She nodded her head. “Yes. I didn’t even realize how hungry I was until you said something!”

I saw a little café. “How about that place?” I pointed up ahead.

She turned and looked. “Perfect!”

We walked up to the hostess, and she quickly seated us on the patio.

Ari wrapped her arms around herself and began rubbing her arms.

“Are you chilly?

She smiled. “Just a little, but I’m okay.”

I stood up, took off my jacket, and handed it to her. “Here, babe. I have a T-shirt under my long-sleeved shirt.”

Ari gave me that adorable smile of hers where she scrunches up her nose and her eyes gleam with happiness. “Are you sure?”

I nodded my head as I walked around the table, and I helped her put it on. As I sat back down, I thanked God that Ari had made us stay. This whole morning and afternoon had been amazing.

The waitress took our drink order and gave us a few minutes to look at the menu.

I peeked up and let out a chuckle when I saw Ari looking at me. “What are you thinking about?”

She shrugged. “You. Us. How much I love you and how happy you make me.”

“I love you, too, baby, and you’ve always made me so happy, Arianna. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have you in my life.”

She glanced back down at the menu and then said, “I know what I want—a big cheeseburger with french fries…or maybe onion rings instead. Yeah, I want onion rings for sure.”

“You wanna split the onion rings?” I asked.

When she didn’t respond, I looked up.

“Really? Do you not know me at all? Onion rings, Jeff. Onion. Rings. No, I’m not sharing them with you.”

I dropped the menu and held up my hands. “Hey, the mind-blowing sex this morning must have screwed with my brain. I forgot how much you love them.”

Ari laughed. “I’d say. I think I might like a repeat of that mind-blowing sex this afternoon, if you’re, um…up for it.”

I grinned. “I’m in the mood for more, screw-with-my-head sex for sure. We could even try—” For some reason, I looked up and over Ari’s shoulder, and I instantly stopped talking.

You have got to be kidding me. What in the hell is he doing here?

Ari kicked me under the table and leaned forward. “What’s wrong? Just the thought of you being inside—ouch! Why in the hell did you kick me?”

I jerked my head and motioned for Ari to turn around.

She looked at me with a confused look, and then she turned and jumped up. “Daddy? Oh my gosh! What are you doing here?”

Mark glared at me as Ari wrapped her arms around her father. She pulled back and asked him again, “Daddy, why in the world are you here in Kentucky?”

When he finally stopped shooting daggers at me, he looked at Ari and smiled. “Your mother and I are in town for a Fragile X auction. A dear friend of mine from college is hosting the auction.”

“When’s the auction? Is it open to the public? Why didn’t y’all tell me about it? I swear, I told Mom that Jeff and I were going out of town.”

Mark snapped his eyes back at me, and I slid a little further down in my seat. The man still scared the shit out of me, and I was pretty sure his threat of knowing people who knew people had been spot-on.

“It’s tonight. It’s invite only, but I’m sure Jason wouldn’t mind at all if my daughter and her”—I smiled as he looked at me and shook his head—“husband came along as our guests. It’s a formal dinner and a dance afterward.”

Ari did that little jump she would do when she was excited. She clapped her hands and turned to me. “Shopping!”

I gave her a grin and began looking around for our waitress. I needed to put someone else between Mark and me.

As our waitress walked up, Ari quickly gave her father a kiss. “Plan on us being there for sure. I’ll call Mom here in a bit.”

Mark smiled warmly at Ari as he leaned down and gave her a kiss. He looked over at me as I stood up and he reached his hand out for mine.

“Mark, it was great to see you.”

He looked me up and down and frowned before giving me a smile. “You, too. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon…shopping.”

I quickly sat back down and swallowed hard as Ari giggled. When Mark turned and walked away, I felt like I could breathe again. I leaned back in the chair and looked up at our waitress, who had been waiting patiently.

“I need a drink, a very large drink,” I said.

“He does not. Don’t listen to him. I’ll have the cheeseburger, well-done with everything, um…and an order of onion rings with ranch dressing on the side, please.”

Ari tilted her head and smiled at me. I had no idea how she could recover so fast from all that.

“I’ll take what she ordered.”

The waitress laughed and took our menus. “Let me know if you change your mind about that drink.”

I nodded and mumbled, “I will.”

“Oh my gosh. We get to go to a formal dinner and dance tonight. How exciting! Maybe we could get a few leads on some horses tonight.” Ari sat back and began twisting her hair with her finger.

She only did that when she was nervous.

Aha! So, her dad overhearing us did bother her. I knew it! “Does it not bother you at all that your dad—yet again—walked up on us talking about sex? And not just normal sex but mind-blowing, hot sex.”

Ari shrugged. “Nah. I’m pretty sure he knows we have sex. He has two grandchildren.”

I shook my head. “Not the same thing, Ari. Not the same thing.”

She pulled out her phone and waved her hand at me like she wanted to brush the conversation away.

Fine by me. I’d be the one who dealt with her dad and his death stare all night long.

“Let me find a dress store. Oh! There’s one right around the corner. We’ll have to rent you a tux.” She looked at me through her eyelashes and bit down on her lip. “Oh God, I get so turned-on when you’re in a tux.”

I smiled and felt my dick come to attention. “Oh, yeah?”

She nodded her head. “Oh, yeah, very much so.”

I wiggled my eyebrows up and down.

Ari let out a little moan. “Mr. Johnson, I’m going to get a dress that will knock you out of your damn boots.”

I adjusted my tux in the mirror and ran my hand through my hair to give it that perfect look. Ari was still getting ready. She wouldn’t let me see the dress she had bought earlier today, and she’d kept teasing me with hints about it.