Don't Call Me Daddy (Once Upon a Daddy) Read online

  Don’t Call Me Daddy

  Kelli Callahan

  Copyright © 2020 by Kelli Callahan

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Cruel Temptations

  Join My Mailing List

  Kelli’s Voracious Vixens

  About the Author

  Also by Kelli Callahan

  Chapter One

  Ainsley

  I have a type.

  Big. Mean. Older.

  I can’t help the type of guys I’m attracted to. I was dreaming about my teachers when I was high school and my college professors when I actually attended classes. I flirted shamelessly and went home to cry into my pillow when my advances were rejected.

  It’s too bad I didn’t have as much enthusiasm for my classes as I had for the men that taught them. I might be in a better spot right now, instead of trying to figure out if I can successfully steal a Red Bull from this gas station without getting caught.

  The guy behind the counter kind of has the Daddy vibe going on. I wish he would catch me and teach me a lesson himself instead of calling the cops.

  But he’s probably married with kids my age and would reject me on the spot just like every other guy I’ve made a fool out of myself in front of.

  So I’ll settle for a Red Bull and pray I don’t leave this place in handcuffs.

  Unless they’re his handcuffs.

  I’m somewhat ashamed to say that I’ve become an expert at shoplifting. I know where to stand, how the cameras move, and that in a little store like this, there’s nobody watching them anyway. I just have to make sure the guy behind the counter doesn’t have a reason to look my way. He’s preoccupied with his newspaper; I can’t believe people still read those things.

  I open the fridge, grab a Red Bull, and let it fall into my purse while pretending that I’m considering my options. A quick glance toward the guy behind the counter confirms that he didn’t notice a thing.

  Perfect.

  Now to pretend like I’m really interested in some snacks before I head for the door.

  “Are you going to pay for that Red Bull, miss?” The guy behind the counter puts his newspaper down and glares at me.

  “Um, uh…” I stammer as I try to talk. “What Red Bull?”

  “The one in your purse.” He stands up.

  Shit.

  My only option is to run. I don’t want to be here when the cops show up, that’s for damn sure. I push the door open, and before I can even break into a sprint, I slam into a man who is trying to enter the gas station—a man wearing a very recognizable uniform with a badge on the front of it.

  “Watch it!” he snaps at me and steps to the side.

  “Sorry!” I try to slide past him.

  “Stop her! She’s a shoplifter!” The guy behind the counter just lucked out, and I just fucked myself.

  “Not so fast…” The officer grabs my shoulder.

  Busted.

  I guess it was only a matter of time before I got caught. At least I made it all the way to nineteen before I took my first trip in the back of a police car. A couple of months and I would have been able to say I stayed out of trouble the entirety of my teenage years.

  Legal trouble, at least.

  “Ainsley, you can’t keep doing things like this!” My mother grabs my arm as we walk out of the police station. “You’re lucky Mr. Smith didn’t press charges!”

  “It’s the first time I’ve ever been arrested. Stop being so dramatic.” I roll my eyes and pull away from her. “It was just a Red Bull. It isn’t like I tried to hold the place up.”

  “Stealing is stealing!” She glares at me for a moment and then walks to the car. “I raised you better!”

  My mother. Always my savior, no matter how many times I get in over my head. She is the only person I can call. Most of my friends are away at college, and those that are still here don’t love me enough to come pick me up from the police station.

  Not even Sarah, who is normally an accomplice to my shenanigans.

  “What did you have to do to get him to agree not to press charges?” I sit in the passenger seat beside her. “Or do I want to know?”

  “I paid for the damn Red Bull, Ainsley. Something you could have easily done.” She leans forward and cranks the car. “Surely you make enough money waiting tables to afford a damn soda.”

  “Energy drink, Mom.” I sigh and reach into my purse to pull out a cigarette.

  “You are not smoking in my car.” She snatches my lighter out of my hand.

  “I was inside there for hours…” I look at her and try my best to pout.

  “The only reason you smoke is because you know it bothers me. You never even go outside at home unless I ask you to do something!” She throws the cigarette out the window and presses her foot down on the accelerator.

  She’s right. I don’t know why I go the extra mile to annoy the only person who has ever been there for me. I keep telling myself I’m going to do better, but then I fall right back in the same routine—making her life miserable so that mine doesn’t seem so bad.

  My mom doesn’t deserve it. I always regret it when I do something that truly upsets her, and I apologize with every intention of never doing it again. It’s a vicious cycle brought on by self-loathing and endless frustration.

  God help me if she ever does decide to abandon me like I deserve.

  “Do you have to work this weekend?” I look over at her and try to make small talk.

  “No. Do you?” She hasn’t calmed down, but she is still talking to me—one good sign at least.

