Page 17 of Band of Brothers - MFMM Menage Romance (Sweet Treats 8)

But to my surprise, my dad’s sitting at the kitchen table when I step into the yellow room.

“Hey Daddy,” I greet, trying not to limp while I walk to the fridge. My hand reaches for the freezer, but then I catch myself. It’s better if I keep things private for a while. Owen’s gone through a lot, and last time, I left him in tears. It’s uncommon for an alpha male to cry, but it does happen sometimes, and I don’t want to put him over the edge with these tantalizing developments.

But surprisingly, Owen is chipper and happy. He’s reading the paper and puts it down on the table when I come in.

“Hey sweetheart,” he practically sings. “How are you?”

I stare at him, taking the bright expression and sparkle in his eye. Even his hair looks cheerful because it’s tousled and carefree. What’s going on? I thought my dad was a mess because of the botched initiation. He thought I was a lesbian, and orchestrated a massive, clumsy scheme to try and find out, which only resulted in me being claimed by three men. How ironic.

But Owen doesn’t know any of that, so why is he so happy?

“Weren’t you headed back on the road?” I ask slowly. “I thought you had a new gig lined up.”

He merely shakes his head, those blue eyes glinting.

“Yeah, I had a gig, but I switched routes with someone else. I wanted to spend more time with you before taking off,” he says.

I squint at him again. This is odd because while my dad is a very dedicated parent, I’m also eighteen. I don’t need to be managed. Hell, Owen’s previous meddling resulted in disaster, so if anything, he should hit the road so that we can find our normal once more.

“But um, Daddy, I thought you had an important job,” I say. “Weren’t you delivering sanitizing gel for coronavirus or something like that?”

He nods.

“Yes, but someone else is going to take the load today. I’ll still be delivering Purell, but I’m going to take a second shipment that’s still at the factory. It’s no trouble,” he says magnanimously. “There’s plenty of time.”

I stare at him again before crossing my arms.

“Really? But I thought coronavirus was a pandemic. I thought the deliveries were really urgent.”

He merely grins.

“It is, but we’re okay in the United States. It’s only in Asia where things are getting dire. Calm down, Junie. Everything’s going to be fine.”

I stare at him again.

“Owen, you were the one who wasn’t fine when we last talked. You left the hotel really agitated, from what I remember.”

“Yes,” he says with a white smile. “But it’s all better now.”

This is not computing. I stare at him again before slowly sitting at the table. Ouch! I’m sore down there and shift slightly in my chair, trying to alleviate the pressure. Forest, Finn and Fred left me raw and ravaged, but the truth is that I love it. However, my dad doesn’t need to know these titillating details.

I look at him pointedly again.

“Okay Daddy. Out with it. What’s with the one eighty? It’s crazy! One day, you’re hinting that I’m a lesbian. The next, you’re practically in tears because I screwed up the initiation. But now, you’re soaring among the clouds. What gives, Owen?”

My dad makes to dissemble again, but I cut him off.

“Nuh uh. Don’t even think about it. Last time you tried to talk around the situation, we ended up with an unholy mess. Spit it out, Owen. Tell me what’s changed.”

My dad blushes, and it’s kind of cute on a handsome man like him. Dark streaks form across his high cheekbones, and he’s so bronzed that it looks more like a sunburn than a flush.

“Well, let’s just say I think I understand teenage girls better now,” he says diplomatically.

I look at him.

“What, all within the span of two days?” I ask. “How is that even possible?”

My dad nods happily.

“Yeah, but it’s true. I met a girl, and she helped educate me about the things teen girls need and value.”

Ah ha. Here’s where it gets real.

“Who did you meet?” I ask in a slow voice. “And what exactly did she teach you?”

Owen smiles to himself, and his eyes literally grow a bit dreamy.

“Let’s just say that she was going to prom, when things went awry. But I stepped in and made it all better.”

“Prom?” I ask in a slow voice. “How old is she?”

Owen nods seriously.

“I’d say nineteen? She’s a senior at her high school.”

“Okay, at least she’s legal. Plus, there certainly seems to be a trend going on around here. We appear to have a lot of young women whose big events do a U-turn for the worse.”

Owen nods.

“But this time, I was there to catch my new friend. I comforted her, and well … a lot more too.”