Unexpected

If Tyler doesn’t shut up about the stunning woman who made a wrong turn and found herself at the NSA guard booth this morning, I just might tie him up and leave him on I-95.

Since my wife walked out, Tyler’s been playing matchmaker and somehow he’s gotten it in his head that the tiny thing in the huge truck is the one for me. He’s clearly engineering something, because when she joins our group for Boys’ Night Out again and again, I can’t keep enough distance between myself and the woman who’s enchanting. Wonderful. The last words I’ll ever say out loud.

Daphne is better than me when it comes to...well, everything. She’s made a name for herself professionally, in addition to marrying a Congressman. She’s got a better aim, drives a bigger truck, is weirdly knowledgeable about football, and the guys worship her.

I don’t have time for the trouble she’ll bring to my life: expectations, manipulation, guilt trips...vulnerability. I’m not here for any of it. But Daphne is relentless, insidious, and I crave what the woman has to offer as I struggle to provide proper care for my ailing father. The last thing I want is her help.

I’m known for being pig-headed and stubborn and even thought Daphne sees me through a crisis, I’m too caught up in my own issues to help her through the one I’ve caused. For the first time, something really good has happened to me and I’ve never worked so hard to lose it.