Daddy Next Door (4 page)

“That’s exactly what I mean! Come on, Nick.” Jennifer headed for the front door.

Nick did as she ordered, not bothering to argue with her. He certainly didn’t want to have any conversation with the woman who had blown him off. He might no longer be a teacher, but that didn’t mean he thought teachers should be so easily dismissed.

When they got into Jennifer’s apartment, she collapsed on the sofa, her energy apparently spent in the argument.

The girls came running in, eager to open the packages.

Nick said, “Girls, can you help me take the packages to your bedroom? Your mom is a little tired and needs to rest a few minutes.”

Missy and Steffi agreed at once and began gathering packages to take to their bedroom. Annie first went to Jennifer and touched her on her hand, looking at her with big eyes.

“I’m fine, sweetheart,” Jennifer said, hugging the little girl. “I just need a few minutes, okay?”

Annie nodded and picked up the leftover packages and silently followed her sisters.

On the way to the girls’ room, Nick gave Jennifer a warm, bolstering smile over his shoulder. That was when he noticed the tears glistening in her eyes.

B
Y EARLY EVENING
, J
ENNIFER
had pulled herself together and prepared dinner for her family. When she called the girls in to set the table, Missy asked, “Where’s Nick?”

“I’m sure he’s at home. He’s not part of our family, Missy. You know that.”

“But Nick is our daddy! He should be here for supper!” the child said firmly.

“I’ve told you before, Missy, he’s not your daddy. He’s our neighbor, that’s all.” And, she reminded herself, that was all he’d ever be. “Now, help your sisters set the table.”

When the phone rang, Jennifer grabbed the kitchen extension, which had a long cord so she could finish fixing dinner while she talked.

“Jennifer?” said a wavery voice she recognized at once.

“Grace, how are you?”

“I’m fine, but I need to pay my rent.”

“Uh, Grace, aren’t you at the assisted-living facility?”

“Yes, but it’s not as nice as my apartment.”

“But do you think you’ll be able to return to your apartment?” Jennifer asked, confused.

“Oh, yes.”

“Have you told your nephew that?” Jennifer asked. Grace Windomere had been a good friend of her grandmother’s, which was how she’d gotten the apartment.

“Why would I?”

“If you’re subletting the apartment to your nephew, you’ll need to tell him.”

“What nephew?”

Jennifer froze. Then she said, “Your nephew, Nick Barry. He said you sublet your apartment to him.”

“I don’t think I have a nephew.”

“Grace, are you sure?”

“Well, I should know.”

“Yes, you should,” Jennifer said, her mind racing. She found it hard to believe that Nick was a brazen liar. But it appeared he was.

Suddenly her breath caught and a wave of cold chilled her body. She’d left her children with the man. Whoever he was. She’d trusted him!

Putting the food on the table, she helped each child serve herself.

“Now, girls, I need to go say something to Nick. You stay here and eat your dinner. I’ll be right back. Okay? Steffi is in charge. You do what she says.”

With a backward glance, Jennifer hurried out of her apartment and banged on the door across the hall.

When Nick opened the door, she glared at him.

“Grace Windomere doesn’t have a nephew!”

Nick stared at Jennifer. He’d expected a friendly greeting. Not an accusation. Then he pulled himself together and asked gently, “Do you know why Grace is in assisted living?”

“What does that matter?”

He smiled. “She’s in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. She’s losing her memory.”

“So you thought you could take advantage of her?”

Nick sighed. “Do you want me to show you our family photo albums?”

“I can’t take the time. I left the girls eating. But if you have any proof, you can show it to me in the morning or you’ll be out of the apartment by noon!” Jennifer turned around and stalked across the hall, slamming her door behind her.

Nick felt like he’d been struck by a whirlwind. A very attractive whirlwind, but an angry one nonetheless. And he had no intention of waiting until morning to prove her wrong.

