Daddy Next Door (15 page)

Once she was in the car with her seat belt on, he lowered Annie into her arms. As he did so, Annie blinked several times and stared up at Jennifer.

“Wh-what happened?” she asked.

“You fell and bumped your head, Annie,” Jennifer said softly. “How do you feel?”

“My head hurts.”

“Okay. Just lie still. We’re taking you to the doctor,” Jennifer assured her.

Annie closed her eyes again.

“It’s good that she woke up, isn’t it?” she asked Nick softly.

“Yeah, it’s good.”

When they got to the hospital, they went to Emergency and Jennifer called Annie’s pediatrician. Since his office was nearby, he came to the ER to check Annie out.

Both Nick and Jennifer went into the examining room with Annie.

The doctor said hello to Jennifer. Then he turned to Nick. “And you are?”

“I’m—” He caught himself. He’d almost said he was Annie’s father. “I’m a friend.”

“I’m sorry but—”

“I want him to stay, Doctor,” Jennifer said firmly. “Annie will want him here.”

After a look at Nick, the doctor nodded. “All right.”

He asked several questions over his shoulder as he examined Annie, in particular how long she was out.

“About a minute or two,” Nick said.

“What did she strike her head on?”

“The deck. She tripped on a step and hit her head on it,” Jennifer said, her voice trembling.

Nick slid his arm around Jennifer, the first time he’d touched her since her refusal of his offer to marry him.

The doctor talked to Annie as he examined her. “Does your head hurt?”

“Yes.”

“Do you remember falling?”

Annie frowned. “Not exactly.”

“I see. Were you playing outside?”

“Yes, and we were going upstairs to see Billy. We didn’t know he was coming to see us.”

“I see. Who is Billy?”

“Mommy said he’s our uncle, but I don’t know what that means. She didn’t meet him until last week, so how can he be our uncle?”

“That’s a good question, Annie. Mommy, can you answer Annie’s question?”

“Yes, of course. Billy is my half brother, but I hadn’t met him until last week. That makes him their uncle.”

“I see,” the doctor said.

“What do you think, Doctor?”

“I think Annie’s got a hard head,” he joked, smiling at the girl. Then he turned to Jennifer. “I want to keep her overnight just to be sure.”

“Overnight?” Jennifer asked, panic in her voice.

“Yes. You’re welcome to stay with her.”

“Yes, of course. I—I’ll need to make arrangements,” she said.

Nick squeezed her shoulder. “Jen, take my car, go home and get what you’ll need. Then come back here and I’ll go home and take care of Steffi and Missy until you get back home tomorrow.”

She stared up at him. “Are you sure, Nick? You won’t get any work done and—”

He couldn’t stop himself as he bent to kiss her. “Quit worrying about things that don’t matter.”

“Thank you so much.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said roughly. “Just marry me.”

Jennifer flew into the apartment to gather up a clean nightgown for Annie and a change of clothes for herself. Billy and the other two girls followed her around.

“How is Annie?” was Billy’s first question.

“Her head hurts but she’s okay. The doctor says it’s just a precaution to keep her overnight.”

“Do you need me to spend the night here?”

“Thanks for offering but Nick’s going to stay with the girls. He’ll be back in a few minutes after I get to the hospital.”

“Yeah, he’s great with them. It’s too bad you don’t love him so he could be their real daddy.”

In the process of packing an overnight bag, Jennifer froze, then she stared at him. “What do you mean I don’t love him?”

“That’s what he told me.”

“No, you’ve got it wrong. I do love him, but—” Her
eyes filled with tears and she called herself ten kinds of fool for letting her heart get broken. “He only offered to help me keep the girls.”

“No, Jennifer, he loves you. He told me so that first day I came here. I could see it for myself, but he flat-out told me.”

She shook her head and banished the tears. “You don’t understand, Billy. He’s going to have a life in Hollywood. I’m not raising my children there.”

