My Single Dad (Man Card Book 3)

  My Single Dad

  Man Card Book 3

  Terra Kelly

  Table of Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Epilogue

  Dear Reader

  Steamy Sensations Holiday Shorts

  Join TK’s Newsletter!

  About the Author

  Also by Terra Kelly

  Books by T.M. Kelly

  Acknowledgments

  Synopsis

  Single dad looking for love.

  My profile picture was being swiped left and right on a dating app, even though I never signed up.

  I found out my thirteen-year-old daughter was playing matchmaker again, and I wasn't sure if I was on board.

  Until I received a private message that had me more than a little curious.

  You won’t feel stressed when relaxing with these sexy men. Each Man Card short story is a collection of steamy romantic comedies that will make you laugh, smile, and crave sweets.

  One

  Nova

  “Emma.” I waved at the young girl stocking coffee on the shelves. “Got a sec?”

  “Nova.” She turned toward me and smiled. “This isn’t your normal delivery day, or did Dad get the schedule wrong again?”

  “No, no, I needed to ask you something.” I glanced around, hoping Zander didn’t hear the conversation. Then, I grabbed my phone out from my back pocket and pulled up the dating app. A couple months ago, I joined the site because my best friend dared me. Every time I got a notification, I ignored the alert…until today. I showed Emma the screen. “Did you know about this?” A profile photo of Zander, Emma’s father, filled the screen.

  She cleared her throat and looked away to grab more bags of coffee to place on the shelf. “No.”

  “Emma.” I dropped my arm and knew my jaw had dropped, too. “Does he know?”

  “What? Oh yeah, totally.”

  Emma was Zander’s thirteen-year-old daughter. “Oh shit, he doesn’t know.”

  “Nova,” Zander said and walked out from the backroom. “Did I add an extra delivery for the week?”

  “Um, no.” I jumped at the sound of his voice and glanced toward Emma, who was trying to avoid all eye contact with me. “I just”—I bent down to the box by my feet and grabbed a bag of coffee—“ran out this morning.”

  “Oh.” He looked between Emma and me. “Does that mean you haven’t had your daily coffee fix yet?”

  “Yeah, I’ll make some as soon as I get home.” I smiled and walked over to the register to pay.

  For the last ten months, Zander and I had this weird thing happening between us. “Here,” he said and handed me a to-go cup. “On the house.”

  “Are you sure?” I grabbed the free coffee from his outstretched hand and felt his fingers graze over my skin. I needed to figure out what it was between us. If he kissed me in the back room one more time, my insides were likely to combust. “Thank you.”

  Another customer stepped up and Zander turned to help him. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

  “Um, yeah. I believe so.” As he helped the guy, I walked back over to Emma. “Your Dad will flip when he finds out his daughter signed him up for a dating site.”

  “How did you find out?” She was still holding two bags of coffee when she turned to face me. “Wait, did the site match you with him?” Her eyes went wide, and she tried to get a closer look at my phone. “Why are you on the site?”

  “That’s not important. What you should be thinking about is how much your Dad is going to flip when he finds out.”

  “Then accept the match.” She pointed to the red dot in the top-right corner of the app. “The coffee shop would love it if you both went out on a date.”

  “What are you talking about?” I tucked the bag of coffee I just purchased under my arm. “I need to go.”

  “Hit accept, Nova,” she said as I made my way to the door. “You know you want to.” She giggled and turned back to finish stocking the shelves.

  A date with Zander? I would much rather be in his bed than on a date. I touched my palms to my cheeks. The thought of lying naked beside Zander caused my body to flush. I had no good comeback, so I left.

  What would happen if I hit accept, though?

  “Finally,” Gabby said and grabbed my phone from my hand. She zoomed in on the photo. “Wait, is that who I think it is?”

  I snatched the device out of her grasp. “Maybe.” Zander’s face was staring back at me.

  “Oh, my shit, it is him.” She sat down beside me on the couch. “Does this mean you are going to hit accept on a match?”

  “If it will stop you from getting all up in my grill about this bullshit. Then yes.” She punched my arm. “Ow.” I grabbed my bicep. “I don’t have time to date. Can you believe I have ten new orders this week?” My healthy vegan baked treats were becoming popular, and I didn’t have the manpower to keep up. “I may need to hire someone.”

  “Seriously?” She leaned forward and grabbed her coffee mug. “Is your kitchen big enough for the growth?”

  “Well, no. That’s why this happened today.” I pulled up a couple photos on my phone. After one year of trying to make vegan baked treats in my tiny kitchen, it was time to branch out. “I can’t use all the space, but I have one corner of the bakery that is all mine. I don’t have to pay a lot in rent because I’ll make some extra vegan treats for the bakery.”

  “Nova.” Gabby leaned forward to get a closer look of the photos. “Your cute little business is growing. This is huge.” She grabbed my forearm. “Wait, you’re going to make them baked goods at a bakery in exchange for lower rent? I’m confused.”