Because he was the oldest, when his mother died, he’d taken the albums she’d filled with family photos, some of which included his aunt Grace. He hadn’t completely unpacked yet, but he searched through the boxes until he found the album that held the older pictures. Then he headed for the apartment across the hall.

After he’d knocked and waited for several minutes, the door opened to Jennifer, still frowning. “What do you want?”

“I want to show you proof that Grace is my aunt.”

“How can you do that?”

“With the photos I inherited from my mother. If you’ll let me in, that is. Or we could go to my apartment.”

“I can’t. We’re finishing dinner. I have to—”

“Fine. I’ll come in,” he said, slipping past her, afraid she intended to shut him out.

“But—”

“Hi, girls. How’s dinner?” Nick asked as he entered the kitchen.

“It’s good,” Missy said at once. “But we don’t have any left for you, ’cept maybe some green beans,” the child said, peering into the serving dishes still on the table.

“I’m not here to eat, Missy, but thank you for thinking of me. I’m here to show some pictures to your mommy.”

“I don’t remember asking you to come in,” Jennifer said from behind him, resentment in her voice.

“I want to get this settled tonight so I don’t have it hanging over my head.”

“Fine! I’ll pour you a cup of coffee. Then I intend to finish my meal. You can just wait!”

With a cup of coffee included, he had no problem sitting at the table. “Thanks,” he said, and pulled out the chair next to Missy. “Hello, Steffi, Annie. Did you enjoy your dinner, too?” he asked, careful to add a gentle smile for Annie’s sake.

“It was good,” Steffi said. Annie just nodded.

Jennifer plunked down a mug of coffee in front of him and took her seat at the table. Ignoring him, she resumed eating her dinner.

Nick thought of the early preparations of his own dinner he’d left behind. He’d done some grocery shopping and had bought a frozen pizza. He’d just taken it out of the freezer when Jennifer knocked on his door. He’d left it on the kitchen counter.

Oh, well, it would be thawed out by the time he got back.

After several minutes of awkward silence, Jennifer said, “I didn’t ask if you’d eaten dinner.”

“I was fixing it when you…knocked on my door.”

She avoided his gaze. “Yes, well, I thought— I trusted you with my children. I’m not used to— I didn’t want to think that I’d trusted a liar.”

“I don’t blame you.”

His simple response brought her gaze to his face.

“I—I should’ve given you a chance to defend yourself.”

“It’s okay, Jennifer. I understand.”

“Quit being so nice! It makes my behavior look bad!” she exclaimed.

He grinned. “That wasn’t my intention.”

She seethed as she took another bite. “Oh, for heaven’s sake, open the album so I can see your proof and then you can go.”

“I’m in no hurry. Finish your dinner,” he suggested, smiling at her. He already knew she hated the thought of being wrong.

She stood and carried her plate and glass to the sink and disposed of what was left of her dinner. “I’m finished!”

“You’re trying to make me feel bad because I interrupted your dinner, but it won’t work. You’re the one who interrupted me.”

“So show me the damned picture and—” She looked up hurriedly at three pairs of innocent eyes. “I mean, if you’ll please show me the picture, we can both be satisfied.”

Missy stared at her. “My other mommy used to say that word all the time.”

“Oh, she talked about pictures a lot?” Jennifer hurriedly said, trying to cover up.

Nick grinned. He was enjoying watching her squirm.

“No, that dammed word. What does it mean?”

Nick could tell by Steffi’s face that she knew the meaning. Annie just stared at her dinner plate.

“It’s not a nice word, Missy, and none of you should use it. I lost my temper and it slipped out.”

“You were mad at Daddy?”

Jennifer drew a deep breath, growing more visibly exasperated by the second. “Missy, you must not call him Daddy. He—”

But Nick saw Missy’s sad face and interrupted. “It’s okay if we just pretend, Missy. I don’t mind.”

“Well, I do!” Jennifer returned vehemently.

Silence fell over the room.

“Girls, if you’ve finished eating, go wash up and I’ll put on the movie I was telling you about earlier.”

