The Stranger Who Called My Dad Dad

My dad picked up a free son before he'd even picked me up to take me home. Thanksgiving break.

Outside the train station, he'd dressed himself up like one of those unlicensed drivers who hustle for fares by the curb, and he was messing with me: "Call me Dad, and the ride home's free." I was just opening my mouth when a cool, pleasant voice came from behind me. "Dad." The handsome stranger didn't bat an eye.

He stood there, completely serious, waiting for my dad to make good on his promise. Me: ? Chapter 1 I turned my head at the same moment as my dad, Old Man Tolliver.

Then, perfectly in sync, we sized up this handsome guy. Tall, long legs, broad shoulders, narrow waist.

His black shell jacket was zipped all the way up, which made his face look even cooler, and his backpack hung lazily off one shoulder.

But still. "Hey, handsome, do you have no shame at all?" With a totally straight face, the hot guy said something twisted but true. "Only a sucker turns down a freebie." Fair point.

But he wasn't done upping the ante. "You're not going to say it? Too shy?" He seemed to figure that, being a girl, I'd be too embarrassed, and he wanted to spare me.

He even thoughtfully asked, "Want me to say yours for you too?" He was being so generous about it that he was all set to keep calling Tolliver Dad.

I cut in fast. "Stop, stop, stop." "Dad!" he called out anyway. The hot guy stepped forward, his eyes sincere. "So can we go now?" Was everyone's scam radar this weak these days?

I grabbed the hot guy by his backpack and pulled him aside. My voice was so low the whole place could hear it. "Are you sure you want to go with him?

One look and you can tell he's shady." Tolliver was not pleased. "What are you talking about?

I went all out getting dressed up today." I'd always found Tolliver's fashion sense hard to put into words.

Today it was white suit pants, a floral shirt, a brown vest over it, and hair styled to perfection. Plus that roguishly handsome grin of his.

Blame it on him being born lucky, and on my mom spoiling him. He could throw on a burlap sack and my mom would scream about how hot he looked.

But to me, he looked exactly like a cartel boss. Shady. I ignored Tolliver's wounded, reddening eyes. I whispered to the hot guy, "Aren't you scared of getting trafficked?

I'm telling you, the ones who smile the nicest are always the most ruthless!" Just go already, I thought. Otherwise we'll have to drive out of our way to drop you off.

The hot guy quietly moved me behind him, and when the corner of his mouth curved up, he looked warm and gentle. "It's fine.

I'm a ninthdegree black belt in karate." Me: … I looked at my dad and made faces at him. A silent conversation. [See?

Look what you've driven an honest guy to.] [Who knew someone this decentlooking would have this much nerve?] [A wolf in sheep's clothing!

A total wolf in sheep's clothing!] [So now what? I actually let him ride in my big fancy BMW?] I rolled my eyes. [What else? He's a ninthdegree black belt.

What if he figures out we were messing with him and kicks us both to the moon?] Tolliver: [Ohhhhh.] Figuring the happier man could afford to be the bigger person, Tolliver smiled sweetly and took the suitcase from the hot guy's hand.

He still couldn't resist milking it out loud, though. "Come along with Dad, good boy." I stared at my huge suitcase, grinding my teeth. Oh, you petty little man, Tolliver!

One comment about his outfit, and you'd think I'd tried to kill him. I was about to drag my suitcase to the parking lot myself.

A big hand beat me to it and closed around the handle. This hot guy didn't just have a handsome face. He had gorgeous hands too. Long, elegant fingers, clean, rounded nails.

He gave me a little smile. "I've got it." I pressed my lips together. Yep. Compared to a showy butterfly like my dad, I definitely liked the gentle type better.

We got to the parking lot. I was about to get in the passenger seat. The hot guy yanked me back by my backpack, stuffed me into the back seat, and then plopped right down beside me.

Chapter 2 He took the chance to lecture me while he was at it. "How do you have zero sense of danger? One look and you can tell that guy's shady." He kept his voice low.

It's rare to meet a kindred spirit. I held out my hand. "Melanie Tolliver." He shook it. "Cameron Garrett." Cameron and I smiled at each other, our hands clasped tight.

Tolliver glanced in the rearview mirror and suddenly broke into a violent coughing fit.

I pursed my lips, annoyed. "Dad, if you've got a cold, go see a doctor!" Cameron raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to call him Dad now too?" I was speechless.

Tolliver shot me a glare.

Then he asked Cameron, "Where am I dropping you off, handsome?" Cameron didn't miss a beat. "Dad, I'm at…" Turned out he lived in the same apartment building as us.

Right on the way, at least. Partway there, the car went dead quiet. The hot guy had his eyes closed, pretending to nap, his profile handsome enough to kill.

I pulled up my camera, planning to snap a pic and send it to my best friend. Who knew the damn flash was still on? It must have nearly blinded him.

But somehow, with his eyes narrowed like that, he had the look of a sulking beauty. An absolute stunner of a human being.

He raised an eyebrow. "Melanie?" I let out a couple of dry laughs and leaned forward between the seats, holding my phone out to show my dad. "Dad, look, I got such a hot shot of you." Talk about a coverup that gave itself away.

