Daddy's Little Girl (A Homespun Romance)

DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL

by

Geeta Kakade

ISBN: 
978-1-77145-131-4

PUBLISHED BY:

Books We Love Ltd.

Chestermere, AB

Canada

http://bookswelove.com

Copyright 2013 by Geeta Kakade

Cover Art Copyright 2013 by Michelle Lee

THE HOMESPUN SERIES

BOOK 1 – FAITH HOPE AND LOVE

BOOK 2 – PROJECT VALENTINE

BOOK 3 – THE LONG ROAD HOME

BOOK 4 – THE OLD FASHIONED WAY

BOOK 5 – MR. WRONG

BOOK 6 – DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL

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CHAPTER
ONE

What kind of employer set up a job interview in a restaurant?

Sara's fingers drummed a ragged beat on the large brown envelope on the restaurant table.  The Jason Graham kind, obviously.  His business like tones over the telephone last night had allayed her fears about the unusual venue.  He'd sounded impatient and tired...as if the interview was just another chore to get over with...as if a few hours on a Friday evening were the only time he could spare. 

She'd agreed to meet him at the Treasure Island, Rainbow Valley's well known seafood restaurant.  Sara stared at the fishing nets and other old shipping paraphernalia hung on the walls without really seeing them.  The table Jason Graham had reserved was in a small room that held three other tables.  If no one else was shown in here, they would have privacy for the interview. 

A sudden shaft of worry had Sara wetting her lips.  Would Jason Graham see right away that she hadn't any real job experience worth mentioning in a resume? 

She had to get this job, she just had to. 

She'd lived right here in Rainbow Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles, all her life, her only real experience that of caring for a man who should have been named lifetime President of Scrooge International.

Worry undermines determination. 

The book on personal motivation she had borrowed from the library had emphasized positive, not negative thinking.

I need this job.

I will get it.

It had been very kind of Claire, her best friend since high school, to slip the ad into the Valley View for her.  Jason Graham's call was the only response she'd gotten and she had to make the most of this opportunity.

Sara closed her eyes and tried to conjure up positive pictures of the future:  working in an office, taking her paycheck to the bank, living in an apartment on her own.

You'll never amount to anything.  You and your mother are parasites, only capable of living off others. 

Sara's eyes flew open.  This was no time to let the memory of Uncle Samuel intrude.  As it was, he'd had too much power for too long over her and her mother.

It was five minutes to six.  Sara decided to make a quick trip to the rest room.  A look at her reflection in the mirror made her wish she'd remained at the table.  Nerves had driven the color from her face.  The freckles on her nose stood out as if they were part of a dot-to-dot picture.  All thirteen of them seemed to have popped up especially for this interview.

Sara's sent a silent prayer to the patron saint of jobs. 

All I want is one chance.  Just one.  Help me get this job.

Jason looked around the room and frowned.  There was no sign of anyone in here.

"The lady must have gone to the restroom, sir," the smiling, mini-skirted hostess said.  "We put you at this table."

"Thank you."

He saw the large envelope on the table right away.  So, at least she was punctual.  Placing the car seat that held his daughter Kelsey on the banquette seat beside him, Jason took a deep breath.

Answering the ad had not been the smartest thing he'd ever done according to his lawyer, Moses Judah.  Rowena Harris, his secretary and friend for the last eight years, had shown him the ad and pointed out it could be the answer to all his problems.

Kelsey moved in her sleep and Jason placed a hand against his daughter's flushed cheek.  He would do anything for his baby girl.  Anything.  Even go on a blind date like this one.

They were at her table so he...he must be Jason Graham.  Sara's eyes widened.  Her gaze sped to the seat beside him, overflowing with pink frills and lace, topped off by the face of a cherub with auburn hair.

What kind of a man brought a baby to an interview? 

She forced herself to move forward.

"Mr. Graham?"

He got to his feet and looked down at her.

"Miss Adams?" 

