Page 1 of Riding Mr. Right
Chapter One
Jewel
Men never look at me, not like this. There has to be something wrong. I gaze to the left and back again before narrowing in on the computer, trying to catch a glimpse of myself on the screen. The view isn’t as clear as I’d like, but my hair looks fine, there doesn’t seem to be anything major dangling from my nose, and my teeth check out. Though, I did have the guy put extra basil on my pizza for lunch. Maybe that’s stuck somewhere I can’t see.
I turn away from the man whose eyes won’t look away and contemplate pulling a mirror out of my purse or getting up to use the bathroom, but that would draw more attention to myself. There are at least twenty people in the shop, probably more, and ever since I fell off the stage at my fifth-grade production ofThe Little Mermaid, I’ve decided less attention is the better option.
“Excuse me,” a deep voice says, startling me from the daze I’ve been in.
Oh God.I glance up quickly then away, gathering my thoughts.It’s him.It’s him, and this close, he’s a massive man. Tall, wide, inked, and muscular. What is it about embarrassing yourself in front of someone so perfect that makes the embarrassment that much worse?
My cheeks heat. “Yeah, um, hi. Hello.”God, what am I even saying?Kill. Me. Now.
“I need to pay.” The man pulls out his wallet and stares at me. His features are dark and the ink on the side of his head is so wrong, it’s right. “I think Gage said it would be eight hundred.” He holds out his muscular forearm, showing off the sleeve he’s been working on. “What do you think? Am I properly coated in ink, or should I keep going?”
I swallow hard and nod. “No. I like it. I mean, if you wanted more, you have space next to the shield.” My attention gets drawn to a unique aspect of his sleeve. “What do all those symbols mean?”
I roll my eyes to myself.Why am I so impossibly basic?
“Oh, it’s my Scottish family crest. I got into the ancestry thing a few years back with one of those online tests and it got out of control fast.” He grins and swipes his hand over his long beard as he waits for me to run his card.
“It’s funny you’re talking about ancestry stuff because that’s why I’m here. Well, sort of. Not a tattoo, but you know… the family part.” I swear I’ve never rambled this much in my life. “My dad. I’m here to meet my dad.”
His eyes widen and I’m sure he thinks I’m an idiot at this point. “Likemeet him, meet him? For the first time?”
I nod. “His last known address was a cabin up in the mountains here. He doesn’t know about me.”
“Fuck.” The man pauses as though he’s thinking over the right thing to say. “What’s his name?”
“Arnold Brooks.” The second I say his name, the more my stomach tightens.This is a small town. What if he knows my father? What if he tells him I’m here?
“Arnie! I know Arnie! He’s a great guy. I’m sure he’d love to meet you!”
It’s official. I’m an idiot.
My stomach twists, knots, and drops all at once. I drag my gaze up toward the man in front of me. “No! Don’t tell him you know me. How do you know him?”
“Well, he’s a cook at the diner on Main. He’s right down the road here every afternoon. Plus, he’s been planning to come cook at the lodge the MC is building. Why don’t you let me take you to meet him? When do you get off work?”
A sudden blaze of heat flashes over me. The same blaze that’s flashed over me for days now. The blaze that buries me in more questions than answers and keeps my feet firmly planted at the little hotel I’ve been stuck at for weeks.
What if my father doesn’t want a daughter? What if he doesn’t like me? What if he hated my mother, and he curses me out for even looking him up? What if he has a family and I’m intruding on their life? The list goes on and on until I’m heaving in breaths as though the air has been exchanged with marshmallows.
“Hey…” The tall, inked up man makes his way around the desk and lands his big hand on my back. “You’re okay. It’s all good. Sorry if I said something to upset you.”
“No. I’m fine. Sorry. I made a mistake coming here.” I blink away the tears threatening my vision and try not to notice how incredibly safe it feels having him next to me, though I can’t figure why, other than his size.
“What if you didn’t talk to him? What if we go up to the lodge, had a meal, and you didn’t tell him you were his daughter?”
“The lodge is closed. I saw the signs for the grand opening all over town.”
He nods. “Like I said, my friends and I are building it. Your dad…” He clears his throat. “Arnie is working on perfecting the menu, so he’s up there every night for dinner. Tonight is lasagna, I think.”
“Won’t it be weird if I come? I mean,” I stare up at the man whose name I haven’t even gotten yet, “do I look like him? Will it be obvious?”
He studies my face carefully, as though he’s noting every line and detail. Part of me wants to look away, but I don’t. I stay locked with him, allowing him to pass judgment and decide my fate.
His breath catches. “I don’t see it. I mean… I guess you have his nose, but a lot of people have that nose.”