Instant Daddy (7 page)

Jake reached his arms out to Peter. “Pedo, hole me, ’kay?”

Peter looked to Jessie.

She gave her head a little shake. “Tell him good night.”

“Good night, Jake.”

“Story, Pedo.”

Peter would have thought the boy was too young to know about manipulation, let alone how to use it. Effectively, too.

“Let’s go.” Jessie walked out of the room.

Peter followed.

She pulled the door mostly closed. “I leave the door open a crack so I can hear him if he needs me.”

So parenting really was 24/7. He walked down the hall beside Jessie. Now that Jake was in bed, he needed to concentrate on how to bring up the subject to Jessie of moving to Madison.

“Pedo,” Jake called from his doorway. “More Tomut.”

“Uh-oh. Now what?” Peter asked under his breath.

“Be firm. Put him in his crib, then leave the room.”

Peter strode back, careful not to meet Jake’s eyes as he picked up the little guy and plunked him in his crib.

“Pedo,” Jake wailed from his crib.

Peter hated this. “You have to go to sleep now, Jake.” Steeling himself, he turned and walked out of the room to join Jessie. “I think he’s working up to real tears.”

Jessie shook her head. “It didn’t take.”

“Pedo!” Jake yelled gleefully from the doorway.

“He had me fooled,” Peter admitted. “And he’s fast.”

“He’s testing to see what you’ll do.”

“Any suggestions?”

“Don’t give in no matter what, or there will be problems with bedtime.”

“Good point.” Peter strode for the doorway, purpose in his step. He swooped Jake up, put him back in bed and walked out of the room. Several seconds later, so did Jake. Peter retraced his footsteps again. And again. And again.

Jessie just stood in the hall, patiently waiting for Peter to show Jake who was in charge.

Quite the challenge, but finally, Jake stayed put. The only sound coming from his room was his small voice. “Is he singing?”

“He sings to his toys.” Jessie began walking down the hall. “He’ll be asleep in no time. Good job of hanging tough.”

“Thanks.” Hanging tough with Jake was a lot more difficult than he’d imagined, but Jessie seemed to think he’d handled himself pretty well. That had to count for something. Peter ambled behind her into the tidy kitchen. “I’m getting the idea parenting takes lots of perseverance.”

“Perseverance, consistency, time…”

“Aw, yes, time. Point taken.” He glanced at the clock hanging above the sink. “Speaking of time, I need to get on the road.” But he still hadn’t asked her about moving Jake to Madison. He sure hoped she’d be more cooperative than Jake had been. “Will you walk me to my car?”

She shot him a questioning look.

“I’d like to talk more about Jake.”

With a nod, she slid open the screen door and stepped onto the patio.

Peter followed her into the warm night, the frogs’ serenade increasing in volume. He walked beside her toward the driveway, mentally preparing the best way to ask his question.

“‘Happy Birthday’ was the only song you could think of?” she chided.

“You can make fun, but you didn’t have a choral teacher tell you not to sing when you were twelve.”

“Did
you?
”

“Oh, yeah. To her credit, she tried to teach me to sing. But finally, she declared me tone deaf and told me to just mouth the words because I confused singers around me.”

“What an awful thing for her to do.”

“Actually, I was relieved. I needed the art credit, and singing wouldn’t have helped me get it.” Peter watched several fireflies blinking their way through the dusk.

“Well, Jake loves music. So tone deaf or not, I’ll teach you some kid songs.”

Stopping at his car, he caught the fresh, lemon scent of her hair. “Thank you for helping me with him, Jessie.”

She bit her lip. “Teaching you about Jake is in his best interest, don’t you agree?”

“Definitely.” Of course, she was teaching him for Jake. But she was putting her own interests aside to do it. A delightful and unexpected surprise. He had the feeling she was full of unexpected surprises. Maybe agreeing to move Jake to Madison would be one of them. “I’ve been doing some thinking about finding time for Jake in my life. I need to know…is there any chance you’d consider moving with him to Madison?”

“What?” Her eyes drilled into him. “Why would I consider doing that?”

Seemed obvious to him. “So I can spend time with him and be a real father.”

She frowned. “After the accident, I moved home to be close to my family. My business, my life is here now.
Why would I give all that up to move to a city I don’t know, with people I haven’t met and for a job I don’t have?”

He didn’t know how to answer that. “It’s pretty obvious I can’t do research in Noah’s Crossing. I can’t leave Scott, either. But you don’t need to give me an answer right now. Will you think about it?”

“I don’t need to think about it.” She set her chin.

