My Ex’s Dad is Coming to Town (Bringing Home Trouble)

1. Cole

CHAPTER 1

COLE

I swirled the dark amber liquid around in my glass and checked the overhead monitor for the hundredth time in the last ten minutes. Still delayed. I should have known better than to fly through Chicago in December. Actually, I should have known better than to fly anywhere a few days before Christmas, but the thought of spending another holiday alone made me book a last-minute flight to the Bahamas. If I was going to be miserable over the holidays, I’d much rather be miserable while sipping a cocktail on a white sandy beach.

The monitor flashed with an update. Dammit. My flight was now pushed back another two hours. I downed what little remained in my glass and set a few bills on the table. At least now I’d have enough time to head to the airport lounge. I grabbed my bag and made my way toward the throng of people bustling through the terminal.

I hadn’t planned on spending Christmas alone. My son, Ryan, was going to come back to LA for the holidays with his girlfriend. I’d met Winter on several occasions and enjoyed spending time with her. Probably enjoyed it a little too much. The first time I met her, the curvy little minx took my breath away. Having the hots for my son’s girlfriend wasn’t an option, so I’d shut down the attraction and we’d forged a bit of a friendship.

She was good for Ryan—wise beyond her years with a contagious smile and an incredibly positive outlook on life—and I’d been expecting news of a proposal any day. Instead, he told me he’d broken up with her. Said she was too nice, too happy all the time, too trusting. I wanted to wring his neck, especially when he admitted he’d been seeing another woman behind her back and that was who he planned on bringing home. I told him not to bother. I’d tried to raise him to be a good man, and it hurt to watch him become everything I’d worked so hard to avoid.

Making my way through the crowd of pissed off travelers, I tightened my grip on my bag. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” blared from the speakers throughout the terminal, but the quiet relief of the private lounge was just up ahead. I was so focused on reaching those frosted sliding glass doors that I didn’t see the kid barreling toward me until he crashed into me and knocked my bag out of my hand. It toppled over, along with the kid.

“Hey, are you okay?” I held out a hand to help him back to his feet. He couldn’t be more than eight or nine and had those wheels on his shoes like the ones Ryan used to have .

He stood and popped the wheels back into his soles. “Sorry.”

“You might want to wait to skate until you get where you’re going,” I suggested. “Is your mom or dad around here somewhere?”

“Yeah, she’s in the bathroom with my sister.” The kid gestured over his shoulder.

Good, because a crowded airport wasn’t a safe place for a kid on his own. I picked up my bag and the start of a pounding headache thumped at the base of my skull. “Be more careful next time.”

The kid offered a half-grin. “I will. Happy Holidays.”

“Yeah, Happy Holidays,” I mumbled.

“Looks like someone’s lost the holiday spirit.” I recognized the husky tone before I even turned around to find Winter Fordham standing right in front of me. Barely five feet tall with the kind of curves that a man could get lost in for days, she smiled then awkwardly held out a hand. “Do we shake? Do we hug? I’m not exactly sure how I’m supposed to greet my ex’s dad.”

My heart stopped beating as my eyes drank her in. Fuck, she looked good. Good enough to… hell, I wouldn’t let myself go there. She and Ryan might not be dating any more, but she was still too damn young and too damn good for me.

I held out my arms, eager to feel her pressed against me. “How about a hug?”

She wrapped her arms around me and nestled into my chest. “It’s good to see you, Cole. ”

“Good to see you too, sweetheart.” I let myself linger a few beats too long, trying to soak in her scent, her touch, and the way she felt in my arms.

She pulled back first and gazed up at me, her eyes the same bright green as the festive holiday wreaths hanging around the terminal. “What are you doing in Chicago?”

“Just passing through on my way to the Bahamas.”

Her brows furrowed and the corners of her lips turned down. “Isn’t Ryan coming home for Christmas?”

“I’m not sure what his plans are. He mentioned coming home, but when I heard about how he treated you…” I glanced down, not sure how to convey my disappointment in how my son handled things between them.

She bit down on her bottom lip. The movement had me wondering what she might taste like if I crashed my mouth down on hers. I needed to get a fucking grip.

“It just wasn’t meant to be.”

“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry, Winter.” I reached out and squeezed her shoulder, hoping to offer a little comfort. Heat sizzled up my arm. There was no way to explain the depth of attraction I felt for the curvy brunette.

“It’s not your fault.” She shook her head. “All the signs were there for so long. I should have listened to my gut.”

I should have let it go at that, but I wasn’t ready to let her out of my sight. “How long of a layover do you have? The least I can do is buy you a drink.”

“I don’t think anyone’s leaving soon. I’m supposed to be on a flight to Austin, but it’s been delayed. Hopefully, this storm doesn’t shut down the whole airport. ”

“Heading home for the holidays?” I asked.

She nodded. “I promised my mom I’d help her bake cookies for the Christmas bazaar. It’s been a while since I’ve been home for Christmas.”

I already knew that since she’d spent the past two Christmases at my place outside LA. She and Ryan had flown in from Seattle and we’d split our time between the beach and skiing up in Big Bear. I’d been looking forward to a threepeat until Ryan fucked it all up.

“I’m headed to the lounge. Want to join me? It should be much quieter and we can get all caught up.” Even as I issued the invitation, the rational part of my brain wanted to back out. I didn’t listen. We were two adults. Nothing was going to happen. I might be attracted to her, but she was way out of my league. Winter would never want to be with a man twice her age, especially the father of the asshole who’d broken her heart.

“Sure. I’ve been trying to find a place to sit down for the past fifteen minutes. I guess it pays to have friends who have an airport lounge pass.” The smile she gave me lit up her entire face. My fingers itched to trace the curve of her lips and brush over her cheeks.

Forcing myself to keep my tone neutral, I wrapped my fingers around the handle of her bag and tugged it from her grasp. “Great. Let’s go.”

She fell into step next to me. I shortened my stride as I led the way to the lounge. Once we’d checked in, I scouted the room for a table. The only one I could find was a curved booth for two against the back wall. Winter slid in first, and I followed. Being this close to her, the faint scent of peppermint filled my nose. She smelled like a candy cane—one I’d like to lick from head to toe.

“So, come here often?” she teased.

I relaxed against the back of the booth, vowing to keep my thoughts out of the gutter. “One of the perks of traveling so much for work, I suppose. At least it makes the time I have to spend in so many airports a little more bearable.”

“I read an article recently that mentioned you signed on a big client in Austria. Congratulations.”

“You’ve been keeping tabs on me?” The thought of her checking up on me made heat slither through my veins.

A wave of pink washed over her cheeks. “Not necessarily. It’s just nice to see good people have success.”

“And what makes you think I’m good people, Winter?” I was playing with her now, but I couldn’t help myself. She had no idea the levels of success I’d attained or what I’d had to give up in my personal life to reach them.

Her fingers fiddled with the cocktail menu, betraying her nerves. “You’ve always been nice to me.”

“It would be impossible to be anything but nice to you.” Being around her brought out the best in me—a side of myself I rarely shared with anyone.

Our server appeared, diffusing the tension between us. As Winter ordered a chocolate peppermint martini, I studied her face. Dark lashes fluttered against her soft cheeks. Her long brown hair framed her heart-shaped face, and I was tempted to tuck it back behind her ear so I could better appreciate the pale column of her throat.

If she were mine, that’s where I’d leave my mark… right at the base of her neck where her pulse fluttered. I cleared my throat and ordered the best single malt scotch they had. Holding myself in check would take a concentrated effort, and I couldn’t afford to let myself slip.