by Taryn Quinn
Baby Daddy Wanted
Dirty DILFs Book 5
Taryn Quinn
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This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
Baby Daddy Wanted
© 2019 Taryn Quinn
Rainbow Rage Publishing
Cover by: LateNite Designs
Photo by: Shutterstock
All Rights Are Reserved.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
First ebook edition: February 2019
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My life changed when I posted an ad on Crescent Cove’s Facebook Wanted page.
I wasn’t looking for a used car, but what I was looking for counted as a need too, right?
BABY DADDY WANTED
Single, personable woman seeking a man for the purposes of procreation. I wouldn’t mind if he looks like Chris Pratt, but that’s not required. No further interaction with the child is necessary, unless desired by father-to-be. Child will be created the old-fashioned way, assuming both parties agree. Contact V at goodtothelastdrop.
I wasn’t expecting much, to tell the truth.
For a week, I got no bites.
No licks—or clicks.
Nothing.
Then I got a reply.
We started to email. Text. Maybe almost…sext.
He was sweet. Funny. Suddenly, the idea of doing the naked make-a-baby rumba with him seemed like more fun than function.
Then I found out who he was.
He found out who I was.
And tomorrow, I’m going to see him at work.
Author’s note: The hero doesn't start out as a single father, but he's on board with adding his cream to her coffee. Baby Daddy Wanted is a standalone romantic comedy with a HEA ending and no cliffhanger.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Playlist
1. Murphy
2. Vee
3. Murphy
4. Vee
5. Murphy
6. Vee
7. Murphy
8. Vee
9. Murphy
10. Vee
11. Murphy
12. Murphy
13. Vee
14. Vee
15. Vee
16. Vee
17. Murphy
18. Murphy
19. Vee
20. Murphy
Epilogue
Taryn Quinn
Oblivion World Character Chart
Quinn and Elliott
About Taryn Quinn
Acknowledgments
We wouldn’t be where we are today without our amazing team. Thanks, Tori, Kim, and Suzanne for all you do to make us look good. We love you madly.
Sometimes we make up fictional places that end up having the same names as actual places. These are our fictional interpretations only. Please grant us leeway if our creative vision isn't true to reality.
Playlist
Into the Mystic by Van Morrison
What Happens In A Small Town by Brantley Gilbert
Stay A Little Longer by Brothers Osborne
Wild Love by Ashley Monroe
Distant Dreamer by Duffy
Lonely Tonight by Blake Shelton (feat. Ashley Monroe)
21 Summer by Brothers Osborne
Adore You by Miley Cyrus
Baby Be Crazy by Brantley Gilbert
I Don’t Remember Me (Before You) by Brothers Osborne
Certain Things by James Arthur (feat. Chasing Grace)
FULL PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY
To those of us who never believe we’re good enough.
You are.
So very much.
One
Murphy
Veronica Dixon: BABY DADDY WANTED
Single, personable woman seeking a man for the purposes of procreation. I wouldn’t mind if he looks like Chris Pratt, but that’s not required. No further interaction with the child is necessary, unless desired by father-to-be. Child will be created the old-fashioned way, assuming both parties agree. Contact V at goodtothelastdrop.
I dropped my phone. It clattered against my coffee cup at the edge of my makeshift desk and splashed up to soak my work shirt and the sketch paper I was using. “Oh, crap.” I stood and stumbled back, knocking into the pail of cement behind me. I quickly yanked off my shirt, swiping at the sticky mess.
“Watch it, Moose.”
“Sorry.” I turned to steady the pail.
John Gideon, my best friend and pseudo-boss, shook his head with a half grin. “Finally stripping for Mrs. Gunderson?” Suddenly, he winced. “Oh, man. Macy’s thermos keeps coffee blistering hot, God bless her.”
“Emphasis on the blistering.”
“Go splash some water on it before it blisters for real.”
“Yeah. Fu—” I swallowed the swear words. This particular client didn’t like cussing. She had a comment or opinion on just about everything when it came to the Cove. Unfortunately, she was one of Gideon’s best clients. She contracted at least four big projects a year. Personally, I was pretty sure she just liked to have shirtless guys in her backyard—especially Lucky. Though most women hung around to get a look at Lucky, to be honest.
And he liked to be looked at.
I shook off my phone and wiped it against my cargo pants before sliding it in my pocket. “I’m going to go change my shirt. I’ve got one in the truck.”
Gideon nodded. “Go on inside first. We turned off the outside water, remember?”
