Daddy Next Door (13 page)

“I’ve been baking.” An understatement, but he didn’t need to know how nervous she’d been. “If you go outside on the deck, I’ll bring out some cookies and lemonade and we can talk.” She smiled at him. “Get to know each other.”

“Sounds good.” He followed the path she pointed out.

As Jennifer got a tray prepared, she told Mrs. Carroll where she would be. After that, she explained to the girls that she was going outside to visit with her guest.

When she reached the deck, she set the tray down on the table. “I appreciate your visiting me, Billy. I— I had asked my dad once for us to be family, but he didn’t think it would be a good idea.”

“Why?” Billy asked with a frown.

“I think it was because of my mother. She’s…rather difficult.”

“Oh, yeah, my mom said.”

Jennifer smiled. “I know. But I thought it might help you, as well as me, to know each other. We probably have some things in common because of our dad.”

“Yes, I think so, too.” He looked down and swirled the ice in his glass. “Dad never mentioned you to me. I never knew who you were, not even at the funeral.”

Jennifer tried to hide her hurt.

“But my mom knew about you,” Billy hurriedly said. “She said you were beautiful, and she was right.”

“Thank you, Billy. I actually think we look quite alike except for my blond hair. Yours is brown, like Dad’s.”

“Yeah, we do. Did you get your blond hair from your mom?”

“Yes.”

“Does she live here, too?”

“No, this is where your grandmother lived. I don’t think Dad ever introduced you to her because she disapproved of his divorce.”

“Is she alive now?”

“No, I’m sorry. She died about two years ago.”

“I wish I’d met her.”

“Yes, she would’ve liked that, too. But she believed you only got married once and if you were miserable, too bad.”

“Ah, old-fashioned.”

“Yes, she was, but she was a dear.”

They chatted for a half hour, and Jennifer was glad to discover that her father had left his second wife and son well-provided for. Billy was attending Southern Methodist University, here in Dallas, and driving a Porsche.

They were laughing over something their father had done when the door to the deck slammed back against the wall, surprising them.

Nick stomped out on the deck.

“Why, Nick, is something wrong?” Jennifer asked.

“I heard you were entertaining. I thought maybe your mother had invited someone to meet you.”

It took her a minute to figure out what he meant, but
then she laughed. “No. Actually, this is your fault. You encouraged me to contact my half brother. Billy, this is Nick Barry, my neighbor.”

Billy stood and offered his hand.

Nick stared at him. “Your brother?”

“Yes, Nick, my brother.”

Nick shook his hand. “I’m delighted to meet you,” he said, his gaze shifting back to Jennifer.

Jennifer actually giggled.

Billy said, “I don’t understand why you’re laughing.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. My mother has been trying to set me up with a man, and apparently Nick thought it was you.”

Billy’s gaze shifted to Nick. “No, you’re still in luck,” he said with a smile.

They stood there for a moment, then Billy said, “Aren’t you going to ask Nick to join us?”

“Thanks, Billy. Don’t mind if I do.” Nick sat down before reaching out to take a cookie. “Hey, these are good. Did you make them, Jen?”

“Yes, I did. I guess now I have to go get you some lemonade. I’ll be right back.”

“Do you think she sounded irritated?” Nick asked Billy.

The boy smiled. “Not much. And I don’t blame you for charging to the rescue. Any man her mother would choose, according to my mother, would be terrible.”

“You’ve met her mother?”

“No, have you?”

“Yeah, accidentally. We were coming back from a
shopping trip with the girls and her mother cornered her in the parking lot.”

“The girls?”

“You didn’t meet her three little girls?” Nick asked in surprise.

“She has children? I didn’t know she’d been married before.”

“She hasn’t.” Nick raised a hand at Billy’s astonishment. “I’d better tell you before she gets out here and you think she’s a scarlet woman. She’s adopting three little sisters. They’re adorable.”

Just then the door opened and Jennifer brought a glass of lemonade for Nick and more cookies.

