by Natalie Ann
Daniel had them sit around the table, with the soil basket at the children’s feet. Curiously, Meredith surveyed the surroundings from her place. On the granite bar, she noticed two wide silver trays, one garnished with bottles of scotch and various alcoholic drinks, and the other holding different-size glasses. And at the end of the bar, a large silver frame held a photo of a beautiful young woman with a baby in her arms.
His wife? Where was she now?
“Noah, before I buy anything for the kitten, before I completely agree to keep it, we have to make a deal.”
“But Daddy, we already made a deal, and I promised.” Noah pouted.
“Yes, but we’ll have to set some rules. I’ll write them on the blackboard for you to remember.”
“Okay.” Noah huffed in relief.
“Rule number one: the kitten is limited to the laundry room and kitchen until fully trained. We don’t want bad-smelling accident on the rugs.”
“Okay, Daddy. And when he’s trained?”
“When he’s trained, he can come to the family room and dining area, and in the basement playroom. Nowhere else. Not in the living room, dining room or my office. And not upstairs in any room. Understood?”
“Yes, Daddy.”
“When the kitten is older, we’ll take him out and train him to stay the yard. We don’t want him to get lost or hurt by other animals.”
“Sure. Anything else, Daddy?”
“No. Do we have a deal?” Daniel lifted a fist.
“Yes, deal.” Noah punched his father’s fist.
With a bit of envy, Meredith smiled at the effortless connection between father and son. She wished Lizzie could be as easy to convince. Maybe if they spent more time together, Noah would prove to be a good example for her challenging daughter.
In the end, the thorny kitten-adoption episode had ended on a positive note. Meredith had reconnected with her first boyfriend, now a smashing man who’d filled his tall skin-and-bones frame with hard muscles. His greenish hazel eyes projected a deep, penetrating gaze, and his angular profile had smoothed with fuller cheeks and lips. Yet apparently, his character hadn’t changed much. He was still a disciplined guy who lived by the strict principles he’d set for himself and others.
“Noah, you’ll be the kitties’ daddy, and I’ll be their mommy,” Lizzie decided with her assertive tone.
“Good idea. You bring Wendy when you visit, and I’ll bring Taco when I go to your house. Daddy, can Taco and I visit Lizzie and Wendy?”
So the children planned to visit. What would Daniel think of that?
Daniel flashed his suave smile that jarred her nerves a hundred times more effectively than in the past. “If Lizzie’s mom invites you.”
She felt her cheeks warm and chuckled. “Lizzie’s mom would love to invite you all—Noah, Taco, and their dad.”
“Thank you.”
“Daniel, I’ll stay here while you get the litter boxes. But please let me pay for my kid’s supplies.”
“No way. It’s nothing. Be back in a few minutes.”
He returned soon enough and set the two litter boxes in the kitchen.
“One’s for Wendy and one’s for Taco. I also bought two cat beds and kitten food.” He opened a big plastic bag and dug out a pink bed he handed Lizzie, and a blue bed he gave to his son.
Delirious, the children squealed.
“So pretty. Look, Wendy, how soft it is.” Lizzie set her kitty in its bed and dropped to the kitchen floor next to her.
With more control, Noah threw his arms up and hugged his dad. “Thank you, Daddy.”
Meredith frowned at her daughter. “Lizzie, aren’t you supposed to say thank you to Mr. Daniel?”
“Thank you,” Lizzie threw over her shoulder.
Mortified by her daughter’s bad manners, Meredith pulled her off the floor. “Say thank you the right way.”
“I did—”
“We say thank you with a hug, Lizzie,” Noah corrected his friend.
“Okay. Thank you, Mr. Daniel, for the pretty pink bed and the litter box.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, and Daniel stroked her head.
“You’re welcome, Lizzie. If you want your kitten to visit here, remember the rules. I’m sure your mom will set similar rules in your house.”
