Page 2 of Single Dad Problems
He frowned and sighed like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. “I’m not a licensed teacher, Mom.”
I laughed at his matter-of-fact attitude and quickly ran my hands over my hair to try to pull myself together. Nothing felt like it was in the correct place but there was nothing I could do.
“Mom, your shirt is open and your boobs are showing.” Oliver’s voice made me instantly aware of the silence behind me.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I cringed as I felt my face burn bright red. I looked down and saw that I’d lost a button and my boobs were indeed showing. I grabbed a safety pin from my desk and fixed it as best as I could before spinning to face the parents waiting on me.
A light breeze could've knocked me over when I saw the three men sitting in the front row.
Oh, son of a biscuit.
Three very handsome, very giant, very muscular men, who I had absolutely had a one-night stand with at a single parent retreat over the summer, were folded into tiny desks built for second graders.
They were the last people I ever would've expected to see in my second-grade classroom. They were the last people I ever expected to see again, period. And judging from their slow grins and the way they were staring at my safety-pinned boob situation, they remembered exactly who I was.
I was going to die.
2
Callie
Six Weeks Earlier
“You’re not a single dad!” I slapped my hand over my mouth as soon as the words exploded out of me. I’d just interrupted the head instructor at the single parents retreat I’d been strongarmed into attending by my best friend, Tessa June, to accuse someone of being a liar. I bit my fingers to try to keep the rest of my thoughts to myself but it was useless. “I saw you with your wife at Chipotle three days ago. And judging by the way your hand was in her back pocket and she was still wearing that beautiful wedding ring, I’d say you arenotsingle.”
The man, Jason Delano, went rigid where he sat between two young single moms. I watched as he slowly recognized me as his kid’s teacher from two years earlier.
“Okay, no. I don’t know what this crazy bitch is talking about. I’m single.”
A man on the other side of the room sat up straighter. His relaxed pose had been intimidating enough but when he satup, his presence commanded attention and demanded respect. I noticed that everyone closest to him went still at the change in him. “Watch your mouth when you’re talking to a lady.”
About half the single moms in the room melted at the deep timbre of his voice and it would’ve been a lie to say that I didn’t appreciate it myself. It didn’t hurt that he was coming to my defense.
Jason scoffed. “What? I’m just supposed to let her lie about me? I’ve never seen this bitch before in my life.”
A deep growl rolled out of the intense guy’s mouth. “Tan line on your ring finger. Your cellphone’s been vibrating every few minutes for the last hour. You look at the door every minute or so like you’re expecting someone to walk through it.”
Another man in the group leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “And honestly, I never trust a man who can so boldly call a woman a bitch.”
The woman closest to Jason hit him with her brochure. “You asshole. Get out of here!”
“This is not a place for cheaters and liars. You can excuse yourself, sir.” The head instructor cleared their throat. “Now.”
Jason stormed out and I managed to keep my mouth closed for the rest of the talk but I couldn’t stop stealing looks at the three men across the room. The two men who’d spoken up and one other shared looks with each other like they were old friends and there was an energy around them that was hard to look away from. They were also painfully handsome, like so handsome I wasn’t sure I was even allowed to look.
As soon as the group was dismissed to go do any of the various activities the retreat had planned, I stood up and made a beeline towards the dessert table. There was this one cupcake towards the back of the table that I couldn’t stop thinking about. The icing was towered so high that I couldn’t wait to lick it like an icecream cone. I was so focused on getting my cupcake that I didn’t see the man stepping into my path until it was too late.
I plowed into what felt like a brick wall warmed in the sun but instead of stopping to catch my breath or apologize, my brain told me that he was going for the cupcake, too. The feral raccoon living inside me demanded that I beat him to my sweet temptation and I found myself pushing him out of the way and basically diving for the table. I grabbed the cupcake and shoved the top of it into my mouth while pumping my fist in the air to show my victory.
It was only after my eyes deglazed from the sugar high that I saw that the three men were standing in front of me, giant grins on their faces. I thought about what I’d just done and slapped my hand over my eyes. “Oh, god. I just shoved someone to get to the cupcake I wanted. I amsosorry! I’m also mortified so I hope that’s enough justice for you. If you’d just point me in the direction of the exit, I’ll feel my way out.”
“Wouldn’t mind a taste myself.” The man who hadn’t spoken up earlier had a slow smile that made my stomach flutter. “Of the cupcake. It looks delicious.”
I turned my body so the cupcake was tucked away. “I just shoved someone for this cupcake. You think I won’t do worst to someone actually trying to take it?”
“I’d love to see it, cupcake.” The scary one reached out and dipped the tip of his finger into my icing. Watching him slip that same finger past his lips had my heart acting up. It was wildly sexual and my dead libido was resurrected with the force of a category five hurricane.
I took a quick breath in and then shoved the rest of the cupcake into my mouth. Cheeks bulging, I gave a quick wave and then rushed past them and out the front door of the meeting hall. It was work booking it across campus while trying not to choke but I managed to get back to my temporary housing andlock myself inside. We had private rooms, thankfully, because I could only imagine trying to explain to a roommate why I was the way I was.
