Unexpected Family. Jill Kemerer
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Название: Unexpected Family
Автор: Jill Kemerer
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Mills & Boon Love Inspired
isbn: 9781474036702
isbn:
“You silly pants, there’s only one.” She wiggled her finger, and her face lit up.
Stephanie ran her hand over Macy’s hair. “The IRONMAN Tom’s talking about isn’t what you’re thinking.”
Best to let Stephanie explain. He went to the register, waited for the salad, then slid back into his seat.
“I’m going to kin-dee-garden when I’m five.” She held out five splayed fingers with her free hand.
“Wow, kindergarten.”
Macy continued, “I can count real high.”
“How high?” He tore the packet of dressing open and watched her out of the corner of his eye.
“Real high. One, two, three...”
When she got to forty-five, Stephanie touched her arm. “Okay, we got it. You’re a good counter.”
“I can go higher,” she said.
“Honey, I have no doubt you could count to a million if you put your mind to it, but we need to finish up dinner and head back home. I have a paper to complete.” Stephanie raised the jacket from the back of her chair and draped it over Macy’s shoulders.
Tom covered his half-eaten salad. What now? Did Stephanie plan on leaving without giving him her contact information? She didn’t think she could just show up, tell him about their daughter and expect life to continue as if nothing happened, did she? This was his child, and whether she liked it or not, he wasn’t disappearing, nor was he going to pretend he was an old friend for long.
“Before I forget, here.” Stephanie slipped him a piece of paper. “My cell number and home phone. After seven is best. I work and go to school. It gets crazy around dinnertime.” She wrangled Macy’s arm into the jacket but couldn’t quite cover the sling. Then she smiled. “Thanks, Tom, for...everything.”
“I’ll be in touch.” He stood, holding his hand out to Macy. “Nice to meet you.”
She took his hand. “Nice to meet you, too.”
“Till next time.” And he left. In the cool air, his exhilaration and nerves about the meeting seeped out like a leaky tire.
He’d missed more than four years of her life.
He unlocked his truck, got in, raised his gaze to the ceiling and rubbed his jaw.
Macy. Macy Sheffield. He closed his eyes, recalling her sweet face. If only he had a picture of her. What had she looked like as a baby? How had she been? Fussy? No, of course not. Not his darling.
He started the truck, his thoughts racing as the engine rumbled to life. He’d missed her first tooth. First steps. First words.
Were there any firsts left? Had he missed them all?
Checking his mirrors, he backed out of the spot. He wasn’t missing any more of her life. But what would Macy need him for? Nothing came to mind.
What about the streamers? The pink sparkly streamers. Yeah. And piggyback rides. And ice cream. Every kid liked ice cream. He’d let her pretend to drive the cars in the showroom. Owning two auto dealerships had its perks. Take her to baseball games and buy her Barbies and protect her from boys.
He’d be the best dad ever.
And someday he might be able to forgive Stephanie for keeping her from him.
Stephanie made it home without the expected questions about Tom, mainly by distracting Macy with a Disney CD. Nothing like princesses singing movie tunes to buy a little quiet time. As first meetings went, Stephanie would give tonight five stars. No awkward questions, no heated words, just a man and a little girl getting to know each other. She’d made the right decision to tell Tom about Macy.
After giving Macy a quick bath and getting her into her turtle pajamas, Stephanie sat next to her on the couch and drew a soft purple throw over them both.
“How’s my kitten?” She pulled Macy into her arms.
“I’m not a kitty.” Macy giggled, snuggling closer.
“You’re not? But you’re cute as a kitten. And you purr, right?”
“Prrr...” Macy pretended to lick the back of her hand.
Stephanie’s mind wandered. Seeing Tom brought it all back—how much she’d admired him when she was a twenty-year-old college student. How amazed she’d been that gorgeous, could-have-any-girl Tom Sheffield even noticed her. Twenty-five and with a business degree had made him more alluring. He’d made her feel special, pretty, like someone better than ordinary old her. Six months later when they got married, he promptly quit his dead-end job to join the family business. She soon learned work always came first.
“Is Tom your boyfriend?” Macy curled their fingers together.
The questions had begun. Stephanie stroked Macy’s hair and inhaled the scent of fruity shampoo, so innocent and sweet. “No, no, nothing like that. We were friends a long time ago. He heard we were in an accident and wanted to make sure we were okay.”
“Oh. Why didn’t Grandpa come?”
“Grandpa didn’t know. Remember, he’s in Florida now.”
“I miss him. Let’s go see him.”
“That’s the plan, toots. Less than a year and we’ll be living with Grandpa again. We can go to the beach every day. No snow. No cold. Just sunshine.”
“Yay! I can’t wait to live with Grandpa again.”
“I know. I can’t, either.” As soon as she finished her degree, she and Macy were moving back in with her dad. They’d lived with him in Petoskey until last year when he retired and bought a condo in Miami. She and Macy almost joined him, but Western University offered her a full scholarship only available to single mothers, and the University of Miami wouldn’t give her any financial aid.
Dad had offered to pay, but he couldn’t afford expensive tuition on his fixed income. Besides, Stephanie had foolishly thought she needed to be independent, that it would be good for her to raise Macy on her own.
She hadn’t realized how difficult it would be.
Things would be easier in Miami. She could build a nice life there. Dad would help watch Macy while she worked toward her master’s degree.
Except she’d made the plans before she’d factored Tom into her future...
Macy yawned, and Stephanie hummed. Maybe Macy would fall asleep early. Stacks of folders, books and binders waited on the dining table.
She was tired of homework. And the rush, rush of each day. Get up, shower, slap some makeup СКАЧАТЬ