The room cleared almost instantly.

“That must be some movie,” he commented.

“It’s about a circus. An old Doris Day movie that I loved as a child.”

“I remember that one. It was good.”

“Yes. Now, show me the picture.”

And leave
. They were words she left unspoken, but Nick heard them.

Without wasting any more time he opened the album and showed her several pictures of him and his family, including his aunt Grace.

Jennifer went over them with a shrewd eye. “I’m not sure that’s really her. It could just be someone who looks like her.”

With a sigh, he said, “We could go visit her in the assisted-living facility. Would that convince you?”

“Yes, but I can’t leave the kids.”

“You don’t have someone who could baby-sit them?”

“No.”

“Not even a friend who could watch them just for an hour?”

She closed her eyes and he gave her time to think over her friends.

“Maybe, but not tonight. I could try to get someone to look after them tomorrow for a little while.”

“Well, if you’ll let me stay in the apartment tonight, then we’ll go visit Grace tomorrow.”

“I suppose so…”

“Are you going to stay and watch the movie with us?” Missy asked Nick as she returned from washing up.

“I’m sorry, sweetie, but I don’t think I can. I haven’t been invited.”

As he’d known she would, Missy began pleading for his presence.

Jennifer held up her hand to stave off her pleas. “Missy, he hasn’t had his dinner yet. We can’t—”

“All it is is a frozen pizza,” Nick said. “If I could cook it over here, we could go ahead and start the movie. I’d love to see it.”

Even Annie, who had wandered into the room, clapped her hands at that suggestion. Jennifer drew Annie into her arms and nodded. “Fine. Go get your pizza.”

“I’ll be right back.” He had a suspicion that Jennifer wouldn’t let him in again, once he’d left her apartment. So he intended to hurry and get back before she could change her mind.

He really wanted to see the old movie.

At least that’s what he told himself.

N
ICK KNOCKED ON THE DOOR
the next day at the appointed time. To his surprise, his knock was greeted with excited barking.

When the door opened, Jennifer appeared ready to leave.

“Wait a minute. I heard barking. Do you have a dog?”

“Yes, we do,” Jennifer said with a smile.

“I haven’t seen one before. When did you get it?”

“This morning. Now, can we go?”

Missy pushed the door open wider. “Daddy, look at our dog!”

A puppy almost as big as Missy pushed its way into the doorway.

Cries not to let the dog escape, coming from within the apartment, had Nick bending down to impede the animal’s progress. “Whoa, there, big guy. Where are you going?”

The dog began licking his hand and trying to jump on his chest, and he petted it as he stood, moving it back into the apartment. “A yellow lab?” he asked Jennifer.

“Yes, blond like the girls.”

“And you.” He reached out and tugged playfully on her own blond locks. The second his fingers brushed her skin, though, playful took a backseat to exciting. He pulled his hand away.

“Yes, of course. I wanted them to have a pet.”

She spoke matter-of-factly as if she was unfazed by the electricity sparking from his light touch. Didn’t she feel it? Was he the only one singed from the contact?

Putting a leash on his thoughts, he asked, “Won’t he need more room? Dogs of this breed like to run a lot.”

“He can run around the backyard. Diane is going to take the puppy and the girls outside and let them play.”

“Who’s Diane?”

“Diane, come meet your new neighbor,” Jennifer called.

A woman approximately Jennifer’s age—late twenties—stepped to the door and Jennifer introduced Diane Black the upstairs neighbor living over Jennifer’s apartment.

“Are you one of the flight attendants?” he asked.

“No, they live in the apartment over yours. I work at a bank.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you. I hope you enjoy spending time with the girls and their new dog.”

“We’re already off to a great start. Come on, girls, let’s take the puppy outside.”

Jennifer and Nick watched as Diane took Annie’s hand and led the parade toward the back door.

“I haven’t even had a chance to look out back. How big a yard is there?”