She was small and the brown suit she had on did nothing for her.  Neither did the beige blouse buttoned to the top of her neck.  What kind of outfit was that to wear on a first date?  He'd seen nuns dressed in less.

"How are you?"

The rough palm that he'd held so briefly told him she was no stranger to hard work.  It's icy coldness revealed that Sara Adams was very nervous about this meeting.  Seeing her had multiplied his own fears.  She wouldn't do.  He shouldn't have agreed to this.

A waiter materialized as they sat down and asked what they'd like to drink.  Sara ordered an iced tea and heard Jason Graham ask for a club soda.

His business suit, his tie, even the way his hair was cut, radiated power and success.  Something about the width of his shoulders, the strong lines of his face, the tightness around his mouth warned her Jason Graham wasn't a patient man.  Sara's heart sank.  He wouldn't hire her. 

"Thank you for agreeing to meet me here."

"It was no problem."  Beggars could hardly be choosers. 

"Sorry I'm late, but I had to take my daughter to the doctor."  Eyes, a startling chambray blue in his tanned face, hypnotized her.

"That's all right."

Jason felt his jaw tighten as the silence dragged on.  Evidently the only contribution Sara Adams intended making to the conversation were these little tags on his comments.  He did a quick study of her face.  The large brown eyes flecked with gold that were her best feature, were laced with fear.  Her hair was scooped back; the color an indeterminate shade of brown close to his own. 

He needed someone tough to help him, not someone who looked as if she'd lose an arm wrestling competition with a will o' the wisp.  His gaze fell on his daughter's face.  For her sake, he had to give this meeting a try. 

"Kelsey had a fever last night," he said, in an effort to diffuse some of the tension.  "The medicine she just had at the doctor's office has made her sleepy."

"How old is she?"

"She turned two last month." 

"That's a cute age."

"Kelsey can't talk like other children her age."

He was obviously very sensitive about it.  The mix of pain and anger in Jason Graham's eyes made Sara wish her words unsaid. 

"I worked in a preschool for two years," she said.  "I knew a little boy who didn't say a word till he was three and a half.  A specialist told his mother some children are like that."

The look he gave her told her Jason Graham didn't feel comforted.  The anger in his eyes seemed to intensify.

Sara leaned back in her seat as the waiter placed their drinks and a huge basket of bread in front of them.

"Thanks, Peter.  We'll be ready to order in about twenty minutes."

"Sure thing Mr. G."

Catching the quick, scared look Sara Adams gave him as she picked up her drink, he wondered why she had placed an ad in a dating column.  He had to get this over with as quick as possible, and get Kelsey home and into bed.  Sara Adams had made an effort to come here, so the least he could do is talk to her and buy her dinner.

"You said on the telephone you haven't worked for a while because you've been taking care of your uncle?"

"Yes.  He died four weeks ago." 

"What was wrong with him?"

"He had a stroke three years ago that left him partially paralyzed, and another one ten months ago that left him bedridden."

That caught his interest.  Nursing an invalid took patience and loyalty.  If Sara Adams really possessed those two qualities his search had ended.  What did it matter what she looked like.  "Your ad also mentioned you don't mind travelling?"

"No.  I...I mean yes.  I...I mean...." The brow he lifted made Sara stop and swallow hard, before she said, "I don't mind travelling."

Jason Graham studied the fishing nets on the walls as if he'd run out of questions for the time being.  One look at his face told Sara she'd scored zero so far.

You've got to learn to sell yourself, kid, Claire had said, after Sara had returned from the last unsuccessful interview.  Self-promotion's the name of the game.

Failure loomed so close on the horizon she could almost reach out and touch it.  Desperation had her clearing her throat, and saying, "I'm very reliable and hard working.  You won't be disappointed, if you give me a chance."

Jason didn't miss the shake in her voice.  Was she that desperate to get married that she had to resort to pleading? 

"I'm a self starter, honest and punctual."