“Yeah.” I didn’t want to go inside and have Mrs. Gunderson fuss over me. Or stare at me. I hissed as I wiped at the sugary coffee sticking to my chest hair. Macy at Brewed Awakening knew my weakness. Caramel toffee chocolate coffee. Tasted damn good in the cup, not so much on me.
I resisted the urge to pull out my phone again. I couldn’t have read that right. Everyone in Crescent Cove checked the town Facebook page. Lost dog, lost cat, even a lost guinea pig last week. Those, I understood. But Vee posting that?
No way.
I had to be going crazy. Or maybe it was because I just wanted to see her name. It almost didn’t compute. She was just Vee to all of us in town. The sweet baker and barista who worked at Brewed Awakening. Huge blue eyes and soft blond hair tipped with a rainbow of colors. I never knew what color she’d be sporting when I got my daily dose of caffeine.
She was the highlight of my day.
Always.
“Stupid, Moose,” I muttered and pulled my phone out again. Sure enough, there it was. An ad for an honest to God baby daddy. What was she thinking?
“Murphy Masterson, what have you done to yourself?”
I looked up from my phone and shoved it back in my pocket. “Hi, Mrs. Gunderson. I had a little accident with my coffee. Think I could wash up right quick?”
“Of course, come on in.” Her bluebell eyes lit. “Can I make you another cup? I know I don’t do nearly as well as Macy and Veronica, but I have one of those Keurig machines.”
“Don’t go to any fuss, ma’am.”
“It’s no fuss. Speaking of Veronica. What was she thinking posting that on the town group page? It’s not a meat market.”
I swallowed hard. “
I don’t know, Mrs. Gunderson.” And I was just as surprised. God, had everyone seen it?
“But you did see it.”
“It’s none of my business.”
“You’re a good man, Moose. I appreciate that you wouldn’t talk about that sweet girl out of turn, but the whole town is talking about it.”
How the heck would she know? She’d been here the entire time we were working. Then again, Judy Gunderson could work a phone tree faster than the school snow day listings.
“Do you have a towel?”
“Oh, yes. I’m sorry. I’m just so distracted.” She opened a drawer and handed me two plaid towels. “We’ve been talking about this Veronica thing all morning. I just can’t believe it.”
Neither could I, but I really didn’t want to discuss it with Mrs. Gunderson. I took the towels with strained smile. “I’ll just—”
“When you go over there for lunch, you better check on her.”
Did everyone know how many times a day I went to Brewed Awakening?
“I brought my lunch.”
She clucked her tongue. “You always go over for another coffee. You and John are practically addicted.”
I huffed out a breath. “I’ll be sure to check on Vee.” I hurried down the hall to her bathroom before she could interrogate me any further. I ran the water and splashed it against my chest with a hiss. Her bathroom had been our last remodel. I didn’t remember the mirror being quite so big when I’d helped Gideon put it in.
My chest was bright pink under the chest hair that spread across my pecs. What I needed was a shower and a tube of triple antibiotic. “Shit,” I mumbled as I did the best I could with the tea towel she’d given me.
But while I had the space to myself, I leaned against the counter and checked my phone again. There were already eleven comments on her post and a dozen likes, hearts, and many shocked faces. Not a single reply from Vee herself though.
Had she really meant to post that to the group’s main page?
She wasn’t exactly the type to put all her business on Facebook, but then again, she wasn’t quiet about giving her opinions. Especially when she and Macy got going. They were entertaining as hell, and I wished I had the balls to act on my feelings for her.
But to post this? It just didn’t make sense.
Before I could stop myself, I messaged her using my business account. I just needed to check on her and make sure she meant to post it. That was all.
No, idiot, you just don’t want her to know it’s you.
Maybe then she’ll notice you for the first time—ever.
My thumbs flew over my phone. Short and sweet. Just a concerned citizen.
Liar.
My finger hovered over the send button. I should be smart about this. I shouldn’t send anything.
A knock at the door startled me enough that I gripped the phone tight and the swishing sound of my email sound filled the air.
“You all right in there?”
“Yes. Thank you.”
“There’s antiseptic in the cabinet. You may go in there and get the tube if you’d like,” Mrs. Gunderson called through the door.
Well, it was too late now. Message sent. I stuffed my phone back into my pocket. “Thank you.” I stared at my image in the wall-sized mirror. “Idiot,” I added in an undertone.
The idiot was me, not Mrs. Gunderson.
I opened the middle section of the cabinet. Sure enough, there was some triple-antibiotic right there. All nice and organized.
Grimacing, I smeared it on. I hated the caked-on, oily residue feeling. The last time I’d had this much on my skin was after my one and only tattoo, but it did take the sting out. The double-walled coffee tumbler from Brewed Awakening definitely kept the damn coffee hot.
