place in ten minutes.”

“What?”