The anxious eyes that shied away from his, made him stop and think.  The woman across from him might be just what he was looking for after all.  For the past few weeks since he'd realized a business marriage might be the answer to his problems, Jason had considered the women he knew.  Most of the women in his circle reminded him of Diana.  He had no time for a demanding, spoiled wife, and he definitely didn't want any emotional entanglements of any kind this time around. 

It was very important that he remain the one in control of this strange situation from beginning to end.  He looked at Kelsey again and his misgivings were shoved aside.  His daughter came first.  A pang of guilt shot through him at the thought he might be taking advantage of her.  For a moment the ridiculous idea that Sara Adams was almost as vulnerable as Kelsey crossed his mind.  Though he had no other choice, he would make sure Ms. Adams got a good deal. 

Kelsey moved in her sleep, and Jason patted her till she'd settled down again.  A hand against her cheek told him her fever had receded.

"Is your passport in order?"  he asked.

Sara's breath caught in her throat.  Was he offering her the job after all?  "Yes.  I took a cruise to Europe with my uncle a year ago."

Jason nodded.  "Though this trip's only going to last six weeks, I live in England five months out of the year.  Will that bother you?"

"No."  A job on the moon wouldn't bother her.

"I use London as a base for my business in Europe.  Now a new market is opening up, which I'm interested in cornering."

"What business are you in?" 

Maybe Jason Graham just took a long time getting to the point. 

"I've developed a variation of the new electronic braking system being used in cars.  My company's in the fledgling stages.  To keep the overheads low, I do most of the marketing myself."

She knew very little about electronic brakes, but she was willing to learn.

"Do you really like children?"

It was an odd digression, but she supposed from the frequent glances he threw his daughter, that Kelsey was on his mind. 

"Yes."

Their gazes met and Sara looked away quickly.  There was something unnerving about Jason Graham's stare.  It was as if his gaze penetrated below the surface, probing the secret places in her mind. 

"I always take Kelsey with me when I travel."  He reached for a roll, and buttered it generously.

Some of the mystery began to clear as Sara pieced their oddly fragmented conversation together.  Jason Graham wanted someone to take care of Kelsey.  It was a far cry from the office job she wanted, but it had advantages she couldn't overlook.  Assuming Jason Graham wanted live-in help, even when he wasn't travelling, she wouldn't have to worry about the problem and expense of an apartment or food.  If she was careful with the money she made, she'd be that much closer to the freedom she dreamed of by the end of this job.

The decision made that beggars couldn't be choosers, Sara said, "You want me to watch Kelsey?"

Jason Graham frowned.  "I suppose there will be times when you might have to, but that's only part of it."

"Only part of it?"

"I need more than a baby-sitter.  Kelsey's mother, my wife Diana, died six months ago.  Now Diana's mother has suddenly decided she wants custody of Kelsey.  I love my daughter more than anything in the world.  To keep her, I have to prove I can provide a stable home background for her."

Sara nodded.  She was as stable as Mount Everest.  There was something she had to say, though.

"I need to have some time to myself."

He'd better make it clear this was not going to be the kind of marriage, she envisioned.

"You'll have plenty of time to yourself," he assured her.  "You'll have your own bedroom, and as much freedom as you want."

Sara frowned.  She'd taken it for granted she wouldn't be sharing a room with Kelsey, and caring for a two year old would hardly give her a great deal of free time.

"To get back to what I was saying," Jason Graham said, "The pediatric specialist says there's nothing wrong with Kelsey that time won't cure, but Dee Dee is trying to prove it's my lifestyle that's interfering with Kelsey's progress."

Sara's stomach contracted at the anger in Jason Graham's voice.  This was a different kind of anger from Uncle Samuel's uncontrollable fits of temper.  Jason Graham's anger was directed inward, not at her.  The tense mouth, the muscle that ticked so clearly in his jaw, told Sara, that deep down Jason Graham blamed himself for his daughter's condition.  Responding to his pain, came as naturally as breathing.