“But he won’t have a life there if he doesn’t want it.” Billy stared at Jennifer, waiting for her response.

“He’ll want it. No one can turn down that kind of money.”

“He can if he doesn’t want to go out there. And Nick doesn’t. Didn’t he tell you that?”

“Yes, but—” Her head started to pound. There was too much going on inside her brain and she was too worried about Annie to have this talk about Nick. “I can’t think about this now. I have to go to Annie.”

She hugged the two girls and Billy and ran out the door.

N
ICK ARRIVED WITH SPECIAL
hugs and kisses for the girls.

“Is Annie going to be all right?” Steffi asked, tears in her eyes.

“The doc says she’ll be good as new. Mommy will be with her all night. And I’m staying here to take care of you and Missy. Will that be all right?”

Steffi stopped crying immediately.

Missy put it differently. “A’course. You’re the daddy!”

“Boy, you rate,” Billy said, stepping alongside Nick and giving him a grin.

Nick pulled the girls to him for another quick hug, then he asked them to color a picture for Annie so she’d know they were thinking of her. They ran to their room to do as he’d asked.

“Why didn’t I think of that?” Billy asked. “Then they wouldn’t have worried themselves to death before you got here.”

Nick grinned. “It comes with experience, my man.”

Billy paused for a moment. “Experience, huh? Had much experience with women?”

“What do you mean?” Nick gave him a narrow-eyed look.

“You don’t seem to be doing too well with my sister.” He made sure the girls were out of earshot. “I told Jennifer you love her. But she doesn’t believe it.”

“I know. She didn’t accept it when I told her, either. She thinks I’m only saying it because I want to help her to keep the girls.”

“That’s not true, is it?”

“No! I’ve been in love with Jennifer from the first, and the girls, too, but I would love Jennifer with or without them.”

Billy smiled broadly and clapped Nick on the back. “Then I suggest you convince her that you don’t want to go to Hollywood.”

“I’ve tried.”

He thought for a moment, then said, “Maybe if you get an offer, you can turn it down.”

“That’s already happened.”

“Didn’t you tell her?”

“No. It didn’t seem important at the time.” Nick hung his head, annoyed with himself for being so stupid.

“You need that Hollywood guy to tell her.”

“Or my agent. I’ll arrange that as soon as this crisis is past us.”

“That’s kind of what she said, too.”

Nick shook Billy’s hand. “Thanks for trying, Billy.”

“Hey, I’m thinking about my sister’s happiness.”

“Me, too,” Nick said with a smile.

J
ENNIFER DOZED ON THE CHAIR
that reclined in Annie’s hospital room, but she was up every fifteen minutes to check on Annie. The night seemed interminable; she was never so happy for morning to arrive.

Annie, too, was still a little groggy from lack of sleep.

“I’m too tired to eat breakfast, Mommy,” she complained.

“But the doctor may say you can’t go home if you don’t eat.”

Annie’s eyes grew big. “Okay. I can eat.”

“Good. We’ll both eat our breakfasts together.”

Though Annie didn’t finish all of hers, she ate her eggs and drank her juice. Jennifer got her to eat a couple of bites of bacon.

Afterward as they waited for the doctor, Jennifer
dialed her home number and asked Nick to put the girls on so they could talk to their sister. That phone call cheered Annie up a lot. And Jennifer enjoyed talking to Nick briefly. He was so strong in his beliefs, and he gave her strength.

The doctor gave Annie a clean bill of health and Jennifer called Nick again to come pick them up. He said he and the other two girls would park in front and wait for them to come down.

Annie liked riding down in the wheelchair. Jennifer walked beside her, carrying the overnight bag and holding on to Annie’s hand. When they reached the front door, Nick pulled the car right up beside it.

Jennifer helped Annie into the backseat, stuck the overnight bag on the floorboard and slid into the front seat. “Thank you so much for coming to get us, Nick. We were ready to leave, weren’t we, Annie?”

