Boss Daddy: A Secret Baby Romance by Black, L. (good books for high schoolers .TXT) 📕

when I got out, we would get married and have a family of our own.

At least, that was what I had counted on. Then I found out my ex started cheating on me within just a few months of me leaving for one of my tours. She was carrying on with someone I had thought was my friend behind my back, all the while continuing to lead me on and letting me believe everything was great between us.

I didn’t uncover the truth until I was back in town visiting during a leave and went to surprise her at her house. She didn’t realize I was getting back so early. Obviously, or she wouldn’t have been on a blanket in the backyard with the guy I thought was my friend.

That image in my head, I looked back over at Mason and Ava as they came out into the parking lot again and went for another load of the games. My brother waved at me but didn’t let go of Ava’s hand for a second. I waved back, not letting him see the emotion in my face.

I wanted what they had so much, but I wasn’t sure I would ever find it. In my late thirties, I wasn’t old, but I also wasn’t the springy early twenty-somethings out in the dating market. Considering I had no intention of leaving my hometown of Astoria, the pool of options seemed pretty narrow and was getting narrower.

I carried a box inside and was unloading it at the bar when Ava came up.

“Hey, Jordan,” she said.

I looked up from putting the bottles in place and smiled at her. “Hey, Ava.”

“So, that new cocktail waitress I hired is starting tonight. She should be here pretty soon,” she said.

“You have her starting on a theme night?” I asked, surprised. “Throwing her into the fire, aren’t you?”

She laughed. “Well, I figure she better get used to it right off the bat. It’s better to show her what it’s like here when we’re busy than to lull her into complacency with just a regular night and then have her freak out on us when we have another theme night. At least tonight isn’t going to be as crazy as some of the others.”

“True,” I said. “You’re being easy on her. Magnanimous, even.”

Ava laughed. “Something like that. Her name is Hannah. When she gets here, will you show her around and let her know her duties and responsibilities? She says she has experience, so it shouldn’t be too hard for her to pick things up, but I want to make sure that she is ready and can keep up tonight.”

“Sure thing. I can do that,” I said.

My sister-in-law walked away, and I went back to putting away the shipment and getting everything set up for the night. We had some experience with running the theme nights now and had learned that it was important to be set up and ready well in advance. Having things like the glasses positioned for easy grabbing and several of the most popular themed cocktails already mixed and set at the end of the bar for the waitresses to grab as they were ordered could save massive amounts of time and hassle.

A little while later, the door to the back of the bar opened. I looked up, expecting to see one of my brothers. Instead, my breath caught in my throat at the sight of a gorgeous woman walking in. For a second, I could barely think much less say anything. She looked at me, and I had to break my gaze so I didn’t completely freak her out by staring.

“I’m sorry. We’re not open yet,” I said.

I was trying to think of a diplomatic way to tell her she wasn’t allowed to come through the back door when she shook her head and smiled.

“I’m not a customer,” she said. She held her hand out toward me. “I’m Hannah.”

I couldn’t believe this was the new cocktail waitress Ava hired. She was stunningly beautiful with a bright smile and a confident, unwavering gaze. She already looked completely comfortable in the bar. But she also seemed like one of those people who was probably comfortable anywhere she went.

Doing my best to keep my cool, I took the hand she offered out to me and shook it.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Jordan.”

“One of the owners?” she asked.

I smiled. “Yeah. But tonight, I’m just a bartender. And I’m actually going to be showing you around and getting you familiar with the place and the job.”

“Sounds good. I’m looking forward to getting started.”

There wasn’t anything overtly flirty or suggestive about that comment, and yet I felt it down to the depths of my belly. This might be a bit more of a challenge than I was expecting.

Still forcing myself not to stare at her, I opened my arms out to the sides to encompass the bar.

“This is the bar,” I said.

Hannah nodded, playing up a deeply thoughtful expression like she was concentrating hard on remembering what I was telling her.

“Okay. We’re just going to hit the ground running, I see. Should I be taking notes?”

She grinned at me, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Walking out from behind the bar, I led her to the front of the space to start showing her around.

“This is actually the second location of The Hollow,” I said.

“I heard that,” she said. “The original one burned down, right?”

“Yeah. That was not fun. But it led us to this building, which is an awesome space and in a great location in town. I think I’ll always have a soft spot for the original place just because that’s where we got started and the one that our father got to see. But I do really like this one. It has a lot of potential, and we’ve been building it out and renovating since we got it.”

“It’s impressive,” Hannah said, nodding as she looked around. Her big eyes met mine. “I’m sorry to hear about your father.”

A little