Then again, it did mean I had to go get another cup.
And maybe, just maybe, I’d be able to see a certain surprising woman looking for a life change.
My dick twitched in my cargos at the idea of making a baby with Veronica Dixon—the old-fashioned way. Truthfully, I’d thought of more than one biblical position involving myself and Vee. When she smiled up at me with those perfect bottle green eyes as she handed me my coffee—yeah, I definitely had more thoughts about that woman than were wise.
I just didn’t know how to open my mouth.
She was so beautiful. So fucking full of light and perfection. What the hell would she want with me? Moose—just as huge and lumbering as the name suggested.
I sighed and shut the cabinet door before washing my hands and opening the door. Little Mrs. Gunderson was waiting for me in the hallway, her face pinched with worry before going slightly slack as she gazed up at me.
“My, you are a big young man.”
I pressed my lips together and resisted the urge to cover my middle. There was a lot more muscle packed under my the flab these days thanks to rowing, but I was still a big guy. Always had been. So much so that I made people very nervous. While Lucky was even bigger than me, somehow he seemed to have effortless athleticism.
Me? I knocked over coffee so I looked like I’d pissed myself. Oh, and how could I forget the ointment slathered in my chest hair that made it seem as if I had mange?
Awesome.
I squeezed past Mrs. Gunderson and thanked her again before running out to my truck for the backup shirt I kept in my duffel bag. Along with my big-ass body came a whole lot of sweat. Sometimes I changed shirts before stopping into get another coffee before I went home to do my real job.
The one that half the town wasn’t aware of.
I loved working with Gideon’s handyman service, but I definitely couldn’t live off what he paid me. Being my best friend came with perks for him. I took as little as possible to keep him from feeling like he was taking advantage. Most of the time I poured the money back into supplies for him or tools to use.
Working on the crew of Gideon Gets it Done required a whole lot of hardware. And a truck.
Being a game designer, not so much. I had a sweet, high end system, blazing fast internet, and lots of time spent alone in the middle of the night in the cabin I’d helped build in the forest behind Crescent Lake.
But I liked working with Gideon. It kept me from turning into a hermit. College and the Masters programs I’d flown through had taken me well and truly down that path. I’d always been painfully shy. Being the youngest boy of the six Masterson kids didn’t help. I’d always been the brainy one, not the athletic one. I looked like I belonged on the football field, but I’d gotten a second helping of clumsy while my brothers took all my share of grace.
It only really mattered during Sunday dinners and I was more than happy to help my mom in the kitchen while my brothers beat the crap out of each other in the backyard.
“You coming back to work or what?”
I slammed the door of my truck, tucking in my T-shirt as I strode back to the work site. The shirt was too tight, making me feel almost as exposed as earlier.
“Look at Moose with his wares on display. Trying to one up me, man?” Lucky grinned. His shirt had already gone missing with the noontime sun. He flexed his pecs and I widened my eyes. “Not for you, though you sure are cute.” He winked and gestured behind me. “That was for Judy.”
“Don’t distract me while I’m bringing out lemonade, you rascal.”
I raked my fingers through my hair, embarrassment heating my face.
“He’s so cute.” Lucky whomped me on the back, pushing me two steps forward. The guy was a freaking beast. “Judy, my love. I just love your lemonade.”
I rolled my eyes and checked my phone at the light buzz against my thigh that signaled my usual email notification. She couldn’t have replied that fast.
Sure enough, it was just a gamer newsletter. I pushed my phone back into my pocket and crossed over to help Gideon with the greenhouse windows we were installing.
Three hours later, I was still checking every notification.
Gideon was starting to give me a damn side-ey
e about it. I wasn’t the kind of guy who was always on his phone. Then again, it wasn’t every day that the girl of my dreams posted in the community group that she was looking for a baby daddy. Oh, and that she was up for the fun part of the equation as well.
Nope.
Just a regular day on the job.
“Dammit,” I muttered as a screw grazed my knuckle.
“You going to join the party today, Murph? Or just daydream?”
“Sorry.”
“The Vee thing, huh?”
“Christ, you know about it too?”
“Who doesn’t? If I didn’t hear it from Judy, I’d have heard it from Charlie and Frankie. They’re worse than a horde of women when it comes to gossip.”
That was true. I shook off the sting from the knuckle buster and hefted up another beam for Gideon to screw into place. “I was just surprised.”
“Thinking of throwing your hat in the ring? Frankie is trying to get up the guts.”
“It’s not a fucking game.”
He used a level then stood back to wipe sweat off his face. “Or is that why you keep checking your phone every five seconds? Did you already send her a message?”