  “They don’t make vegan recipes. It will be a great addition to their bakery.”

  “Oh, that’s brilliant.” She slapped my thigh and grabbed the phone to get a better look at the photos.

  I was a self-taught baker but a lifelong vegan. Almost every day I made something new. Mixing batter and kneading dough was my first love. “I guess I get my bakery after all.”

  “I knew it would happen, eventually.” She sat up and crossed her legs in front of her. “Now stop changing the topic. Date. Hot coffee shop owner. Make it happen.”

  I groaned at her words. “What if?”

  “No.” Gabby covered my mouth with her hand. “Stop overthinking and just hit the accept button.”

  I stared at my phone for several long minutes. What if Zander changed his mind about me? It had been days since we last had any kind of intimate contact. “Fuck it.” I tapped accept and set my phone on the coffee table.

  Two

  Zander

  “Thank you for stopping in.” I waved to Ms. Brown, one of our regulars at the coffee shop. “See you tomorrow.” She arrived like clockwork every morning around 8:00 a.m. I leaned my body against the counter. Today was delivery day for Nova’s baked goods. My body reacted just at the thought of her walking through the door.

  “Dad.” Emma waved her hand in front of my face. “Earth to Dad. Are you even listening?”

  I pushed off the counter and turned to face my daughter. “What? I’m sorry, honey.”

  “Seriously, Dad.”

  “Seriously, Emma,” I mocked her and grabbed the daily task sheet. “Aren’t you supposed to be at school or something?”

  “I told you we had the day off.” She rolled her eyes and reached for an apron. “Nova called and will have an extra shipment sent tomorrow. She can’t make it today.”

  “Sent? She’s not dropping the
m off.” I tried to back track on my question. “I mean, that’s fine. Thank you for telling me.”

  Emma giggled and patted my shoulder. “Will you be okay if you don’t see her for a few days?”

  “Funny.” I headed to the back room to enter the inventory for the day on my computer. There was a ping for an incoming email, so I clicked on the icon for the notification. The subject line read, Do you want to accept? That’s when I should’ve hit delete but curiosity got the best of me, and I hit the link in the email. I was directed to a web page. There was a header with flowers and several splashes of bright, beautiful colors. Another message popped up: Do you want to accept HippieVegan99 as your friend? “Who’s HippieVegan99 and why am I accepting?” I mumbled to myself. Then, I glanced down to the bottom of the screen and noticed a chat box with HippieVegan99 name and a cursor flashing ready for me to type my first message. “Emma,” I yelled a little too loudly. “Come here, please.”

  “Yeah.” She sighed and peeked around the corner. “I’m with a customer.”

  “What is this?” I pointed at the screen.

  She sighed again and walked over to where I was sitting. I heard her gasp. “No way,” she whispered.

  “What?” I looked up at her. “What am I getting myself into this time?” Emma had been trying to fix me with up a woman since she had the ability to talk.

  “It’s just a dating site, and they matched you with someone.”

  “Why can’t I see the person’s face but she can see mine.” It felt like it was an unfair advantage since she already knew what I looked like.

  “You need a little mystery in your life, Dad.” Emma shoved at my shoulder and headed back up front. “Hit the yes button, Dad.”

  I sat there staring at the screen for the longest moment. The vision of Nova popped into my mind. Her bright smile with the cutest dimples. Then, my vision shifted and I could see her lying on my bed. Her olive skin was silky and smooth. Her breasts were so perfect I had the urge to reach out and touch them.

  “Do we have anymore caramel syrup?” Emma said from the doorway, knocking me out of my daydream.

  I couldn’t move. The visions of Nova were causing my pants to feel too tight. “Um, yeah, I think so.” I knew she expected me to grab the bottle for her but standing was not an option. Why did I wear the loose-fitting khaki pants today that showed off everything?

  She let out an exasperated sigh and walked to the shelf where I was pointing. “Thanks for helping.” Then, she grabbed the last bottle and headed back up front.

  Instead of hitting accept, I ignored the message for now and closed my laptop. I leaned back in my chair and tried to shift my thoughts to work-related items.

  It wasn’t working, though, and my pants were still feeling uncomfortable.

  “Night, sweetie.” I kissed Emma’s temple and watched as she walked down the hallway to her bedroom. She was growing up too fast. One second she was asking for my help to tie her shoe; the next moment she was signing me up for a dating site. I should’ve been mad, but I knew why Emma had done it.

  I walked into the kitchen and touched the side of the coffee pot. It was still warm. I poured a cup and made my way over to the couch. HippieVegan99 had been on my mind all afternoon. It was time to find out who this mystery woman was and why she was hiding her identity. Emma seemed happy when I showed her the name earlier, which meant hopefully the person wasn’t a serial killer.

  I opened the email and hit the accept button. A small box on the bottom right side of the screen popped up. HippieVegan99 was now active. Wait, I had no idea what to say. I noticed my username was MrCoffeeGuru. At least Emma gave me a decent name.