“Oh, good. I was hungry but I didn’t think I should take the last one,” Nick said.

“Yes, I was relying on your excellent manners. Now you don’t have to hold back,” she said.

Both males grinned at her and reached for more cookies.

“Of course, you’re going to ruin your dinner if you eat too many.”

Nick winked at Billy. “She only has girls. If she had boys, she’d know better.”

“And I don’t have to worry about dinner because Mom’s going out tonight and I’m all on my own,” Billy said.

“I’m all on my own, too,” Nick said mournfully.

“Stop it, Nick! You’re always on your own.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot.”

“Billy, you’re welcome to have dinner with us. I want to introduce you to my three girls.”

“Yeah, Nick explained. I’d love to meet them.”

“Does that mean I’m
not
invited to dinner?” Nick asked.

Jennifer sent him a disgusted look. “I shouldn’t reward such a ridiculous ploy for an invitation, but yes, you are invited to dinner, too, Nick.”

“Terrific! I bet the girls are having cookies right now, too.”

Jennifer’s cheeks flamed. “Yes, they had ballet lessons this morning to use up their energy.”

“She’s a great mother, Billy, and she had no experience at all,” Nick assured him.

“I bet she is. But, Jennifer, how did you come to adopt three little girls?”

She explained about The Heart Gallery photos and how she’d discovered Annie was being abused.

Billy looked terribly upset, but then she told him how well they’d done in the past few weeks, and how Nick had helped Annie overcome her fear of men.

“I can’t wait to meet them. They sound wonderful.”

“You’ll be their uncle,” Jennifer said. “They’ve never had one of those.”

“Wait, that makes Billy more important than me,” Nick mock-protested.

“Nick, it’s not a contest.”

“That’s true, besides I’m their daddy.” He gave her a sly grin.

“No, you aren’t and you shouldn’t say that. It’ll give Billy the wrong idea.”

Nick explained how Missy had met him in the hall.

“That must’ve been a shock to you,” Billy said.

“Yes, it was. But then I met your sister, which was a wonderful thing.”

“Listen, gentlemen, if I’m going to get dinner done in time, I have to start cooking.”

“Why don’t I take Billy to my apartment, so he’ll be out of your way? We can visit on our own.”

She looked at Nick suspiciously. “Are you up to something?”

“Not me. Just offering to help.”

“Okay. But, Billy, if you don’t want to talk to Nick, just come back across the hall.”

He grinned. “I think I’ll be safe.”

She took the tray, with the three glasses on it, back inside. Over her shoulder at the two men following her, she tossed, “Be back at six for dinner.”

“We will. If I don’t scare him away before then.” Nick wiggled his brows when Jennifer turned around. Then he led Billy over to his place. “Are you working or going to school, Billy?”

“I go to SMU.”

“Nice school.” Nick pointed to the leather sofa. “Have a seat. Are you old enough to drink coffee?”

“Sure, how else would I stay awake before exams?” Billy asked, grinning at Nick.

“I understand completely. I’ll put on a pot.”

When he returned a few minutes later, he carried two mugs of coffee. “I didn’t bring any cookies because I don’t bake like Jen does. Besides, I don’t want to be accused of ruining your appetite.”

Billy accepted a cup of coffee. Then he looked at Nick. “So, you’re in love with Jennifer?”

Nick sat down on the sofa and stared at Billy. “How’d you know?”

Billy grinned. “Trust me. It’s pretty obvious.”

“Is it a problem?”

“I don’t know. Can you support her and three kids?”

“Yeah.”

“What do you do?”

Nick cleared his throat. It was time to tell the truth. “Uh, I’m a writer.” He gave Billy all the details of the film deal. Then he asked, “Is there anything else you want to ask me?”

“Hey, I’m kind of new at this brother thing. What else
should
I ask?”

“How about do I want children?” Nick suggested.

“Isn’t that a given since she already has three?”

“Oh, yeah.”

“Well?”

Nick shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t think of anything else for you to ask. Do you have a girlfriend?”

