Delinquent Daddy (7 page)

"And what do you think
I
was?" she broke in incredulously, spinning to glare at him. "I was three years younger than you 61

Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

and a lot less experienced in the ways of the world. What do you think it was like for me?"

"Okay." He lifted a hand to hush her. Glancing toward the hallway, reminding her Cassidy was still just down the hall, he repeated, "Okay," in a calm tone that made her want to rail at him all that much more. But how could he keep a level head when all she wanted to do was scream, and throw stuff, and cry?

Hissing out a disgusted breath, she spun away and pressed a hand to her thumping heart. Tears threatened, and she gnashed her teeth to keep them away. But damn it. She hadn't let herself cry over Boston Kincaid since—

"So I was a stupid, immature,
selfish
kid," he revised. "I didn't care about anyone but myself, and I freely admit that. I cannot tell you how sorry I am about how I treated you. I will always regret the things I did and said." He drew out a long, loud sigh. "I mean, God, if I'd known then I'd never feel for a woman the way I felt about—"

Ellie whirled to gape at him at the exact moment he broke off. She gulped when she found an expression of shocked horror on his face as he realized how much he was about to reveal. But that last word of his statement, though never spoken, seemed to hover in the air above them.

Lips parting in stunned disbelief, she could only watch as Boston shook his head like he was trying to deny what he'd just blurted out. His chest expanded as he sucked in a breath.

Then he licked dried lips and sent her a wary glance.

"This isn't why I'm here," he stated, sounding a little desperate, as if he was trying to convince himself of that fact 62

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more than he was trying to convince her. "I'm here because I have a daughter, and
you
kept her from me. And I want her to know who I am."

But Ellie couldn't process anything past
If I'd known then
that I'd never feel for a woman what I felt for
you, you, you, you, you...

She'd never thought he actually cared for her...at least not after it was all said and done, when her eyes had been opened to his stupid, immature, selfish ways...not after she no longer thought she was crazy in love with him. No. Then she'd been able to see how much she
hadn't
meant to him, how it'd only been about the sex for him.

Shaking her head in an effort to clear the racing thoughts, she swallowed and hoarsely answered, "I don't know if that's such a good idea." Then she gritted her teeth, mad at herself by being swayed by his sweet words. It was foolish to believe, even for one second, that he'd actually changed, that he wasn't still that self-centered, immature jerk.

He'd used pretty words to get into her pants back then too, just like he was doing now. But this time around, he wanted something more precious than her virginity; he wanted her daughter.

"And why wouldn't it be a good idea?" he asked, jerking her attention back to the present.

Ellie took a deep breath. "I'll tell you why," she murmured evenly.
Because I don't want you to take her away from me.

"Because she's gone nine years without a father and has done perfectly fine. Letting you into her world so suddenly will only 63

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confuse and hurt her. She doesn't need you. She has a great life."

His jaw bunched and his eyes flared. She wondered briefly if he might actually attack her. Then he blew out a breath from between clenched teeth and growled, "Is that why she went behind your back to find me? Because she doesn't
need
me? Is that why she and her little friend scoured magazine after magazine until they found something that fit her daddy's description? Because she doesn't
want
me?" He shook his head slowly. "Try again, Ellie."

Ellie gave a shaky swallow; air wobbled through her lungs.

She couldn't remember feeling this scared since—God, this was probably the most frightened she'd ever been. She hadn't even been this frightened when she'd been eight and both her parents had died, leaving her with a great aunt she'd never met before, or when she'd been nineteen and the doctor had placed a new baby in her arms for her to raise alone.

"You can't have her," she said softly and bit back the wince. But damn it, why had she just revealed her deepest fear to him?

He didn't answer her immediately. He merely studied her as if trying to find more secrets she hid. Finally, he said,

"Right now, all I want to do is meet her. I want her to know who I am."

"Right now?" she repeated, latching onto that term. "What about later, then?"

