A Pregnancy And A Proposal. Mindy Neff

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СКАЧАТЬ know what does.” Now her gaze did jerk away, making him think of avoidance and secrets. First things first, he reminded himself. Find Heather, and then get the whole story on Darcie Moretti and her disappearing acts.

      “Tell me, Darcie.”

      She shook her head. “I’m only as good as my word. I work at the hot line and promise the kids who call me that they’re safe talking to me. If I betrayed that confidence, word would get around on the street. Kids would stop calling and they’d end up in bad situations and it would be my fault.”

      Something raw and painful shimmered in her tone, but he told himself to let it go. “I’m not going to spread rumors. We’re talking about my daughter.”

      “She may be your daughter, but she called me.”

      He felt his frustration rising, tried to tamp it back down. “I’m not such a bad guy. I don’t beat her. I try to give her everything I can.”

      “Except your time?”

      “Did she say that?”

      “Sometimes she does.”

      “Sometimes she does?” he repeated. “She’s called you more than once?”

      “Yes. I’ve been talking to her for about three weeks. Since just before New Year’s Eve.”

      Flynn raked a hand through his hair, dislodged a hunk of sticky animal cracker, and wiped his hand on his coat, uncaring that it left a light brown smear.

      “We had a fight New Year’s Eve. She wanted to go to a party and I said no. I didn’t know she was still mad about that.” He heaved a sigh and focused on her reflection in the mirror, noticing that one of the chopsticks shoved haphazardly in her curly hair was slipping.

      “According to Heather you claimed it was family night, but a friend came over and Heather ended up baby-sitting Mary Beth while you ignored both of the girls and had drinks with the other woman.”

      His gaze jerked back to her face. If he hadn’t known better, he’d have sworn Darcie Moretti’s tone was laced with jealousy.

      “I did not ignore her, and I didn’t make her babysit! I was home. And that other woman was Ross Steadwell’s wife, Elaine! Ross was there, too, and so were their kids.”

      “Oh.” She didn’t look a bit contrite over her show of jealousy—if it had even been that. “Aren’t Ariel and Jimmy cuties?”

      “You know them?”

      “Very well. I handle the insurance for Data Ink. where Elaine works. In fact, uh…I’m the one who suggested that she and Ross get you involved in The Daddy Club.”

      She seemed almost apologetic. Still, Flynn didn’t like people going behind his back, orchestrating his life. Never mind that his life seemed to be out of control lately and he could probably use some coaching. He still didn’t like it.

      “Does Heather think I’m that bad?”

      “No. She’s just a confused young girl.”

      “What about me? I’m confused, too. I’m trying my best, but it doesn’t seem to be good enough. Look at me. I’m a mess. I’ve got animal crackers and baby slobber all over me. I nearly charged out of Hardware and Muffins without my baby. My other daughter is mad enough at me to run away and I don’t know why! And you claim to have answers that you won’t give.”

      “I can’t betray Heather’s confidence, Flynn.”

      The roiling in his gut was so powerful, he thought he might explode. Or cry. When she reached out to touch him, he jerked back. He didn’t know which emotion would rule, and he couldn’t chance letting her accidentally push him over the edge.

      The woman was stubborn, but she smelled of apples and cinnamon and radiated compassion and capability. She made him think of home and hearth and family—all the things he wanted most. She made him think of intimacy and fun also, two things that had been sorely lacking from his life for quite a while now.

      Or at least since that night five months ago.

      Even though he’d had more to drink than he should have, he remembered it clearly. Remembered Darcie clearly, her passion, her verve, her wholehearted giving.

      Right now, though, she wasn’t willing to give. She held the key to his daughter’s whereabouts. How could he make her understand how torn up and frightened he felt at the thought of something happening to his daughter?

      “Heather’s had it rough this past year. Her mom left right after Mary Beth was born, then ended up getting killed in an accident. My mom moved in with us, which really helped the girls over the hump, but she recently had to leave for Vermont to take care of my aunt who had hip surgery—and I don’t know why I’m telling you all this.” Saying it out loud made him realize how many women in his life had abandoned him. Some intentionally, some not so intentionally. God, he’d failed as a husband, and now his incompetence had him failing as a dad.

      He was the one who’d wanted so desperately to be a father…but he hadn’t dreamed he’d have to do it as a full-time, single parent.

      And failing dismally after the first three weeks of being on his own.

      “You’ve got no reason to trust me, Flynn, but will you?” she asked softly.

      “Trust you how?”

      “Let me go find Heather.”

      “I can’t…. That’s my job.”

      “You’re going to stand on what you think is expected of you in a situation like this?” She shook her head, heaved in a breath. “As her parent you can force her to come home, but you can make it worse, too. And what’s to say she’ll stay put? She’s gotten up the nerve to make a move. The next time it won’t be as hard. Are you going to stay up all night watching her to make sure she doesn’t run again?”

      “If I have to.” He’d do whatever it took, stick to her like glue, quit his job, rent a secluded cabin in the Pocono Mountains and force her to…To what? he wondered.

      “I’m trying to tell you it might not be necessary. You need a mediator.”

      “And you think that’s you?”

      “I’m the one she’s been talking to. I’m the one she seems to trust right now.” She stroked the curls at the back of Mary Beth’s head, absently pressed a kiss to the baby’s hair. “Heather’s had a lot of upsets in her world lately.”

      “I don’t need you to tell me the sorry happenings in my life,” he said tightly.

      “See there?”

      “What?”

      “You’re not in the right frame of mind to successfully deal with Heather right now.”

      Resentment made him edgy and sharp. “Don’t tell me how to deal with my—”

      “Hold it right there, buddy.” Darcie jiggled and soothed СКАЧАТЬ