“Yes. Thank you, Nick.”

“Did they hurt you?” Missy asked.

“No, they were very nice,” Annie replied. “But we’re pretty tired.”

Jennifer concurred. “I think Annie and I will both be glad to take a nap today.”

“Steffi, Missy and I voted to pick up hamburgers for lunch so you don’t have to prepare anything,” Nick interjected. “Is that okay?”

Jennifer smiled wearily at him. “I think that’s wonderful, if you don’t mind.”

“Nope. We voted.” He smiled at her. “We’re going
to take you both home and let you sleep a little now. Then the other two girls and I will go get lunch.”

“Thank you so much, Nick. I don’t know how I can repay you.”

“It’s not necessary.”

And that was the last they spoke until he woke her up at noon. The hamburgers were hot and delicious and Jennifer suddenly realized she was hungry. There was very little conversation. After she finished, she smiled sleepily at Nick and left to crawl back into her bed.

Nick put Annie down for her nap and encouraged the other two girls to rest also. Then he read a book in the living room, wanting to make sure that the girls didn’t wake Jennifer up until she was rested.

When Jennifer got up a little after four, she found Nick in the kitchen, preparing dinner. “Nick! I can do that.”

But Nick steered her out of the kitchen. “You, my dear, have other things to do. Like calling Child Services to find out what will happen about the girls.”

“Oh, yes, of course!” She went to the phone in the living room.

Nick never felt time move slower than it did as he waited. He gave Jen her privacy, though he wanted nothing more than to eavesdrop on the phone call. Finally, when fifteen minutes had passed, she rushed into the kitchen and threw her arms around his neck.

“They said I would still get the girls! Even without a husband!”

He kissed her. “I’m so glad.”

“You are?”

“Yes. Now, come with me.”

To her surprise, he led her back to the phone. He dialed a long-distance number and said, “Jim, I want you to tell the woman who comes on the line about the offer I got to go back to Hollywood and stay until the film is over and what I responded and when.” Then he shoved the phone back into Jennifer’s hand.

“Hello?”

“Um, I’m not sure who I’m talking to, but—”

“My name is Jennifer. I’m Nick’s neighbor.”

“I’m Nick’s agent, Jim Barnes. When Nick got back from Hollywood, I told him the people out there were very pleased with his work and wanted him to come out there and work until the film is finished.”

“They did?”

“Yes, but Nick immediately said no way. He said he was where he wanted to be and if I remember correctly, it had something to do with a special lady, who, I would guess, is you.”

Jennifer turned to stare at Nick.

“Well, did he tell you?” Nick asked.

She nodded.

He took the phone from her. “Thanks, Jim.” Then he hung it up.

“Did what he said make any difference to you?” he asked Jennifer.

She nodded.

That simple gesture meant so much. It told him Billy had been right. About the proof she needed. About how she felt about him. His own emotion boiled over and came out in a rush.

“Jen, I love you. I don’t want to go to Hollywood. I think I can make a good living here, writing my books, not screenplays. But most of all, I want to live my life with you.”

“Oh, yes.”

“Yes, what, Jen?”

“Yes, I love you.”

They smiled and he lowered his head for the kiss he’d been waiting for. Just as their lips met, Missy called urgently from the bedroom. “Mommy?”

Jennifer ran to the girls’ bedroom. On the way, she called back, “I think something’s burning in the kitchen.”

“Damn!” Nick ran for the kitchen.

He never did get that kiss, but something told him life with Jen and the girls would always be this hectic.

He was going to love every minute of it. He would take them all to dinner in any restaurant they could name. It would be his engagement dinner!

N
ICK LOVED HOLDING
Jennifer in his arms. They’d had a great dinner—at a local restaurant, since Nick’s meal had burnt—and all through dinner, the ride home and now as they ushered the girls into the living room, he hadn’t let her go.

