Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 34025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 34025 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 170(@200wpm)___ 136(@250wpm)___ 113(@300wpm)
But the best thing about Pineridge had to be the fact that nobody knew us. Here, we were able to live as a couple instead of father and daughter. I started calling him Erik in public, and we introduced each other as husband and wife. The only thing that raised a few eyebrows was our age difference, but most people kept their opinions about that to themselves.
Turning off the highway, I followed the country road for a couple of miles before pulling into a tree-lined driveway. I loved our property with its bubbling creek and mountain views. We’d put a lot of sweat equity into making it exactly what we wanted. I couldn’t help smiling as our two-story house came into view.
I pulled into the circular gravel driveway and parked in front of the garage. After pausing to savor a breath of clean, fresh air, I went straight into the kitchen, already anticipating finding my dad there.
“Hey, baby,” he said, flashing a killer smile that made my insides tighten deliciously. “I hope you’re hungry.”
I popped onto my tiptoes to kiss him.
“Starving,” I confirmed. “You want some help?”
“I’d never say no.”
I washed my hands in the kitchen sink and then went to the refrigerator to fetch the sides.
“Veggie skewers?” I asked.
“Sounds good.”
“Extra tomato on yours,” I said, already anticipating his reaction.
“You’d better not. Unless you want to be punished.”
I was tempted to do it just to give him a reason to bend me over his knee, but I decided not to waste the tomatoes. We chatted about our day while he seasoned our steaks, and I worked on the vegetables. I told him about what I was learning in my cosmology class, and he regaled me with some riveting details about a grove of Joshua trees that needed thinning.
It was all so easy, a perfectly natural exchange with my husband, who also happened to be my dad. We had changed addresses, but at our core, we were still the same people who had fought for our lives against a group of sadistic killers and lived to tell the tale. Well, most of the tale. We tended to brush over a few key details.
Most people wouldn’t understand our relationship even if they knew the full story. But that didn’t matter to us. We were sick and twisted, but also happy.
Dad brought the steaks and veggies out to the grill while I grabbed us beers from the fridge and my tablet from the living room. I settled into one of the cushioned patio chairs and watched him cook, appreciating the view. When the food was done, we sat at the table and I turned on the tablet.
“So, where are we on the list?” Dad asked as he cut into his steak.
“Shenandoah National Park in Virginia,” I said, scrolling down the list of places we wanted to camp this summer. Most of the sites booked up months in advance, so it was never too early to get a jump on reservations.
Even after everything that happened to us in Yellowstone, we were still determined to take our annual camping trips. It took some intensive outpatient therapy, but we both agreed that we weren’t going to let our run-in with Duke and the others dictate how we spent our time together, whether that time was dedicated to camping or fucking in the great outdoors.
“I think we should aim for mid-September,” Dad said. “We can beat the crowds and still see some nice color.”
“Works for me.” I made a note on the digital list. I’d worked hard over the last two years to get a handle on my anxiety around crowds, but I still preferred to avoid congested trails. “That leaves August open.”
Dad sipped his beer and then set the bottle down with a decisive thunk.
“What about Yellowstone?”
“Bechler Canyon?” I asked, and he nodded. “You’re sure you want to go back?”
We hadn’t returned to Yellowstone since the incident, but we’d been talking about it more and more since they revamped the fire tower and made it available for guests to rent overnight. I was pretty sure I could handle staying there, but I didn’t want to push him. He’d never fully managed to stop being overprotective, but these days, I did my best to look out for both of us.
“I’m sure,” he said. “I miss it.”
“Me, too.” I smiled. “Should we hit up Mr. Bubbles?”
“Of course. And I look forward to seeing what they’ve done with the fire tower.”
I glanced up from my plate at the unmistakable change in his tone. We both knew what would happen if we spent the night in the tower. The heat in his gaze made me press my thighs together.
“Looks like they put in some real beds,” I said. “Might be fun to break them in.”
“Before or after I edge the fuck out of you all the way up the stairs?”