“I can afford to help you get your own business up and running either in Madison or in a small town nearby if that’s what you want to do.”

“Peter…in case you haven’t noticed, I depend on my family to help me keep everything running with Jake and my business.”

“You can hire help in Madison.”

“Strangers?” She gave him a dismissive look. “Besides, what makes you think I’d accept financial help from you?”

Rubbing the back of his neck, Peter tried to wrap his mind around Jessie’s unwillingness to compromise. “We both want what’s best for Jake, right?”

“Of course I want what’s best for Jake. But moving him away from everything and everybody he knows and loves is not it.”

“He’s eighteen months old. I’m sure he’ll adapt.”

“Why can’t you drive up on weekends to see him?”

Peter pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to think clearly. “How can I be the father he needs if I’m with him only a few hours on weekends?”

“I don’t know, Peter. But moving to Madison is impossible.” She shook her head. “Out of the question.” Turning on her heel, she strode across the yard to the house.

He watched her until she closed the door behind her. And for the life of him, he couldn’t explain the hollow feeling in his chest.

“T
wo scoops of strawberry with chocolate sprinkles on top coming right up, Matthew.” Heart heavy, Jessie concentrated on scooping ice cream into a cone for the earnest twelve-year-old. She’d set up shop on a picnic table in the church yard. Treating volunteers to ice cream was her contribution to the late-afternoon project to spruce up the church grounds since she couldn’t physically handle the heavy work.

She stifled a yawn. She’d had very little sleep since Peter asked her Sunday night to move to Madison. She’d had no idea he was thinking about taking such an active role in Jake’s life. And the sheer audacity of the man unnerved her. Had he really expected her to completely change her life to accommodate him? How could he think she’d just pull up stakes and move away from everybody and everything that kept her life on track? But she also felt a measure of relief that he wasn’t trying to take Jake totally away from her.

Unfortunately, she could have been a little more diplomatic. What had she been thinking to chop off communication between them just before he left? She hadn’t heard a word in four days, and the fact that she had no
idea what he was planning to do about Jake worried her. She handed the double-decker cone across the table. “Here you go.”

“Thank you.” Matthew scooched up his glasses on his nose and carefully took the cone from her. “We’re all done helping Pastor Nick spread mulch.”

Jessie attempted a smile. “The church will look beautiful all summer.”

He nodded, his gaze riveted on his ice cream.

“Please remind the other workers to come and get ice-cream cones when they finish their jobs.”

He grinned. “I won’t have to remind them when they see mine.”

“Good point.”

“That’s one impressive ice cream cone, Matthew.” Peeling off leather work gloves, Will strode to the table. “You better get busy eating before it melts.”

“Yeah. See ya.” Matthew hurried away.

Will smiled. “Digging up those flower beds seems to have given me a powerful taste for chocolate almonds, Jess.”

“Three scoops? Chocolate waffle cone?”

“Sounds decadent enough.”

Jessie grasped a cone and stacked scoops of ice cream.

Will glanced around as if to make sure they were alone. “The prodigal father returning this weekend?”

Jessie frowned. “I haven’t heard a word.”

“What’s he planning to do?”

“I don’t know.” She handed Will the ice cream. “He asked me and Jake to move to Madison.”

“Sounds like he’s serious about being a dad. What did you say?”

She gave him a narrow look. “What do you think I said?”

“So what now?”

“That’s what worries me.” She looked up as Maggie approached the table with her volunteer landscape crew in tow.

“Anything new?” Maggie asked.

Jessie shook her head.

“Hi, Jess.” Mitch Miller strode to the table. “Matthew told us to get ice cream before we leave.”

“Get in line, Mitch,” somebody in the back of the line said.

Everybody laughed.

“Oops.” Mitch rolled his eyes and moved to the end of the line.

Jessie concentrated on special requests and scooping ice cream until the line dwindled and the volunteers drifted toward their cars. Maggie, Will and Pastor Nick stayed behind to help Jessie clean up. When everything was packed in coolers and boxes, they all carried them toward the parking lot.

Lugging a cooler, Pastor Nick fell in beside Jessie. “Your treat was a big hit. Thank you.”

“My pleasure. The church grounds look great.”

“Yes, they do. Jessie, your dad is concerned about you. He told me about the situation with Jake’s father. If you ever need to talk, you know my door is open.”

“Thank you.” She wished her dad hadn’t shared her situation with Pastor Nick. She hated being the person everybody worried about. At least the pastor didn’t feel compelled to pry. What good would talking about the situation do, anyway? The last thing she needed was to cry in front of anybody but God. She opened the van’s
back door and stepped aside for Pastor Nick and Will to place the coolers inside.

