Baby for my Dad's Best Friend (Seaport Billionaires #2)

3. Kaylee

3

KAYLEE

H ow is it possible for these two men to be the same age?

I mean, my dad looks like any forty-six-year-old man should.

He’s put on some weight over the years, mostly in his face and his midsection.

His dark hair has streaks of gray, and he’s spent years working in the sun, so he probably has more wrinkles than he should.

But the guy he’s introducing me to doesn’t look any older than thirty-five.

He’s tall and muscular, with golden-brown skin.

He has dark blond hair that is shaved on the back and sides. It’s longer up top, styled in that messy way that makes it look like he recently rolled out of bed or just had some woman’s hands fisting it.

His eyes are a beautiful shade of blue, and a light scruff is growing on his jaw.

When he smiles, it makes my heart pound, and when we shake hands, I notice the way my body warms.

I can’t stop myself from wondering if I react this way from a simple handshake, how it would feel for him to touch me in a place that’s not as innocent.

I shake the thoughts from my mind.

What in the hell am I even thinking about?

I’ve only been with two guys in my life: Brad, my high school boyfriend who took my virginity, and Scott, the man I thought I was going to marry.

Just this morning, I was dreaming about our wedding day, and now, I’m thinking about a forbidden relationship with my father’s childhood friend?

Something is wrong with me.

I snap my attention back to the guys, who are chatting and laughing beside me, neither of them picking up on my daze.

“So, you moved away?” I ask, wondering why I’ve gone most of my life without meeting him.

Austin wets his lips as he looks my way. He crosses his arms over his chest and nods.

“Yeah, I was born and raised here, but I moved away to attend college. I ended up back here after graduation, and I stayed for a few years before taking a job working on the barge. I just moved back about a year ago.”

His eyes fall from mine, down to my chest. His sharp jaw flexes before he jerks his attention back to my face.

My skin warms as I offer him a shy smile.

I don’t know why, but knowing that he’s checking me out makes me feel better than I’ve felt in months.

Finding out on my wedding day that my fiancé had been cheating on me with my best friend was a real hit to my confidence.

I’ve been insecure, feeling like I’m not good enough or pretty enough.

But the way that Austin is looking at me tells me that I’ve never been more wrong.

Maybe I should be looking for an older man, someone who’s lived a bit more and is experienced.

Someone who knows what’s special in life, not some guy my age who’s looking to get laid any chance he can get.

“Well, where do you want to start?” Dad asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

Austin glances over at him. “Let’s start in the kitchen and work our way through the rooms.”

The guys start toward the kitchen, leaving me to follow along behind them, my eyes landing on the way his jeans hug his firm-looking ass.

They’re loose but not baggy, hanging perfectly over his boots.

“Do you want a complete remodel or something a little more budget-friendly?”

Dad’s mouth opens as he looks at me, but then his cell phone rings. “It’s probably your mother,” he says, digging it from his pocket.

“Yep, sure is. I’m going to step out and take this. You two can talk about what you want to do,” he says, patting me on the shoulder as he slips past.

“Hello, honey?” he answers, stepping outside.

I walk deeper into the kitchen, leaning on the island as I look over the room.

“I have a tight budget. I teach second grade in town, so I don’t have unlimited funds. I’d like to do as much of it as I can myself because I need something to dedicate the rest of my summer to.”

My eyes meet his, and I notice the way his jump to my face. With the way I’m bending over, he can see straight down my shirt.

My skin warms, but I stand. “I think I can just paint the cabinets to get by for a few more years. Let’s focus on what the house needs to be comfortably lived in.”

He swallows, and his Adam’s apple bobs. “Alright.” He turns away, taking in more of the room.

I watch as he moves around, looking under the sink to check out the pipes. We move from the kitchen to the laundry room.

“So, you’re a teacher?” he asks as he looks everything over.

I lean against the doorway, nodding. “Yeah. You have kids?”

He glances at me, chuckling. “God, no.”

My brows lift as the corners of my mouth tug up into a smile. “How come? Don’t like them?”

He shrugs. “I like them well enough. I just never found the right person, I guess. What about you? You have kids?”

I shake my head. “No. It’s crazy because I’m twenty-four. Most people my age are starting to have kids, but I still feel too young. I’m in no place to have kids anytime soon.”

He grins. “If it makes you feel any better, that feeling never goes away. I’m forty-six, and I still feel that way.”

