Page 23 of Tattered (Lark Cove 1)

Talking to strangers came easy for me. I was good at mingling and making con

versation. But I had no idea what to say to my own kid. I tore my eyes away from the mirror to look at my watch. I had until six o’clock tonight to figure it out.

Eleven hours didn’t seem like enough time.

A knock at the door forced me out of the bathroom. I crossed the small space and freed the safety chain, not bothering to check the peephole.

“Morning,” I told Nolan as I swung the door open.

“Morning.” He gave me a sideways glance. “You okay?”

I nodded but said, “No.”

“Here.” He handed me a coffee to-go cup. “I assumed you didn’t sleep much so I got you a double mocha from the little coffee hut down the road.”

“You’d be right about that,” I muttered and took a sip. “Thanks.”

He leaned against the doorjamb, studying me. His short, black hair matched the color of his suit jacket and slacks. “So? What happened last night? Did you talk to Thea?”

“Yeah.” I sighed, moving back into the room to sit on the edge of the bed. “I stopped by her house and we talked for a while. I’m meeting Charlie tonight.”

“That’s good. Isn’t it?”

“It is. If I’m only here a week, I can’t afford to waste any time. But . . .”

“You’re nervous.”

“Terrified.” I nodded. “I have no idea what to say. Do I introduce myself as her dad? Or just Logan? Should I shake her hand? Or give her a hug? And that’s just the first five seconds we meet. What do I do after that? If I fuck this up, she’ll remember it forever.”

Other dads had it lucky. If they messed up their introduction, it didn’t matter. Newborns didn’t remember anything.

“You need to relax, Logan. I’ve seen you charm entire rooms of people before. Just be yourself. If you go in there scared, she’s going to pick up on that. Kids can smell fear.”

Then she was going to smell me coming from a mile away.

This would all be so much easier if they lived in New York. I could see Charlie more often. I wouldn’t feel the immense pressure to make every day this week perfect.

I stood and walked to the dresser, grabbing my phone and sunglasses. “We’d better get going. Are you ready?”

Nolan let me change the subject. “Yes. I’m hoping I can get back in time to squeeze in a few hours at the office.”

He was flying back to New York today, and I envied him for it. Not that I didn’t want to stay to meet my daughter, but I was jealous that he knew exactly what his day would entail. He’d fly home, swing into the foundation office for a few hours, then go home to his wife and son.

“You should take the afternoon off. Go home and spend time with Kayla before Tyler gets out of school.”

He chuckled. “She wouldn’t even be home. Her calendar is packed tighter than mine these days.”

Kayla, Nolan’s wife, had invented an organic skincare line last year and it had recently been picked up by two high-end department stores. “Just promise me that when you quit to become her personal assistant, you’ll give me at least a year’s notice.”

“Don’t worry.” He shook his head. “I love my wife, but we’d kill each other if we worked together. I think I’ll stick with the foundation.”

“Good. We wouldn’t be the same without you.”

“A compliment before eight? Normally you like to give me a hard time in the mornings. You really are nervous, aren’t you? And it’s messing with your head.”

Yes, it was. I couldn’t think of a time when I’d wanted so badly for someone to like me. I had no confidence. Zero. And that feeling was more unsettling than the rest.

Nolan’s face softened. “You’ve got this, Logan.”