“Hey, you’re turning the tables on me!”

“I’ve never had a brother, so I have to practice, too.”

“So you’re an only child, too?”

Nick shook his head. “No, I have three sisters.”

“How old are they?”

“Twenty-six.”

“And?”

“And what?”

“Well, you said you had three sisters but you only gave me one age.”

“They’re triplets,” Nick said with a grin.

“Wow! I’ve never known triplets!”

“They’re too old for you, junior,” Nick teased.

Billy laughed. “You’re right. Besides, I do have a girlfriend, but don’t tell my mother.”

“Ah. Something to blackmail you with.”

B
Y THE TIME
J
ENNIFER
opened the door to the two men invited to dinner, they seemed to be quite happy with each other.

“So, you found something to talk about for two hours?” she asked, giving each of them a close look.

When Nick and Billy laughed and nodded, she decided not to ask their topic of conversation. Instead she ushered Billy into the living room.

“I want you to meet my three daughters, Steffi, Annie and Missy.”

“Hi, girls. I’m Billy.”

“Hi,” Steffi said.

Annie was shy again, edging toward Nick, and Missy crossed her arms over her chest. “Mommy said you’re our uncle. But we don’t got no uncles. Well, I did have one, but I didn’t like him.”

“Missy, he’s not like that uncle,” Jennifer hurriedly said. Then she turned to Billy. “That was in her foster family.”

“I see. Well, I’ll try to be really nice, Missy. Okay?”

“Okay, but we like Nick better.”

“Missy, this is not a competition. We can have Nick as a neighbor and Billy as your uncle.” Jennifer rolled her eyes at Nick.

“It’s not my fault!” Nick protested.

“I’m not sure I believe you,” Jennifer said. “Come in and be seated. We’re ready to eat.”

“We’re eating at the big table tonight,” Missy pointed out.

“She means the dining room,” Jennifer clarified.

“Ah. It’s my first time for the dining room, too,” Nick pointed out.

“So you’ve eaten with them before?” Billy asked him.

“A number of times, but we ate in the kitchen or we ate out.”

“One time we went to Chuck E. Cheese’s for my birthday,” Annie said softly.

“That sounds like fun. I haven’t been there in ages.”

That won Missy over. She clapped her hands and grinned at her new uncle.

Jennifer just shook her head. “I thought we could eat a real meal tonight.”

“I’ll vote for it,” Billy said. “What’s for dinner, Jen?”

“Roast beef, whipped potatoes, macaroni and cheese and salad. It’s a little heavy on the carbohydrates, but the girls like them.”

“We do, too,” Billy said with a grin.

Once they were seated at the table, the children on their best behavior, Jennifer told the girls that Billy went to college.

“What’s that?” Missy asked.

“It’s where you go after you go to high school,” Nick explained.

“Did you go to college?” Steffi asked.

“Yes, I did. And your mommy did, too.”

“You did, Mommy?”

“Yes, Steffi, and you will, too. It helps you get a good job when you’re older.”

“Billy hasn’t chosen his major yet,” Nick said.

“Oh, really? What are you leaning toward, Billy?” Jennifer asked.

“I think business. My strengths are in math and science.”

“You could do a lot with those strengths,” Jennifer said.

“Maybe. I’m just not sure.”

“Maybe you could go to work for the FBI,” Nick suggested.

“Nick! Why would you suggest such a thing?” Jennifer stared at him, horrified.

“I’ve read that they take people with all different majors.”

“But that could be dangerous.”

“I think it sounds like fun. I’ll have to look into that,” Billy said, his eyes lighting up.

“Your mother will never forgive me if you go to work for the FBI. Please tell her that it wasn’t my idea.”

Nick and Billy exchanged a look that irritated Jennifer. “What does that mean? That look!”

“It’s because you’re acting like a girl, Jen,” Nick said.

“I am a girl!” Jennifer almost shouted. “I thought you’d noticed that!”