  “Nah, I have the weekend off. I’m supposed to go to a Halloween party.” I smile and put a little cheer in my voice.

  “If you were a few years younger, you’d be grounded for the rest of your life!” Her expression darkens. “Damn it, Ainsley. Why don’t you try to get a better job or get back in school? You’re not happy; that’s the only reason you do crap like this.”

  She’s still scolding me. An even better sign.

  “I don’t know, Mom.” I look out the window and sigh.

  I really don’t. I could draw a road map and see a few speed bumps that derailed me from the direction my life was supposed to go, but I can’t dwell on that.

  I just dodged a bullet, and it was such a foolish thing to do in the first place. My career options are limited enough without a shoplifting conviction on my record. I need to grow up and figure out what the hell I’m going to do with the rest of my life.

  I can certainly mark expert shoplifter off my list of skills. One more thing that I’ve failed at like all the others.

  “Dinner is probably cold by now. You can microwave it if you want.” My mom puts the car in park w
hen we arrive at our house.

  “I’m not hungry.” I reach for the door handle.

  “Of course not. You’d rather have a stolen soda than a meal I made for you.” She sighs and steps out of the car.

  Truthfully, the trip to the police station ruined whatever appetite I had. I was hoping to drink a Red Bull on my way home from work and skip dinner entirely. I’m never going to fit into my Halloween costume if I keep eating Mom’s home-cooked meals; another thing I don’t appreciate. God, I can’t believe she doesn’t regret giving birth to me every single day.

  Sometimes I wish I had just been a stain in her panties. My father certainly wishes that. It’s been so long since I’ve seen him that I wouldn’t even remember his face if I didn’t have a few pictures to remind me what he looks like.

  Home sweet home. Room sweet room. My mom never bothers me when I’m in it anymore unless she’s calling me for dinner or needs something. It used to be the Marigold girls against the world. Now we might as well be strangers.

  I dig my phone out of my purse once my door is closed and text the only friend I have left in my hometown—Sarah Carson.

  Ainsley: So, I just got back from the police station.

  Sarah: What the hell did you do this time?

  Ainsley: Shoplifting…

  Sarah: Seriously? Why?

  Ainsley: I don’t know. I just wanted a Red Bull.

  Sarah: You need Jesus.

  Ainsley: I think he gave up on me a long time ago. Can you text me the address for the party this weekend? I thought I saved it in my phone, but I can’t find it.

  Sarah: Yep. 144 Fuller Avenue. It’s an office building. You can’t miss it.

  Ainsley: You sure about this? We’re not going to know anyone there.

  Sarah: That’s the point. Everyone will be wearing costumes. Trust me, my dad used to work for the company, and he said the Halloween parties are always packed. You just tried to shoplift a Red Bull. Are you really turning down an open bar?

  Ainsley: No…

  Sarah: That’s what I thought.

  It will be nice to get out of this small town for the weekend. Free drinks are just a bonus. The city isn’t that far away. It’s a short enough drive to commute, but Sarah decided to get a hotel room not far from where the party is being held.

  This is something of a fuck you to the company her father used to work for. He got fired, probably for good reason considering what I know about him, but Sarah swears it wasn’t his fault. She plans to vandalize his old boss’ office while we’re there.

  There’s a reason we’re friends. On any other day, Sarah would have been right beside me in that gas station. I might have convinced her to snatch a Monster drink while I tried to walk out with a Red Bull, or she would have come up with something that got us into a lot more trouble. We enjoy being each other’s bad influence.

  Now I just have to make sure I fit into my Halloween costume.

  It’s not like I can afford a new one before the weekend.

  “Ainsley, please tell me you’re not leaving the house in that.” My mother shakes her head in obvious disapproval when she sees my Halloween costume.

  “What’s wrong with it?” I shrug and wink at her. “Too sexy for you?”

  “Have some respect for yourself.” She sighs. “I can practically see your panties, and what the hell are you supposed to be anyway? A cheerleader? You didn’t even do that in high school.”

  “I’m going to be a zombie cheerleader. I just haven’t done my makeup yet.” I smile. “Then again, all of the cheerleaders I knew were already zombies, so maybe I don’t even need makeup…”

  “Do whatever you want to do, Ainsley. You never listen to me anyway.” She turns around to the stove and flips a knob; she’s slaving away on another meal I won’t even eat.

  I expected her to have more to say about my costume, but I’m not going to argue if I can get out of the house without having to fight with her over it. She did let the reins go quite a bit when I turned eighteen. For some reason I thought I’d be one of those kids who had her mom’s thumb on her until she moved out of the house. Maybe I just wore her down.