Jessie slammed the door. “Thanks everybody.”

“No problem.” Pastor Nick slapped Will on the shoulder. “I need to talk to you about church camp.”

“All right.” Will walked back to the church with the pastor.

“Still no news from Madison?” Maggie asked.

Jessie squinted, struggling to keep her emotions in check. Crying on Maggie’s shoulder wouldn’t help any more than talking to Pastor Nick.

“Maybe the less you hear from him, the better,” Maggie said.

“I don’t know.” Jessie frowned. “If I don’t know what he’s planning, I can’t influence his decisions.”

“I see what you mean.”

“I don’t know why he hasn’t called to find out how Jake is doing.”

“It’s only been a few days. Besides, he knows Jake’s fine, Jess. If he wasn’t, you’d let him know.” Maggie brightened. “Why don’t you give him a call?”

Shaking his head, Peter snapped his cell phone shut and laid it beside his laptop, which was perched on the minuscule desk in his dingy living room. Although he’d liked hearing Jessie’s voice, her call had started out vague and gone nowhere fast. He’d told her the DNA test confirmed he was Jake’s father, the result they’d both expected. It couldn’t be clearer that neither of them had a satisfactory solution to their situation with Jake.

He focused on one of the pictures he’d downloaded from Jessie’s camera Sunday. Poised to go down the slide with Jake, Peter looked like a giant next to the
little guy. Good thing Jessie had reined him in on the underducks.

He thought about her stalking off last Sunday night after she’d refused to even think about moving to Madison with Jake. Had she called to bridge the gulf her hasty exit had left between them? It wouldn’t surprise him. She was an amazing woman in spite of her stubborn streak.

He smiled at the picture he’d taken of her and Jake nuzzling noses. Too bad he couldn’t bottle all that love they exuded and bring it home with him. He’d had a lot of fun with her and Jake at the park and, afterward, when they’d gone for ice cream. Simple pleasures he’d never had time for.

He scrolled to the next photo, the one of the three of them that the woman in the park had taken. He gazed into Jessie’s crystal-blue eyes, her smile not quite masking the sadness lurking behind it. She’d opened up a little that afternoon, then dropped a curtain between them and hid from him again.

What had pulled her away? He didn’t know much about women, but somehow, he’d bet there was more to her sadness than her injuries…or even her sister’s death.

He liked her. Probably a good thing considering she’d be in his life for a long time because of Jake. Actually, it was more than simple like. The more he got to know her, the more fascinating he found her. She was soft and feminine and nurturing. And that vulnerable thing she had going touched him deeply. He loved her easy way with people, too, but he had the feeling she didn’t open up to many.

Looking into Jake’s brown eyes, he reached to touch the boy’s animated face, momentarily surprised by the
cold, unyielding surface of the screen. Not at all the feel of Jake’s little face under his touch.

Remembering the weight of his son in his arms, he ached to hold him again. To hear his squeals of laughter. To smell his salty-sweet scent. He’d never known what real loneliness was before knowing Jake.

And he didn’t like it one bit.

Sure, he’d known his personal life was empty. But he’d found purpose and enough satisfaction in his work to fortify him. Now, that didn’t seem enough. He could see how empty he’d been inside. And he was making some changes.

He’d delegated parts of his workload to colleagues and gotten the process rolling to hire an assistant to pick up the overtime hours he’d been donating nights and weekends. He’d applied for grants to cover some of the additional expenses, and he’d take a pay cut if need be.

As for Jake…after talking to Jessie, it looked as if Peter needed to figure out a solution that would work for all of them.

Late Friday morning, Peter picked up the phone on his desk after ending his interview with the final babysitter candidate. The first four had fallen short, but Kelly Templeton met every criteria he could hope for. Well, she wasn’t Jessie, of course. But she’d be perfect for the days he’d have to go into the lab when Jake stayed with him. Of course, he’d need to transition him gradually. And he’d need Jessie’s help with that. But she’d surely see that Jake staying with him a week or two every month would be a good compromise that would work for all of them. Wouldn’t she?

And Kelly Templeton seemed to fit the bill perfectly
for a part-time babysitter. She said she loved kids, was young and energetic enough to keep up with an active toddler, knew CPR and was taking child development courses at the technical college.

A few calls to references she’d listed on her application confirmed his opinion. With every glowing report, he listened for a giveaway hesitation or negative tone that would indicate a reservation about her, but he heard enthusiasm in every voice. Several people even offered anecdotes to prove Ms. Templeton went well beyond her duty.

