Just as I’m swinging my duffel over my shoulder again, determined to find a nook or cranny to hide in, the front door to EarthMatters opens. I spin around. Oh thank God, I’m saved!
But then, the air exits my lungs because a gorgeous man stands there, looking at me with suspicious eyes. He’s got night-black hair that waves from a proud forehead, patrician features, and the build of an Olympic swimmer with broad shoulders and long legs. This guy could easily pick me up and carry me away.
But it’s the blue gaze that gets me because he’s throwing me a suspicious look.
“Hi!” I say with a bit too much cheer. “Are you Ed Turnbull?”
He squints, his mobile mouth turning down at the corners. “Yeah, that’s me. Why, who are you?”
I try to smile brightly. “I’m Susie Pelham, Nanette Pelham’s daughter. Didn’t she tell you I was coming?”
The guy looks confused, and that’s when I realize that my worst nightmare has come true: Ed Turnbull has no idea why I’m standing on his doorstep like a bedraggled rat. I knew my mother was going to screw this up, and now, I’m seething with rage at the terrible position she’s put me in.
3
Ed
The girl’s absolutely gorgeous, even if she’s biting her lip and shooting me worried looks. The strange woman’s eyes are chocolate brown and beseeching. She’s got long chestnut locks cascading over her shoulders, although at the moment, there’s a winter beanie jammed over those luscious locks. Even crazier, her curves are perfect. Although her winter coat is loose, I can see that the woman has wide hips, thick thighs, and likely a big bosom that gets her plenty of attention.
But what is she doing here on my doorstep? And how does she know who I am?
I’ll be honest: my first, terrified thought was that this girl was coming to tell me I’m her father and she’s been looking for me her whole life. I’m hoping that’s not the case because while I’ve had a few one-night stands in the past, they were a long time ago. Then again, she’s old enough that it could have been one of my one-night stands way back when. Oh shit. I wouldn’t mind having kids, but not this way. Besides, she’s too gorgeous and the twitch in my cock tells me that it’s wrong, especially if she’s my long-lost daughter.
I stamp my feet briefly because it’s way too cold to be standing out here goggling at each other. Even crazier, my mystery woman has a backpack slung over her shoulder and a suitcase parked on the sidewalk. What does she want with me?
I run the name Nanette Pelham through my mental database, but it comes up empty. But then, something connects in my brain.
“Do you mean Nanette Bison?” I ask in a slow voice. “I knew a Nanette back in high school, but that was a long time ago.”
The girl nods fervently.
“Yeah,” she manages. “Nanette Bison is my mother. Well, Bison is her maiden name. She goes by Pelham now, which is my father’s last name. I mean, I’m not sure what she goes by now because I think she found it was too expensive to keep legally changing her name every time she got married. She’s on her fourth husband, just FYI,” the woman says in an apologetic tone.
I let out a long, silent sigh of relief because at least it’s clear that I’m not this woman’s long lost father. Last time I checked, my last name is definitely not Pelham, so that’s a bit of good news. Still, what is Nanette’s daughter doing here?
“So, you’re Nanette’s kid. Is she okay?” I ask, keeping my voice calm.
The pretty brunette nods, her brown curls bobbling.
“Oh yeah, she’s fine. She’s cruising the Arctic right now with her fourth husband,” Susie confides.
“Okay,” I say. “So she’s not here. But why are you?” I ask. “Or is this just a coincidence of some sort? Am I being pranked?”
Susie bites her lip, the plush pout growing pinker and enlarged. Then she meets my gaze, her chocolate eyes nervous.
“Didn’t my mom tell you her plan?”
I can tell by her tone that she’s hesitant about revealing it. Rightfully so, because Nanette was wild back in the day, and my guess is she hasn’t changed her ways. I fix Susie with a look.
“I can’t remember the last time I spoke to your mother, but it was probably at graduation to be honest. So no, I have no idea what master plan you’re referring to.”
Susie nods again.
“Right, because it’s still in Nanette’s head,” she mutters under her breath. Then, she looks up at me, clearly worried.
“I was hoping you’d catch on without me saying it, but I guess that’s too much to wish for,” she says in a bleak tone. “Basically, my mom didn’t tell you that she wants me to stay with you over winter break.”