  There’s no time to dwell on it. I need to meet up with Sarah, and I’m already running late. That’s why I haven’t bothered with my makeup yet.

  Sarah and I were originally going to ride together, but she’s planning to go see her grandmother next week, and it’s faster to get there from the city than drive all the way back here. That’s the main reason for the hotel room, although neither of us are eager to risk a DUI on Halloween night. The cops in our town are always out in full force on the holidays—especially at the end of the month when they’re trying to meet their ticket quota.

  I’d prefer not to take another ride in the back of a police car if I can avoid it.

  I don’t know how many times my mom is going to bail me out…

  Chapter Two

  Lawson

  I don’t know if I should consider it fortunate or unfortunate that I woke up this morning. I certainly put some extra miles on my body last night, but not enough to break it.

  That means I have to get up and drag my ass to work. Another day in paradise. Then I get to pray I don’t wake up tomorrow. Maybe the man upstairs will listen this time, but I doubt it. I think he abandoned me just like everyone else in my life.

  Five years ago, I had everything going for me. I was married with a wife who loved me, two kids that I thought the world of, and the investment company I started with my best friend, Bram, was finally starting to give us the returns we dreamed of the day we put our first dollar in.

  Then everything went to shit.

  My son, Hudson, started gambling and got in over his head with a loan shark. I paid his debt, then he got in trouble again, and I made another payment; that kept happening until I had to sell my shares in the company just to keep his head on his shoulders.

  Except that wasn’t what was actually going on. Hudson teamed up with the loan shark to extort money from me.

  If that wasn’t enough to drive me over the edge, I found out that my best friend—the man I considered to be a brother—was secretly involved with my daughter, Kiana.

  I did what any father would do. I lost my fucking mind, and I beat the shit out of him. But there was so much more going on that I didn’t know about. The relationship between Bram and Kiana started because Kiana tried to handle Hudson’s debt when I wasn’t able to—a debt that never even existed to begin with.

  Bram stepped in when Kiana got in over her head, and the loan shark Hudson was working with got greedy.

  The fallout shattered what was left of my life. I had to put aside my differences with Bram to save my daughter, and when it was all said and done, I was on the ground with a knife sticking out of my side, and Bram was right beside me. He took a bullet to save my daughter’s life.

  How could I stand between the two of them after that? She wouldn’t even be alive if it weren’t for him. They’re married now, happy as can be, and have a kid on the way.

  Meanwhile, I don’t even remember what it’s like to be happy.

  Everything that happened brought a lot of emotions to the surface, and while I knew I would never win father-of-the-year, I didn’t realize just how much my kids despised me.

  Things had never been great in my marriage, but the stuff I hid from my wife after I ran out of money to pay Hudson’s debts proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back. All I could do was give her the divorce she asked for.

  Now I’m simply exist. Waiting for it all to end.

  But it’s not over yet, so it’s time to fix myself a cup of coffee and go to work.

  “Good morning, Mr. Brooks!” A friendly smile greets me. It belongs to Bram’s secretary, Joanna.

  Did I mention that I’m now just an employee at the company I used to run? My best friend turned son-in-law is also my boss. It’s enough to drive a man to drink, but it’s a little too early in the day for that.

  “
Morning, Joanna.” I nod to her and walk to my office.

  My job isn’t hard. I’ve always been good with people, great with analyzing data, and as long as I can keep convincing people to invest money in our company, it’s the one thing in my life I don’t have to worry about losing.

  Unless I kick my boss’ ass again.

  “Hey, Mr. Brooks?” Joanna pops her head into my office. “Don’t forget about the Halloween party tonight!”

  “Right…” I nod and put a smile on my face. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  That’s a lie. I’d skip it if I could. What’s the point of putting on a mask when I wear one every damn day? I pretend to be happy—that I’ve shrugged off everything that happened—from nine to five at least. I get all of my self-hatred in after company hours. Not today. Today I have to just keep on pretending to be happy until the party is over.

  Fuck it. At least there will be an open bar.

  “Hey, Lawson, you got a moment to chat about the Walker DeLaney account?” Dan, one of the guys who manages our biggest accounts, is the second person to interrupt my morning.

  “Sure, come on in.” I nod and lean back in my chair. “I thought that account was in good shape?”

  “It is, but you know how Mr. DeLaney is. You’re the one who brought him on board, so he likes to hear from you periodically.” Dan sits down. “I thought we could go over the figures, and you could make the call today—if you don’t have anything pressing.”

  “Nah, I should be able to handle it.” I put my hands behind my head. “Give me the highlights. He doesn’t like to hear the nuts and bolts. I just need to assure him that he’s making more money with us than he would anywhere else.”