  Guru was a stretch, though. I had taken over the coffee shop almost eleven years ago. Ms. Brown, who showed up like clockwork every day, used to be the owner. Her and her husband had been looking to sell it, and I mentioned my interest in the opportunity. One thing led to another and here I was several years later being called a coffee guru by my thirteen-year-old daughter.

  MrCoffeeGuru: Hi.

  HippieVegan99: Hey.

  MrCoffeeGuru: I’ve never done this before.

  HippieVegan99: Talked on instant message?

  MrCoffeeGuru: No, no, signed up for a dating site. Technically my daughter signed me up.

  HippieVegan99: Sounds like your daughter is sending a message.

  MrCoffeeGuru: Yeah, she’s persistent if nothing else.

  HippieVegan99: You planning to listen this time?

  MrCoffeeGuru: Maybe. Jury’s still out.

  HippieVegan99: How will she sway your mind to the yes column?

  MrCoffeeGuru: One thing, a picture of you only seems fair.

  HippieVegan99: Your bio mentioned you liked mystery, though.

  It did? I needed to find my information on the damn site. After a few minutes locating the link for the dating site, I clicked on the search box. When my profile popped up, right below my photo was a small bio about me.

  Single dad looking for love.

  I drink coffee late at night.

  Crave vegan donuts.

  And love a little mystery in my life.

  My daughter wrote that…and mystery, really? I sat there, trying to think of what to say next, when a vision of Nova flashed in my mind. She was a vegan. I knew it was a crazy thought but what if HippieVegan99 was her? I clicked on her profile again, wondering what was on her bio.

  My best friend dared me to sign up…

  I had to laugh. That sounded a lot like Nova. The only way to be sure was by asking her all the right questions. I grabbed the laptop and leaned back against the couch cushion. Time to think about all the conversations we’d had over the last few months.

  Three

  Nova

  “Oh, good answer.” Gabby nudged my arm. “How long are you going to stay a mystery?”

  I crossed my legs in front of me and pulled the laptop onto my thighs. “What if Zander was never interested in me?”

  “You think too much.” She grabbed the computer and typed.

  “What are you doing?” I tried to grab the computer back, but she pushed me away. “Gabs, no, don’t say that.”

  MrCoffeeGuru: So your friend dared you to be on the app?

  HippieVegan99: Stalking my bio page, eh?

  MrCoffeeGuru: There’s not much to stalk so I’m trying to figure you out. Are you a vegan?

  HippieVegan99: All my life.

  MrCoffeeGuru: Did your parents raise you to be vegan or was it a choice?

  HippieVegan99: My parents kicked anyone out of my house who attempted to eat meat around us.

  “Gabs, he will know it’s me.” I grabbed the computer back from my friend. “Mystery, remember.”

  “He won’t know that quickly,” she teased and tried to snatch the device back from me. We were laughing as we fought over who would have control of the computer.

  “Trust me, the guy is pretty fucking smart.” There were several times over the last few months I found myself alone in the backroom with Zander. We always seemed to get lost in some deep conversation. Then, somehow I would end up sitting too close to him. There was this electrical pull between us. It was almost impossible to just talk to him without the desire to rip his clothes off.

  “How long have you both been dreaming about each other?” She sounded serious, but I knew she was messing with me.

  “I’ve been delivering to his location for ten months now.” I had to think about my answer. Ten long months of wishing he would do more than kiss me. There were several nights I woke up from a dream where I thought I was about to orgasm.

  “Ten months.” She shook her head and stood. “Don’t you think it’s time you took this shit to the next level?” She snapped her fingers and walked into the kitchen.

  “What if it’s just a thing in the coffee shop storage room? Maybe I’m not his type?” I didn’t know what he did outside of the coffee shop. For all I knew he could have some secret identity and rescued small kittens after he c
losed up his place.

  “Nova,” Gabby said in between clenched teeth. “Are you kidding me?” She walked back into the living room and bopped me on top of my head.

  “What?” I giggled and moved away from her reach. “I just don’t want to be disappointed. I’m tired of that game.”

  My last five dates were all busts. None of them were from a dating site. I met the guys at the locations where I delivered my baked treats. They would buy a product and discover I was the baker who created the delicious goodies. Then, they found it okay to chase me down and ask for my number. That should’ve been a red flag but for some damn reason, they always sucked me in with their soft-spoken words and sexy charm.

  “Then stop saying yes to random men off the street you’ve never talked to before.” She reached down and grabbed a pillow and threw it my way. “They only want one thing.” Gabby made her way back into the kitchen. “MrCoffeeGuru, Zander, is a single dad. That’s a whole different playing field.”

  I looked over at the computer screen where the cursor was flashing next to my name. He had just asked me if I was good in the kitchen. The thought slammed into my mind. “He has to know it’s me. Do you think Emma told him?”

  Gabby walked back into the living room. “What? Now you’re just making stuff up.”

  “Look at his last question.” I pointed and pushed my body to the edge of the couch. My hand was on the top of the computer to close it.