We both laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Dad asks, walking back in.

“Do you still feel too young to have kids?” I ask my dad.

He chuckles. “Some days, but other days, I feel so damn old, I wonder how I’m still breathing.”

Both guys laugh while I roll my eyes.

“So, how’s it looking so far?”

Austin turns to my dad. “For as old as the place is, it’s in pretty good shape. Most of this is just cosmetic. I’d maybe sand the floors and put on a protective coating that would breathe some life back into them. Maybe slap some paint on the walls. I would do a total remodel on the bathrooms, but that’s just me. Something like that doesn’t have to be done right away, but I’ve found that doing a job that big before you move in makes things easier down the road. You don’t want to be living here and not able to use your upstairs bathroom.”

I nod, taking his words into consideration. “That’s a good idea. I hadn’t thought of that,” I say, looking up at my dad.

He nods. “That’s why I called Austin. I knew this was right up his alley. Let’s go up and check it out.”

We walk up to the second story to check out the bathrooms.

After looking them over, Austin says, “I would just do some minor stuff to the other bathroom. Keep the tub in case you decide to have kids down the road. I’d put in a new toilet and a new vanity to add some storage. Then, I’d do the total overhaul on the master bath. The bedroom needs what most of the house needs, paint and the floors redone, but the bathroom is rough. I’d rip out that tub and put in an all-glass shower stall. Then you could always put in a jetted tub in the corner. Do a his-and-hers vanity for storage?”

I nod, excited about designing my perfect dream bath. “That sounds amazing.”

“How long do you think a job like this will take?” Dad asks.

Austin looks around. “If I got my crew in here next week, she could be in by the end of the summer.”

I grin and bounce with excitement, causing the men to laugh.

“Well, why don’t you write up an estimate and we can go from there?”

Austin nods and shakes Dad’s hand. “Will do. I’ll get ahold of you soon.”

Dad nods.

Austin looks over at me as he moves toward the door. He offers a sexy smirk that makes my thighs tighten. “It was nice to meet you, Kaylee.”

My skin warms as I smile and wave. “You, too.” I watch him walk out, not pulling my eyes away until the door closes.

“Well, I should get going. Mom needs me to pick up some milk on my way home. What are you going to do?” Dad asks, turning to look at me.

“Oh, ummm,” I mumble. I’m in no hurry to get back to my parents’ place. “I’ll probably just hang out here a little while longer and make more plans. Can you give me his number in case I find anything else I want added to the estimate?”

“Oh, yeah, of course.” He pulls his phone out and pulls up the contact, showing me so I can type it into my phone.

“Thanks, Daddy.”

He nods. “We’ll see you for dinner?” he asks, opening the door before turning back to look at me.

“Yeah, I’ll be there soon.”

He walks out, shutting the door behind him.

I turn and take in the place again, starting to envision how things will look after putting all this money into it.

Right now, the house is rather dark with all the dark wood that runs through the place.

The floors are dark, and so are the steps, banister, crown molding, and wood trim.

But I want to make everything nice and bright.

I look up at the old light fixture and think about how much better a small chandelier would look there.

Pulling out my phone, I start making a list of all the things I’d like to talk to Austin about.

By the time I leave for the evening, I have a long list of things I’d like to discuss.

Some of the ideas I’ve come up with are things I know I won’t do until down the road, but it doesn’t hurt to get a second opinion, especially from someone who knows what they’re doing.

When I make it back to my parents’ house, Mom and Dad are already in bed for the night and my brother and sister are out doing who knows what.

It gives me the silence I’ve been craving.

Mom left a plate in the microwave for me, so I warm it up and sit at the kitchen table, eating alone.

When I finish, I wash my dishes and head upstairs. I step into the shower and my mind instantly goes back to the house.

For months now, I’ve done nothing but focus on how my life has gone down the drain.

I tried looking back to see if I missed the signs of what was going on right under my nose.

Today is the first day that I haven’t thought of Scott, Michelle, or how my life suddenly changed because of the two.

Maybe today is the first day of the rest of my life.

Today is the day I take my life back, make plans, and fight for the life I want.

Everything has been taken from me, but it’s time I take it back.

My happiness is up to me, and when Scott and Michelle finally come back to town, I want them to see me thriving.

I want them to know they’ve done me a favor.

And I want to look them both in the eye, smile, and tell them thank you.