His jaw went tight. "You don't want this to get ugly, Ellie. I
am
a good lawyer."

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She paled. "Don't threaten me, Boston. This is my child you're talking about. I raised her and fed her. I rocked her to sleep every night and worried about her every day. I was the one to bring her up from an infant and care for her. You don't even know her."

"And whose fault is that?" He blinked rapidly as if trying to wipe away an onslaught of tears. "You didn't give me a chance to mess up," he whispered in a hoarse voice.

Ellie shook her head. "You'd already messed up."

He ran a hand through his hair. "I messed up with you," he reminded her. "Not her."

When she didn't answer, he growled out a sound of frustration. He opened his mouth, but something in the doorway caught his attention and he promptly snapped his jaw shut. Knowing it was Cassidy, Ellie cursed her luck and turned slowly to find her daughter once again standing in the entrance of the kitchen, but this time she wore her nicest dress, white tights—which she always refused to wear—and her glossy black dress shoes. She'd brushed her hair, something Cassie usually made Ellie do since she hated doing it herself, and even put barrettes in the dark locks.

Seeing the girl primp to meet her father made Ellie want to cry. Without wanting to, she gave in.

Every night for the past year, she'd been forced to tell the girl something about her daddy. Not wanting the usual bedtime story from one of her books, Cassie had opted for information about Boston. That was why she'd learned so much about him and been able to find him...because she'd bugged Ellie constantly for facts.

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Seeing that hopeful gleam in Cassie's eyes was Ellie's downfall. Her daughter had been dreaming of this for months...years.

"Cass," she said quietly. But the girl paid her no attention.

She strode to Boston. He met her gaze, and Ellie could tell he was holding his breath.

"Are you going to take me to my dad now?" Cassidy asked.

"That's why you're here, isn't it? Because he couldn't come himself?" Grinning broadly, she looked down at her dress.

"Well, I'm ready to meet him."

Boston sent her a wobbly smile. "You look very nice too."

Ellie wanted to hug him. That was the best thing he could've told the girl.

Cassie beamed. "Is he waiting very far away?"

"Cassidy," Ellie interrupted then. Her daughter ignored her until she said, "Montgomery Kincaid isn't your father."

Cassie whirled around, her eyes wide with denial. "He's not?" Her bottom lip quivered, and Ellie sent her a sympathetic look as she shook her head no. "But...but...why is
he
here then?" Cassie motioned blindly toward Boston. "He wouldn't come if his brother wasn't—"

"Cassie, come sit down," Ellie interrupted, moving toward the kitchen table.

Her daughter didn't budge. "No. I want—"

"I'll tell you the truth about your father," she added evenly, though she had to pitch her voice up an octave to catch Cassie's attention. "Now, sit down."

For a moment, it looked like Cassidy was going to rebel.

Then she glanced up at Boston. He hitched his chin 66

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encouragingly toward a chair. Finally, the girl slumped into action, but she didn't look happy about it. She probably thought Ellie was going to evade the subject like she usually did.

Easing down into a seat next to her daughter, Ellie reached out and took both of Cassie's hands. From the corner of her eye, she saw Boston edge closer, though he still kept a good distance away.

"Cassie, honey," she started, sounding surprisingly calm considering the way her heart threatened to thump its way out of her chest.

"Listen to me, sweetheart." Her fingers tightened around Cassie's. "Boston is here because he read the letter you sent his brother. You see, he also went to the University of Kansas at the same time as I did. And he's also the son of an astronaut. He...he..."

She paused to glance his way. She hadn't realized saying it aloud would be so hard.

Oh, boy. What if she couldn't do it?

But as soon as she caught Boston's anxious gaze, she felt encouraged. Turning back to Cassie, she said, "Montgomery Kincaid is only your uncle. Boston..." she added, glancing at him again, "is your father."

Cassie's mouth fell open in awe, and she lifted her head to look up at Boston. "
You're
my dad?"