“We have something we want to talk to you about,” Nick said to the three towheads.

“Is it bad?” Annie asked.

“No, baby.” Jennifer stepped out of his embrace and went to her. “It’s real good.” She smiled up at Nick. “Nick is going to be your real daddy. We’re getting married.”

Missy jumped up and down, shouting, “I knew it! I knew it!”

Annie hugged Nick. “I’m so happy you’ll be our daddy,” she said in her soft voice.

“Me, too, Annie. Me, too.”

Steffi hugged him, too. “Now we’re a real family. Mommy, Daddy and three children.”

“Absolutely,” Jennifer said.

“So when will Daddy move in with us?” Missy asked.

Nick couldn’t answer that. He looked at Jennifer. “I don’t know.”

“Whenever he wants,” Jennifer said. The three little girls cheered and hugged them again.

“So, you’ll be here when we wake up in the morning, and I can call you Daddy?” Missy asked.

Nick swung her into his lap. “Yes, yes, and yes again.”

“What are all those yeses for?” Annie asked.

“For all the times Missy is going to ask again,” Nick said with a grin. “We’re all going to be a family forever. You’ll never get away from us,” he said, pretending to scare them.

But that didn’t fool them. They just piled on him again, giggling.

The girls were so excited, it seemed to take forever to settle them into bed.

When they did, he asked Missy’s question again. “When do I move in here, the future Mrs. Barry?”

“Mmm, how about tonight?”

“Jen, are you sure? I don’t mind waiting. We’re going to have the rest of our lives together, so I can wait until you’re ready.”

“I know. But I’m ready. We can go get our license tomorrow and be married in three days. But a piece of paper doesn’t make a marriage, Nick.”

“I love you so much, Jennifer,” he said, scooping her up into his arms and heading down the hall to her room. He carried her to the bed. Then he looked around. “I think we may have to make some changes in here.”

Jennifer sat up. “Oh, really? What do you want changed?”

“I don’t think peach is the right color for
our
bedroom.”

“Well, you could be right, but I was wondering if we should look for a house.”

“You want to move?”

“Why not? We could rent out both our apartments and make more than enough for a house payment.”

“Sweetheart, we’d have to own them to make money.”

“Sweetheart, we do own them.”

Nick gave her a puzzled look. “What are you talking about?”

“I forgot you didn’t know. I’m your landlord.”

“You own the fourplex? My, your grandmother was very generous to you.”

“More than you know. I own all four fourplexes on this street.”

“You what?”

“My grandmother bought the land and had the fourplexes built to provide income for her and then for me, when she left them to me.”

“But, Jennifer, I don’t think I can match that kind of money, at least not for more than a year or two.”

Jennifer laughed. “I’m impressed that you could match it for a year or two, Nick.”

“Let’s talk about this tomorrow when I can concentrate on it, sweetheart. My mind is focused on you right now.” He leaned down to her. “Are you still sure you want to share your bed with me tonight?”

“I’m sure,” she said, and held her arms out to him. He joined her on the bed and kissed her, this time giving her the kiss he’d dreamed of.

When he slipped his hand beneath her shirt, he paused again. “Still sure, sweetheart?”

“I’m so sure, I’m going to help you,” she said, removing her blouse. Then she reached out for his shirt. “Are you sure?” she teased.

“Hell, yes.” After that, they disrobed quickly, but Nick kept his eyes on Jennifer. He loved the freedom with which she moved.

When she started removing her bra, he stopped
her. “Let me. I’ve had dreams about this. I don’t just want to watch.”

“All right,” Jennifer agreed with a smile. When he reached for her bra, she reached for his jeans.

“Hey lady, what are you doing?”

“I’ve had a few dreams of my own,” she told him, not stopping. “Aha! Boxers!”

“All you had to do was ask,” he said with a grin. “I have no secrets. Not anymore.”

“I guess I could’ve asked Mrs. Carroll, but finding out this way is more fun.”