“It’s good-sized. Are you ready to go?”

“After you,” he said, and stood back so she could
close the door and lock it. Then he asked, “What made you decide to get a dog?”

“I thought a dog would help the girls believe this is their permanent home. They still have trouble believing they won’t be split up again.”

“I think you can understand that.”

“Of course I can. But I’m doing everything I can think of to settle their minds.”

“Except find them a daddy?”

She glared at him as she moved into the sunshine. “We don’t need a daddy!”

“I’m convinced,” he said with a shrug. “Missy is the one you need to work on.”

“It’s difficult when you’re encouraging her to call you daddy!”

“Sorry, but she’s hard to resist.”

With a sigh, Jennifer said, “Don’t I know it.”

“Let’s take my car. I need to learn the way so I can go visit Grace on my own.”

Jennifer stopped and looked at him. “You would do that?”

He shook his head. “You
are
hard to convince.”

“It’s not something most men would do on their own.”

“Aunt Grace was good to my mother and helped her in the difficult times after my dad died. I kind of feel I owe her.”

The explanation obviously satisfied Jennifer because she had no further comments. She got in the car and directed him to the facility.

When they entered, she approached the front desk. “We’re here to visit Grace Windomere. Can you tell us her room?”

“Yes, it’s 308, but she’ll probably be in the main room with the other residents watching television.”

“Thank you.”

“Aunt Grace never watched much television,” Nick murmured.

“Maybe she enjoys it now,” Jennifer replied, moving down the hall after they got out of the elevator. They came upon a large room with a big-screen TV.

“There she is,” Nick said, pointing across a sea of white hair. He approached her, sliding between the wheelchairs lined up in front of the television.

“Aunt Grace, how are you doing?” he asked softly, kneeling down beside her chair.

She turned to look at him. Then she squealed like a small child. “Nicky! What are you doing here? Is Mary here with you?”

“No, Aunt Grace, Mom is dead, remember?”

“Oh! Oh, yes, I forgot,” she said, her eyes filling with tears.

“It’s all right, Aunt Grace.”

“But the babies!” she protested.

“You mean the terrible triplets?” Nick asked with a grin.

“Oh, yes, right. They were so adorable. Did they come with you?”

“No, they’ve kind of spread out. But Jennifer, your
neighbor, came with me. You remember her, don’t you?”

Jennifer bent over and hugged Grace’s neck. “How are you, Grace?”

“I’m f-fine, I guess. I can’t seem to find my way home, though. Are you taking care of my apartment?”

“Your nephew is living in it, remember?”

“My nephew?”

“Me, Aunt Grace,” Nick hurriedly said. He could see the suspicion come back into Jennifer’s eyes.

“Oh, yes, Jennifer. I told Nick he could live there until the lease ran out. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is, Grace. That will be fine.”

“And, Nicky, I want you to take good care of Jennifer. She’s all by herself, you know. That was my job, but now I live here.”

“I’ll take care of her, Aunt Grace, I promise.” He couldn’t stop himself from grinning at Jennifer, knowing he’d see resentment on her face. But he was wrong. He saw tears in her eyes.

Grace turned back to watch the television and he kissed her goodbye, telling her he would come visit again soon.

Jennifer bent to kiss Grace goodbye, too. Then they went back to his car.

Once they were on their way, he looked at Jennifer. “Why did you tear up when Grace asked me to take care of you?”

“My grandmother asked Grace to take care of me. I miss her.”

“How long ago did she die?”

“Two years ago.”

“That’s about when my mother died.”

“But you have sisters.”

“Yeah, when I see them. One is still in Lubbock, where I was living, one is in Fort Worth, recently married, and one is in New York City.”

“New York City? Why?”

“She always had visions of conquering the world, and to her the Big Apple is the world.”

“How’s she doing?”

“Pretty well, the last I heard.”

“But at least you have family,” she said sadly.

“Wait a minute. Didn’t I meet your mother yesterday?”