Page 23 of Insatiable Bachelor (Bachelor Tower 1)
A tiny knock on my door snaps me from angry stewing, and I wonder if my father has the balls to come over here. I don’t need him anymore, and I’m done caring what happens to him. We have a routine, and he’s the one breaking it. Once a year we get together, drink a bottle of Scotch, and tolerate each other for a few hours. I do it solely to make sure he’s not a liability to me personally or professionally. I fish around to see what scams he’s running, and I give him enough cash to keep him out of trouble. Then it’s a cold goodbye until next year. Simple. Efficient.
I should have known when he started calling me weeks ago that he’s either out of cash or in trouble. It wouldn’t be that hard to find his latest address and send a check. I could have avoided this all together.
“What?” I bark at the closed door that I don’t intend to open.
“Dalton.” Penny sighs, and I feel a punch to my chest. “Let me in.”
Reluctantly I open the door, and she stands there, looking worried. Why can’t she stay indignant or pissed off? That’s easy to combat. I know how to argue with someone who’s fiery and mad. Making them look like the asshole is easy. But someone who waltzes up looking empathetic and concerned. That’s a real challenge. Especially Penny.
Because I care what she thinks.
“Yes?” I say again, but much more gently this time.
“I’m sure you and your dad have some baggage,” Penny begins, as though she’s given this a lot of thought.
“Don’t.” She needs to stop there. “There’s literally nothing you can say that will make a difference. My father is not your father. I know your dad is your hero. That’s not my deal.”
“My dad is not perfect,” she counters. “People aren’t perfect, Dalton.”
“We can sure as hell agree on that.”
“You really don’t get it, do you?”
“Listen,” I say, my voice rising with anger as I point between the two of us, “I don’t do this. I don’t explain myself, and I don’t want to start.”
“I didn’t ask you to,” Penny says, her eyes flying wide open with astonishment.
“I don’t like people messing in my business.”
Her hands go to her hips. “And how have I done that?”
“You had my father over for tea.”
“Should I have left an old, sick man alone in the lobby? They were going to put him out on the street to wait for you, because this building is full of rules and heartless people. Excuse me for having compassion. How am I supposed to know you two can’t deal with each other for more than two minutes?”
“Sick?” I scoff. “Is that what he told you? Did he ask for money for medical bills or something? I will say this is a new angle for him. He must be really in debt this time.”
“Talk to your father, Dalton,” Penny says as she turns on her heel and leaves me standing alone in my doorway. “Stop being an idiot.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Penny
Men are proud fools. That’s not a surprise, yet I’m still stunned that Dalton could kick his own father out. I stew for nearly an hour before my phone rings.
“Hey, Dad,” I say, knowing I sound like the weight of the world is on my shoulders.
“What’s wrong?” he asks, skipping his hello. “What happened?”
“Dalton’s dad was here in the lobby, and I invited him up to wait for his son. Apparently that wasn’t a good idea. They have some issues, I guess. But he’s just being stubborn and pigheaded. It’s his father.”
“Oh, Penny Pot.” My father laughs. “If you’d have come home to find he had your mother in his apartment, I think you would’ve had something to say too. You know better than most, relationships are complicated.”
“But I wouldn’t have kicked her out,” I say, feeling the solid ground of my side of the argument crumbling away.
“Being blindsided isn’t easy,” he reminds me. “You know he called me.”
“Who?”
“Your friend, Dalton. He had a couple follow-up questions about the business.”
“He did?” I ask, feeling my anger melting into tears that I blink back. “He didn’t tell me that.”
“Sounds like maybe he didn’t want to get your hopes up. Or maybe he’s not looking for any accolades. He only wants to help.”
“But his dad.” I’m deflated now, knowing I overstepped, and I might owe Dalton an apology. “Fine. You’re right.”
“I didn’t say very much.”
“You never have to. But why were you calling? I launched right into my drama.”
“Just checking in,” my father says, and if my mind hadn’t already wandered over to Dalton and what I will say to him, I probably would press him for more.
“Okay. Well, call me tomorrow.”
“Bye, Penny Pot.”
I’m slinking over to Dalton’s apartment before the line even disconnects. My dad is completely right. If I walked upstairs and my mom was here with Dalton, I’d freak out too. I’m nodding my head and planning what I’ll say as Dalton comes out of his apartment. I can’t say for sure, but it seems like maybe he was coming to my apartment.
“I’m sorry,” I mutter apologetically. “I way overstepped, and I should have minded my business.”
“He’s sick?” Dalton asks, clearing his throat nervously. “Is that why he’s been calling me so much?”
“We didn’t really get into any details,” I explain, reaching a hand out and touching his forearm gently. “It seems like he wants to talk to you about it.”
“He and I don’t talk about stuff. Nothing of substance. That works for us.”
“That’s what he said.” I nod, taking his hand and leading him into my place. “But sometimes when people have a health scare they want to change things. Maybe he wants to change his relationship with you.”
“We’r
e not two cranky guys who can’t get along. It’s deeper than that. He takes risks, loses it all, and comes to me to bail him out. I look at your dad, he’s on the brink of losing everything even though he actually works hard, and he won’t take a penny from your sister. My dad squanders what he has and he’d take my last penny if given the chance. He’s failed at everything he’s ever done.”
“He’s got a good kid,” I offer gently as Dalton sits by me on the couch. “That part wasn’t a failure.”
“I’m a self-made man in every single way. I don’t need him in my life. I never have. Never will.”
“I can respect that. But I think the problem is, he needs you.”
“I’ll call him.”
“If you need any help, let me know.”
“I’ve got the whole phoning thing down, but thanks.”
“You can manage dialing,” I tease, “but it’s the whole caveman grunting to communicate thing I’m offering to help with.”
“Do you know my life a couple of weeks ago was all working fine. I had a schedule. A routine that included all my favorite things. Ever since I saw you in that elevator, nothing has gone the way I planned.”
“Stop planning, Dalton,” I whisper, my lips pressed dangerously close to his ear. I nibble gently and hear a low primal moan escape his lips. “Start living.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Dalton
“Hey, lover boy.” Paul cackles as I walk into the steam room and take a seat on the other side. I haven’t been in here in a while, but the talk about my routine, about my life before Penny had me thinking. I might be missing something crucial by skipping this. Now that Paul is yapping at me, I regret coming. “You going to miss your girlfriend?”
“Paul,” I say, leaning in through the steam so he can see my expression, “shut your mouth before I knock your teeth out.”
“Defensive,” Paul says through a wry smile. “I get it. You have a really convenient booty call right next door, and it’s about to be over.”
The arrogance in his voice tells me something has changed. The last time they talked about Penny staying in Bachelor Tower, they were all quivering with fear. Now, there’s an air of confidence in the room.
