Total pages in book: 48
Estimated words: 47615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 47615 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 238(@200wpm)___ 190(@250wpm)___ 159(@300wpm)
Abby would never believe me if I said I forgot it. She sees through my insecurities because she doesn’t have any of her own. Worse than that, she’d probably make me squeeze into one of her own bathing suits, which would not be a pretty sight.
But the thought of her dad there and him seeing me in my swimsuit?
I shudder at the thought, hoping it magically snows somehow this weekend, but I tell myself that Abby’s dad isn’t the type to hang around when she has people over.
He’s a mature, older, and professional guy.
I’m sure he’s got way better things to do than have any interest in his daughter’s sleepover with her best friend.
That’s what I tell myself anyway, kick-starting the motor of my tiny but cute ride until it sputters to life.
A cloud of smoke from the exhaust makes me cough a little before I zoom out onto the quiet suburban streets on my way to the nicer side of town where Abby and her dad live.
And there it is. There’s that funny feeling again.
It’s like an itch behind my belly button that runs all the way down between my legs.
And no. It’s not the vibration from my aging scooter either.
It’s that feeling I’ve worked so hard to ignore for a long time now.
The feeling only makes sense when I use words like Abby and dad in the same sentence in my mind.
But I shake my head, crimping a frown.
Just let it go, Jen. A guy like that wouldn’t even look twice at you in that way. Not in a million years.
CHAPTER TWO
Kane
Home again.
I can’t say I’ll miss the connecting flights or the weeks at a time away from home. The three-star accommodation and, worst of all, the food they serve on and off the rigs.
Because this time, it's home for good.
With Abby all grown up now and with plenty of real and play money shares piled high, I figured it was time for a change.
The permanent kind.
This time Monday, I’ll no longer be the regional head of engineering for the oil rig operation.
Those shares I took instead of a higher salary have more than paid off after twenty years, and now, me doing the same job for money that I don’t need, early retirement is a no-brainer.
Let some young buck or some up-and-coming Chad take the reins. I just want to settle down and relax for what feels like the first time in my life.
Slinging my leather duffle bag over my shoulder for the last time as I pay for my cab once he drops me home, I take a second to consider my future.
Eying the huge house I own and built myself, the two cars in the driveway, manicured gardens, and a maid who comes in twice a week.
The life I know I’ve afforded Abby, giving her every chance at doing what she loves as well as the perfect home to live in rent-free.
I should feel like this is it.
The pinnacle of my career. The crowning moment of my life, retiring at forty.
The guy who’s well and truly ‘made it.’
But something makes me sigh as I frown to myself, almost growling in frustration.
Abby’s the light of my life, and I’d give it all away tomorrow if it meant she was happy and safe.
But she’s an adult now. Grown-up and most likely the next biggest Broadway star.
So, where does that leave me?
Golfing and fishing to while away the hours, months, and years for the next forty years of my life?
I fucking hope not.
I hate golf and can’t stand the smell of fish. When you work the oil rigs for as long as I have, the sight of the ocean always reminds me of work.
The work I only took up once Abby’s mom left. I started out as a greenhorn rigger and ended up about as high up as you can get doing that sort of thing without wearing a suit and tie.
Something else I fucking hate.
Abby’s mom and I, though. That was a mistake. A huge mistake.
But once it was clear we’d never see eye to eye on anything, she left me with the only thing that mattered to me, our daughter.
She literally took everything else. With Abby to raise on my own, I didn’t have time to dwell on anything except starting from scratch.
Building the life we have today.
Did I think it would take twenty years? Hell no. But I wouldn’t change a thing if I had to do it all over again.
But any suggestion or even hint of any other kind of relationship in my life since the train wreck that was Abby’s mom and I has long disappeared.
It really does feel like I’ll be alone forever.
But hey, at least Abby’s guaranteed a life of comfort.
Me, too. We’ve got enough for several lifetimes, even though it’s something I never really talk to her about much.