He grinned and his eyes seemed to twinkle. “Oh, I did. I definitely did.”

“Nicholas Barry, you’re asking for trouble.”

“I just meant that Billy will only show more interest when you mention danger. That’s not how to discourage him.”

“I could tell him he’d be nothing more than a paper-pusher, but now he wouldn’t believe me.” Nick crunched a forkful of salad and looked at Billy. “Maybe you’d be better off with a job that puts you in contact with a lot of women.”

“You think he wants to be a hairdresser?” Jennifer demanded.

Billy put up his hands. “Hey, that’s not me!”

She grinned in return. “I didn’t think so.”

“That’s okay. Make enough money and the women will find you,” Nick assured him.

“Like Nick,” Jennifer pointed out.

“Right. I was captured by a woman the first night I moved in, right, Missy?”

The girls hadn’t been following the conversation since they really didn’t understand it. When Missy heard Nick call her name, she looked up.

“Tell Billy how I met you, Missy.”

“I found him! I thought he could be our new daddy.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Billy said with a smile and a wink to Nick.

Jennifer ignored both of them, opting to focus on the children. “Steffi, you need to eat some of your salad as well as macaroni and cheese.”

“Yes, Mommy,” Steffi said.

Annie piped up as she saw Jennifer look her way. “I ate my salad.”

“Yes, you did, sweetie. That means you get dessert.”

“I ate my salad,” Nick pointed out. “Do I get dessert, too?”

“I was just kidding. Everyone does.”

Jennifer got up and began taking dishes to the kitchen.

“I’ll help while you entertain the girls,” Nick told Billy. Then he took dishes to the kitchen, too.

“There’s no need to help, Nick,” Jennifer said when he put the plates in the sink. “I can do it.”

“I wanted to. It gives me a chance to kiss you,” he said, and immediately kissed her before she could
protest. “I’ll go get the rest of the dishes now.” He left her standing there, speechless.

When he brought the rest of the dishes in, she made sure to keep her back to him. “Please take in that stack of cake plates and forks.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he agreed, apparently realizing she wasn’t going to give him another chance to kiss her.

She followed him with a chocolate cake.

“Oh, goody!” Annie applauded when she saw the cake. “It’s beautiful, Mommy. Is it someone’s birthday?”

“Not a birthday,” she replied, smiling warmly at Billy, “but it is a special occasion.” An occasion she’d waited many long years for. In a sense, she realized she owed it to Nick. He’d given her the courage to make the call.

After dessert she ushered everyone into the living room while she loaded the dishwasher.

“Need some help?” Nick asked, sneaking up behind her.

She started. “I don’t think I need your kind of help.”

“I promise, I’m only in here to help with the dishes,” he said, understanding her words at once.

“No, really, Nick, it’s not necessary. Go talk to Billy or—” It dawned on her that maybe Nick had had enough of this little family reunion. “You can go home if you want.”

“I don’t. I want to stay here with you. I had a lot of time on my own in Hollywood.”

“That’s the last place I thought you’d be alone.”

“Jen, contrary to what you’re implying, there were no women around me in Hollywood.”

“I’ve heard the women there are all blond and beautiful.”

“I’ve seen more beautiful blondes here. In fact, I’m looking at one right now.”

His eyes feasted on her, from head to toe. Every place they touched went on fire in their incendiary wake. Jennifer couldn’t breathe in the suddenly too-hot kitchen.

He walked toward her and she was convinced he would take her in his arms again. Her lips parted for his.

Instead, he reached out for the dishes, taking them from her hands. “I’ll do this. You go get to know your brother. You’ve waited a long time for this day.”

He led her to the living room where she took a seat next to Billy on the sofa. The girls were watching TV, which gave them time to talk.

When the show ended, Jennifer had the girls tell their guests good-night. Nick collected a hug from each of them before they went to get ready for bed.

When they were alone, Billy said to him, “Looks like you’re in around here.”

Nick grinned. “I’m trying.”

“You really don’t mind taking on a ready-made family?”

