Daddy Brought Home the Stepdaughter

Chapter 7

"Hey, I'm really sorry about what happened to your car." Dusty told Brad as he drove Brad's car to the school, the three kids in back. Massey had wanted to stay home and hide in her bedroom, but Megan and Dylan had begged that she come with them to see their school, so she sat in between them, helping Megan keep the ceiling up, as it kept falling in from the damage. Brad had a sling on his arm and a bandage on his head from his injuries after getting out of the wall.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry about what happened to your bike." Brad told him, but Dusty shook his head.

"Oh, no damage. Not a scratch." Brad tried to hide his complete shock from Dusty on the fact that his car was probably not road legal anymore, but that Dusty's bike was completely fine.

"Oh, not even one scratch?" He asked, Dusty nodding triumphantly, smiling. "Unbelievable." Dusty chuckled as he pulled into the drop off lane at the school. "That's so good."

"Let's keep it going! Inside the cones! Just like ice cream!" the traffic guard called, guiding parents around the drop off lane. She was doing her best to keep everyone safe, but of course you had that odd problem of a parent trying to be as quick as they could. This morning, it was Dusty, who couldn't seem to get it through his head he wasn't allowed to get out of the line of cones keeping people inside, so that others could walk from their parked cars across the parking lot safely.

"No, Daddy! You're supposed to stay in the cones!" Dylan told him quickly when he tried to get out of line to speed up the process, just as the traffic guard came over to guide him back in.

"Whoa, whoa! Inside the cones!" Dusty rolled his eyes as he pulled back in, the guard guiding him. "Inside. Bring her in. That's better." She sighed, shaking her head at him. "Let's keep those kids safe today, okay? Thank you, Brad." Brad gave her a small wave. He was friends with a lot of the staff members at the school.

"Sorry, Doris." Then he looked to Dusty, who looked a little shaken by the experience. Not nervous like Brad thought, but mildly annoyed and a little overwhelmed. "It's okay. This whole drop-off line thing can be a bit overwhelming if you're not used to it." Dusty was a bit fed up with that statement.

"Yeah, well, I've landed a chopper in the middle of a Cuban prison riot, Brad, I think I'm good." The two younger kids jumped out of the car, cars behind Dusty beeping from other annoyed parents. "Bye, guys! I love you guys so much. Have a great day, okay?"

"Bye, Daddy! Bye Massey!" The kids called, Massey giving a small wave, not even looking up from her phone.

"Make sure you do all your work." Brad called, though neither kid responded. "Bye, guys. Have the best day. I love you so-" The door shut, and the kids were gone, Massey snorting.

DVD

"Here's the exciting thing. We just opened up in our 68th market, making The Panda America's number three smooth jazz station."

"Blah blah blah." Massey looked up at Brad with the most bored expression. Sara didn't trust Dusty by himself at the house while she was at work, so Brad brought him and Massey to work with him to keep an eye on them.

"And here it is. My, uh... My little nook." Brad told them, taking them to his small office, his face turning red with Massey's response. But Dusty seemed completely into what Brad was telling him.

"Wow. Oh, man, I gotta admit, this is more than I expected. Wow. I kind of envy you, Brad." Massey rolled her eyes, heading for the small couch in the corner and laying across it, playing on her phone.

"Oh, stop it." Brad was trying to be modest, despite being happy to have one up on Dusty.

"Ah, it's true. I mean, you're a nice guy, making a comfortable living, and the most fantastic woman in the world loves you dearly." Brad smiled at him as he sat at his desk.

"Really? Thanks for saying that." Dusty shrugged.

"I mean it. And that sacrifice she's making for you... That's true love." That made Brad frown. He didn't think Sara was unhappy at all.

"Sacrifice?" Dusty nodded, looking to him as though this obvious, Massey's ears perking up at that. What was her father up to?

"Well, sure, Brad. You know how bad that girl wants another baby." Brad furrowed his eyebrows. 

"She wants another baby?" He asked. Never once had he heard that before, but here was Dusty, nodding at him as though it were common knowledge.

"For her to let that slip away and marry a man she knew to be barren, that's true love. How do you know that I can't..." 

"Bradley." That was when Holt walked in, not seeing Dusty or Massey quite yet.

"Yes." Brad greeted him, turning his chair to face him.

"Caroline says we're gonna hear some new voice talent this a.m.?" Brad nodded proudly, smiling at his boss.

"Yes, sir, in about 15 minutes." Holt nodded approvingly.

"Okay." Then he remembered something. "How'd it go with the shitbag ex-husband and the new kid?" Brad's face went pale, trying to cut him off so that Dusty and Massey wouldn't hear the things they had said about them the other day. "You whip his ass with that Loving Fence of yours?" He laughed, and Brad gestured to Dusty and Massey.

"Well, actually it's interesting, Mr. Holt, because I want you to meet Dusty and Massey Mayron." Holt looked to Dusty, and his eyes went wide. 

"Jesus in the morning. She was married to him first?" He then looked to Massey, who was looking back at him, and he glanced her up and down. "And you... how old did you say she was again?" Brad stood up at that.

"Mr. Holt..."

"Airborne?" Dusty had other things in mind.

"Huh?" 

"Well, your lapel pin. 101st, that's one hell of a division, sir." Holt's eyebrows rose as well, flattered by Dusty's words. Dusty could charm just about anyone.

"Oh, well, thank you, Dusty. Are you Airborne?"

"Oh, no, sir, I'm afraid I don't share that honor, but I'm humbled to be in the presence of anyone who does. Airborne Division? Those guys love to fly. Very nice to meet you, sir." Holt shook his hand, smiling.

"Thank you, thank you. It's good to meet you."

"My pleasure. It's an honor." Brad let out a small chuckle, Massey back on her phone.

"Fast friends over there. That's wonderful."