Still, an uneasy feeling tempered his excitement. Even if she would be part-time, hiring the right babysitter was a huge decision. Crucial to Jake’s well-being. Given his inexperience with little kids, he needed Jessie’s input. Maybe she’d spot something he’d missed.

He left his office to keep an appointment with a Realtor to look at condos closer to the lab. He didn’t want to end up stuck in traffic on evenings when he could be playing with his son.

Anyway, his dingy, one-bedroom, furnished apartment had been a temporary address when he’d rented it—nine years ago. He needed a larger place with bedrooms for himself, his son and for Jessie or her parents to stay with Jake as often as they liked when Jake was here.

By two o’clock, he’d signed on the dotted line for a great condo, picked up the new Chrysler SUV he’d traded for his MG earlier in the week and was on the highway headed for Noah’s Crossing.

After enjoying his MG’s ability to turn on a dime, the Chrysler felt like he was steering a bus. But it had enough room to transport whatever Jake might need, and it was a nice safe vehicle, complete with a backseat
for Jake’s car seat. Plus it had a screen that popped down for Jake to watch the DVDs Peter had picked out at the mega toy store where he’d bought the car seat. He figured the DVD player was just the thing for trips to Noah’s Crossing when he drove Jake back and forth to Jessie’s.

There was still the babysitter question to settle, of course. He was anxious to bring Jessie and Jake to Madison to see if the babysitter measured up to Jessie’s standards.

The drive seemed to take forever. He couldn’t wait to see Jake. And he couldn’t deny he was a little anxious about working out an arrangement with Jessie, but of course, she knew as well as he did one had to be worked out between them. As for her coming to Madison to meet Kelly Templeton, he was sure Jessie would be concerned about who would care for Jake when Peter had to be at the lab.

Finally, he arrived at the Chandlers, only to have Jessie’s dad inform him Jessie had taken Jake to the lake to cool off after supper. So Peter followed her dad’s directions to Rainbow Lake a couple miles east of town.

After parking the SUV, he dodged towels and families on the beach, the smell of lake heavy in the humid air. The carefree shouts of children rang in his ears as he looked for Jessie and his son. Scanning the water, he spotted them a few yards out.

Jessie lifted Jake in the air, then scooped him into the water to the boy’s shrieks of delight. Her joyful laughter rode the slight breeze along with the flying water.

Anxiety drained away and energy poured through Peter’s body. Feeling as if he’d come home after a lifetime of absence, he sank to the sand and watched them, unable and unwilling to do anything else.

Jessie handed Jake to the petite redhead beside her, then immersed herself in the lake. When she bounced back up in a spray of water, the little guy squealed with laughter.

Peter laughed, too, in spite of the lump in his throat. His son and his mother…he could watch them all day.

After swimming a couple laps, Jessie waded to shallow water with her friend, who set Jake on his feet.

Jake plopped down and began splashing like he did in the bathtub.

Laughing, Jessie backed away from the splashes, her deep-blue bathing suit clinging to her womanly curves like a second skin.

She was…amazing.

Peter glanced around. Probably most of the men on the beach were watching her—a thought that gave him a fiercely protective shot of adrenaline. He climbed to his feet and strode to the water’s edge. “Jessie.”

She looked up. “Peter?” Obviously, she hadn’t expected to see him.

The boy peered in Peter’s direction. “Pedo!” Jake tried to scramble to his feet. With Jessie’s help, he made it up and ran full-tilt for the shore.

Laughing, Peter swooped him in the air, life jacket and all. Water flew everywhere. Hugging the dripping boy, he drew in the smell of him. “I’ve missed you so much.”

Jake laughed.

“Did you miss me, Jake?” Why he asked, he didn’t know. Nobody had ever told him they’d missed him. Or if they had, it had never been this important to him. He held his son at arm’s length and gave him a once-over. “I swear you’ve grown since I saw you.”

He looked at Jessie. He could feel the coolness of her
from the lake water. Water from her hair ran in rivulets over her silky shoulders and chest. Light seemed to sparkle in her eyes. She was so lovely, he had trouble breathing.

“Off.” Jake tugged at his red life vest.

Peter set him down.

Jessie bent over the boy, whipped off the vest and straightened. She turned to a woman beside her. “Maggie, this is Peter Sheridan. Peter, Maggie Maguire.”

He smiled. “Nice to meet you, Maggie.”

The attractive redhead with snapping brown eyes gave him a less than friendly nod, then looked to Jessie. “I’m heading home, Jess. Unless you want me to stay.” She threw a wary look Peter’s way.