He clapped the young man on the back. “Billy, my friend, I’m looking forward to it.”

S
HE’D COME CLOSE
. Too close.

The incident in the kitchen had nearly been the Undoing of Jennifer Carpenter.

If Nick had reached out for her, she’d have been powerless to resist the allure of his arms, his lips.

It would’ve been the best kiss of her life.

And the biggest mistake.

She’d had to remind herself that night, and every night since, that what she needed from Nick Barry was distance.

After all, it would only be a matter of time before he followed the lure to Hollywood.

But when she checked her mail a couple of days later, she couldn’t help sharing her excitement with him. She crossed the hall to knock on his door.

He opened it and greeted her with a smile. “Hi, what’s up?”

“Look what I got in the mail.”

He took the pale blue envelope and opened it. Inside was an invitation to The Heart Gallery showing of the portraits the various photographers in the Dallas area had made of the foster children.

“Is your picture of the girls going to be in it?”

“Yes! That’s why I’m excited. It’s like free advertising for me. My business cards will be beside the photo.”

“That’s terrific, honey. Will the girls go with you?”

“Yes, and I wondered if you wanted to go, too. It would help to have an extra pair of eyes on the girls.”

“I’d love to go. When is it?”

“It’s next Friday evening. Oh! The girls and I need to go shopping! I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Definitely a woman,” he said with a smile.

“What?”

“That’s always a woman’s first thought—what will I wear?”

She frowned. “You keep making these sexist remarks.”

“Not sexist, honey. It’s all in admiration.”

“I’m not sure I believe you.”

“Do you need some help with the girls on the shopping trip? It sounds like fun to me.”

“But you’ve got your writing to do. I can’t—”

“I need a break. I’ve been writing a lot the past few days. I’d enjoy some time off.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. When do you want to go?”

“I think after lunch. They’ll miss their naps, but that will be better than going after dinner. Do you want to come to lunch before we go?”

“I’d love to.”

“You didn’t even ask what we’re having.”

“Doesn’t matter.”

Half an hour later, they were all sitting around the table, eating.

“Why do we have to go shopping? I want to play with Blondie,” Missy asked.

“Because we’re going to see the pictures everyone
made of the foster children, and I want you to look nice. So we’re buying you all new clothes.”

“Oh. Will our picture be there?”

“Yes, Missy, it will.”

“But we’ve already seen it.”

“Yes, but I want to see the other pictures. It may give me some ideas.”

Nick said nothing, letting Jennifer handle her children.

With a big sigh of suffering, Missy said, “Okay.”

“Thank you, Missy. And we’ll try to get home for you to play with Blondie after dinner.”

When they reached the mall, Nick again let Jennifer take the lead, choosing the store she wanted to shop in. It was the same store where they’d bought the girls’ shoes. He sat down in the chair just outside the dressing rooms and promised to wait for them to emerge. After a few minutes, Missy came out and crawled into his lap.

“I’m tired.”

“You can take a nap as long as Mommy has already found you a dress.”

“Yes, it’s very pretty. It’s blue with pink roses on it.”

“It sounds lovely.”

She lay her head on his shoulder, and Nick began to gently sway, rocking her to sleep.

When the other girls came out with Jennifer, dresses in hand, she continued on to pay for her purchases. The girls waited with Nick and Missy, who was still sleeping. Annie leaned against Nick and Steffi looked at things close by.

When Jennifer came back with her hands full, Nick told Steffi to hold Annie’s hand and Annie should hold on to Jennifer’s purse.

“Oh, good, I hadn’t thought of that.”

“It’s a trick my mother used when her hands were full,” he said with a grin.

“Do we need to wake Missy up?” Jennifer asked. “Is she too heavy?”

“No, she’s fine. Did you find anything for yourself?”

“Oh, I have things to wear. I think a nice suit will look professional.”

“Absolutely.”

“Thanks, Nick. I know I’m taking advantage of you, but—”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“You’re very generous with your time.”