His face had drained of color, and it didn't look like he'd remembered to breathe in the last thirty seconds. But he held Cassie's gaze steady as he nodded.

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Cassie slowly slipped to her feet, and Ellie let go of her hand as she watched her little girl cautiously approach the grown man who looked like he was going to hyperventilate any moment. Ellie could honestly say she'd never seen him look so scared.

"Really?" Cassie asked, looking him up and down as if she couldn't believe it.

For a split second, Ellie thought he was going to pass out.

But he seemed to collect himself enough to give another mute nod.

Cassie gasped in pleasure. "Can...can I hug you?"

Boston's jaw dropped. He glanced quickly at Ellie as if seeking permission. But before she could give any kind of response, he turned back to their daughter.

Eyes watering, he choked out, "I think I would like that."

He made a small sobbing sound as he fell on both knees, and Cassie leapt into his open arms.

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Delinquent Daddy

by Linda Kage

Chapter Five

She felt so small in his embrace. Her limbs were toothpick thin, but the girl had muscle, and she put her whole body into hugging him as tightly as she could. He closed his eyes and inhaled her sweet child scent. Her hair was still damp from the bath Ellie had told her to take. The wet locks soaked his collar and cheek. But he didn't care. He was hugging his daughter.

Pulling away so he could see her perfect, heart-shaped face, he wiped at the corner of his eye and sent her a watery smile.

"It's nice to finally meet you," he said, hoping she wouldn't notice how nervous he was, how his hands shook, or how sweat gathered on his brow. When he straightened, her head fell back as she gaped up.

"You're tall." She took a step back to study him. Boston opened his arms to give her an unrestricted view, suddenly uncertain with his body, wondering if she'd find him lacking or—

"Are you rich?" she asked, taking in his tie and jacket.

Boston cringed. Why hadn't he changed out of his work clothes before coming? He'd left straight from EarthNet, wondering why he'd even bothered to go in at all. Sure, he had a pile of projects to finish, but he hadn't gotten any work done. Now he wished he'd changed into something more—

God, what did dads wear?

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"Ah..." He cleared his throat, not sure how to answer. He didn't want to look pompous and brag about how well off he was, but—

"Are you married?" she broke in, obviously thinking he'd taken too long to answer. "Do I have any brothers or sisters?"

"No," he said, glancing quickly at Ellie and hoping she didn't think it was because of her he'd remained single. "I'm not married, and you don't have any brothers or sisters."

"Where do you live?" Cassie went on, not even taking the time to digest his answers.

Feeling as if he were in an interview, Boston wiped his damp palms on his pant leg. "I live in Kansas City. Er, actually Overland Park."

"Kansas City?" She gaped, her eyes widening. "That place is enormous. Mom took me there once to see some Christmas lights in this really long mall."

He grinned.

"Do you have a Nintendo Wii?"

The unexpected and abrupt change of subject made him blink. "Ah, no. No Nintendo Wii." He hoped that wasn't the wrong answer, because, hell, if it made this little angel happy, he'd buy six of them.

But his daughter didn't seem to care one way or another.

"My friend Keller has one," she said conversationally. "When his mom bought it, he gave me his old Xbox."

"I don't have an Xbox either," he murmured.

Cassie's eyes went huge with disbelief. "Really?"

He managed a smile. "Back in my day, there was only a regular PlayStation. And the basic Nintendo."

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"Wow, you're really old then, aren't you?" Cassie grabbed his hand. "Hey, want to play on my Xbox? I just got this totally awesome Pokemon game. It's sweet."

Boston lifted his eyebrows. Sweet? Man, he
must
be old.

Whatever happened to awesome, and cool, and far out?

When he realized Cassie was waiting for a response, he panicked. His daughter expected him to play a video game with her. He hadn't played one of those things in years. He'd probably be so rusty, he'd die on the first level...if they even had levels anymore.