Sure enough, Tolliver wasn't buying it. "Heh. It's all right, I guess." Tolliver was extremely vain.

But then he changed course. "Kiddo, no matter how handsome your dad is, you can't go around sneaking pictures of hot guys.

It's a disgrace to the family name." My dad had lived his whole life for respectability. The only time he'd ever stepped out of line was fighting tooth and nail to win my mom.

After walking right into a roasting from my dad, I laughed awkwardly and retreated to the back. I sent my best friend an Instagram DM. She instantly called me. I hit accept.

But sound leaked out of my phone. Her excited, frantic voice filled the whole car. "Melanie! Where'd you find that total hottie?! Add him on Instagram!

Add him on Instagram!" In that instant, I cringed so hard my toes could've dug a basement right through the car floor. I was so mortified I teared up.

I still made sure to pretend I was hard of hearing. "What? My signal's bad." Cameron heard.

He braced one long arm beside me and murmured right by my ear, "Oh, she said to add me on Instagram." The second the words were out, he held an Instagram profile QR code up in front of my face.

I turned my head. Cameron tilted his head at me. Holy crap. If! This! Isn't! Flirting! Then! What! Is! "Ding…" We were officially following each other.

Tolliver suddenly started acting up again.

Another violent coughing fit. "Cough cough cough… cough cough… poser… cough cough… so sneaky… cough cough." He seemed to want to cuss somebody out but was a little scared of Cameron's ninthdegree black belt, so this roundabout way was the only way he could warn me.

But I just smiled and preened. As long as he's putting in effort for Her Majesty, that's all that matters. But Tolliver's possessiveness over me seemed to have gone into overdrive.

He kept checking on Cameron in the rearview mirror. Bit by bit, displeasure crept into his eyes, along with a hint of hatred.

Cameron spoke calmly. "Dad." Tolliver choked on his own breath. "Huh?" I turned to Cameron in surprise too. Was he really that scared of having to pay?

But Cameron only said, considerately, "Eyes on the road." Tolliver narrowed his eyes. "Ha ha, young man, it's just that you look a lot like someone I used to know." Cameron's smile stayed warm and gentle. "A good friend?" Tolliver's face darkened a few shades. "No." He said it almost through gritted teeth. "An enemy." Then he slammed on the brakes.

I'd seen it coming. Not a single hair on my head moved. Chapter 3 Cameron, on the other hand, nearly slammed into the seat in front of him.

And of course my dad played the innocent little angel. "Oh dear, red light. So sorry about that." He even made sure to give Cameron a lovely smile. Now, about my dad's enemy.

I'd heard about him for years. Apparently he and my dad grew up together. They grew up on the same street, so naturally the parents compared the kids.

My dad had been a hellion since he was little.

He led the other kids to raid bird nests and shoot marbles, put on a show of blowing up dog poop with firecrackers on the Fourth of July, and had shockingly bad grades.

My dad's enemy, on the other hand? He had always been the kid every parent wished was theirs. My dad couldn't stand him, so he got all the kids on the street to freeze him out.

One time, my dad was getting spanked yet again for scoring a 6 out of 100 on a math test, and his enemy happened to walk by.

In the most casuallyonpurpose way, he crouched down to tie his shoe, and a perfectscore test accidentally peeked out.

When he stood up, his backpack zipper accidentally broke, and perfectscore tests from every single subject accidentally tumbled out. His little hands could barely hold them all.

Then he sweetly said, "Bye, Mr. Tolliver, Mrs. Tolliver." That day, my dad got spanked even harder. Supposedly, that kid was sweet on the outside and rotten underneath.

He'd put every kid on that street in their place at one point or another. Warm, warm smile. Black, black heart. From then on, my dad buckled down and worked his butt off.

And gloriously set off down his path as the eternal runnerup. That lasted until high school graduation.

He finally ranked first in his class—because the other kid skipped senior year and left for college early. The only time he ever beat that guy was probably when it came to my mom.

After that came a heartbroken departure, and true love found in another city.

The next time they saw each other, my dad took little me along to pay him a visit, and before long we were living right next door to each other.

That man had a son of his own by then. That day, I dumped that little boy's formula all over the place. My dad scolded me furiously to my face.

Then, behind everyone's back, he gave me a bunch of kisses. "That's my girl. Takes after me." My dad carried my luggage into the apartment building.

Cameron had to pathetically haul his own bags out of the trunk. I walked side by side with Cameron. "Which unit are you in?" He told me. It was directly across the hall from ours.

I was about to say what a coincidence. Instead, I heard my dad let out a long, snide howl. Cameron and I followed his gaze.

A very stylish older man was chatting with my mom, and the elegant Ms. Yates was laughing so hard she could barely stand up straight. Tolliver stormed over, fuming.

My dad was ridiculously jealous, and I was about to go over and keep the peace.

But Cameron beat me to it. "Dad!" Tolliver whipped around. "What?!" The very stylish older man: "Hm?" Tolliver narrowed his eyes. "Son, don't you go taking the other guy's side." The older man laughed an oldmoney laugh. "You're his dad?

Then who am I?" Me: ? Cameron was the son of my dad's enemy. So what does that make me? Juliet?

Before I could work out what was going on, my dad's brain, normally not the sharpest, had already caught up