The Do-Over (The Miles High Club #4)(112)

rip my nuts off under the table.

Send this to the police if you never hear from me again.





Chapter 25


“Hi.” Hayden smiles as we walk into the kitchen.

“Hello.” Valerie smiles as she stirs something on the hot plate. “Dinner in ten.”

“Hmm, something smells delicious,” I say. I’m not even joking; it really does smell delicious in here.

“Only the best for my loves,” Valerie replies. “Your father is in the living room.”

Hayden disappears into the living room, and I hang back, and I watch Valerie for a moment. She’s the epitome of country loving. I know where Hayden gets her warm and happy disposition from.

Valerie has it in spades. It oozes out of her, and I felt it the moment we met, and I feel like I know her already.

The exact opposite of her prickly husband. I’m dreading that Harvey and I are not going to get along and it’s going to screw everything up.

Hayden worships the ground her parents walk on. If I fuck it with them, I fuck it with her.

I hang in the kitchen for a bit. “How was your day?” I ask Valerie.

“It was good, love.” She smiles warmly as her knowing eyes hold mine. “He’s not as scary as he looks, darling.”

“Good to know.”

I loiter a little longer. “Any advice?” I ask.

“To deal with Harvey?”

I nod.

“Be yourself.”

I frown.

“More than anything, Harvey respects honesty.”

“Me too.”

“You do.” She rubs my arm. “I know.”

“You know?”

“Darling, I speak to Hayden every day. I feel like you and I are already close friends.”

I smile, feeling a little better. “Well . . . your daughter is a credit to you, Mrs. Whitmore. She’s the most beautiful person I’ve ever met.”

Tears fill her eyes as she gets emotional. “I know.”

“What are you guys doing in here?” Hayden comes around the corner.

“Just talking.” Valerie smiles.

“This is the best night.” Hayden slides her arms around my waist to hug me. “My favorite people all in the one house.”

I kiss her temple.

“Come see Dad.” She grabs my hand and pulls me into the living room to see Harvey sitting in his recliner chair in the corner of the living room.

“Hello, Mr. Whitmore.” I smile.

His eyes hold mine, and he gestures to the couch. “Take a seat.”

“Thanks.” I sit on the couch.

“You two chat between yourselves. I’m going to help Mom,” Hayden says.

Don’t leave me here with him.

“Okay,” I reply.

Harvey keeps watching television with the remote in his hand.

I twist my lips. I look between him and the television. I should make conversation or something.

“It’s good to be back on American soil,” I say.

He nods and keeps watching television as if uninterested. I wait for him to say something . . . he doesn’t.

Rude prick.

“A farm this big must be a lot of work,” I say.

“We have Hayden home to help us now,” he says as his eyes stay fixed on the television.

I pinch the bridge of my nose. Walked straight into that one.

I stay silent, unsure what to say next. He’s going to hit the roof when he finds out she’s coming to London with me.

I roll my fingers on the armrest of the couch as I troll my brain for an attack plan.

“Dinner’s ready,” Hayden calls.

Harvey gets up and walks past me out of the room, and I glare after him.

Seriously?

Could he be any less hospitable?

Thank fuck Hayden takes after her mother and not this rude prick.

I walk in to find a spread on the dining table, plate after plate of delicious food.

Jeez . . . has she been cooking for a week? I don’t know if my mother has cooked this much food in my entire life.

“Are there others coming?” I ask.

“No.” Hayden smiles as she gestures to my chair. “Just us.”

“Wow.” I sit down. “Looks delicious.”

Hayden sits down beside me and takes my hand in hers and smiles over at me.

It’s fine. This is for her.

We dish out our plates in silence. “What do you do for a living, boy?” Harvey asks.

“Christopher,” I correct him. “Don’t call me boy.”

Hayden steps on my foot under the table.

Behave.

His eyes hold mine, and I take a mouthful of food off my fork.

Oh shit, I forgot to check . . . is this offal? I study my plate as I chew. I can’t see anything out of the ordinary.

“I asked you a question.”

“I’m in advertising,” I reply curtly.

Hayden reaches over and puts her hand on my thigh to remind me to shut up.

I need to change the subject. “Where’s that jaguar?” I ask.

“Oh, Bryan?” Valerie smiles. “He’ll be home for dinner soon.”

“Where does he go throughout the day?”

“Who knows,” Harvey replies. “Mousing, probably.”