“Only Uncle Les sets rules. But Mommy doesn’t like them.” Lizzie returned to her kitten.
Meredith felt Daniel’s questioning gaze and hardly suppressed a curse. Too polite to inquire about personal matters, her host remained silent.
Why did her daughter have to mention the wrong name at the wrong time?
Chapter Two
Who was Uncle Les? The question swirled in Daniel’s mind for a moment. He hadn’t seen Meredith after their graduation from high school. And they hadn’t talked since the day he’d confronted her about gossip reported by his best friend.
Someone had seen her kissing Jeremy Dodd, the football star and class golden boy. She hadn’t denied it but came up with an excuse that Daniel had refused to accept. He’d suggested they break up, and she’d turned her back and strode away.
Through the school grapevine, he’d heard she’d dated Dodd until graduation, and then Dodd had joined an Ivy League college on a football scholarship, and she’d left Columbus. Recently, Dodd had returned to Columbus as a football coach at Ohio State University. To his chagrin, Daniel had run into his former rival a few times at important functions, but barely talked to him.
What had happened to Meredith? Where had she gone to college? Who had she married?
Maybe if he talked about himself, Meredith would share things.
“To think we’ve been living five minutes away but never bumped into each other.”
“How long have you been in this house?” She lifted her eyebrows, her gaze roaming over him curiously.
She too was interested in personal details. “Nine years. My wife and I bought it three years after we got married. Connie spent many hours planning, furnishing, decorating. She wanted our children to grow up in the right environment.” Wetness tickled his eyes when he delved into special memories. “Unfortunately, she didn’t have time to enjoy the beautiful house.”
“What happened?” Meredith asked in a soft voice.
“A drunk driver entering the highway through the exit. She was killed instantly. At thirty-three.” He choked on the last words and focused on the picture adorning the bar.
“I’m so sorry, Dany.”
“We were both lawyers. She took a leave of absence after she gave birth to Noah. He was only two when she died. After her death, I dedicated my life to two goals, raising my son the way Connie wanted, and sending the damned drunk killers in this state to prison.”
He heard her quick intake of breath. “Oh, God.”
“I’m sorry I depressed you with my sad story. Can I offer you a coffee?”
“No, thank you. I have my bottle of water.” She drank a long gulp.
“What about you, Meredith? Where did you go after high school?”
Hesitating, she averted her gaze and glanced at her daughter sitting on the tile floor next to Noah, both happily occupied with the kittens. “After high school?”
Was she giving herself time to concoct a fake story like the one she’d served him in high school?
Irritated by the bitter memory, he blurted, “Last I knew, you were dating our football star, Big Dodd.”
Simmering with confusion and a myriad of emotions, her dark blue eyes rose to meet his gaze. And he immediately regretted his rudeness.
“Yes, I dated him until graduation. Until he dumped me and went to Yale.” The tensing of her jaw betrayed her deep frustration.
“The perfect egocentric jerk.” Daniel’s mouth twisted wryly. “How about you? Which college did you attend?”
“University of Louisville. I lived with my grandmother for a couple of years. Got my BA, and then I enrolled in a master’s program in psychology at Northwestern University in Chicago. And I got a good job
with a group of psychologists.”
He’d have expected her to attend an Ivy League college. She was a smart girl, one of the top students in their class, and her wealthy parents had often bragged about their bright girl.
“And Lizzie?” Daniel glanced at the little girl.
“Eight years ago, I married a businessman much older than me, with a great position. We fell in love, married in Las Vegas, and he spoiled me.” Her voice sounded too subdued for a woman who had fallen in love. “Steve Homer already had two grown-up boys by a previous marriage, both in college. Too late, he confessed that he really didn’t want another kid. And I was dying to have a child. Unfortunately, he thought his status and money allowed him to make a pass at every pretty woman he met.”
“Bad... What did you do?”
“After three years, I was fed up and sent him packing. He signed the divorce papers right away, saying that I didn’t excite him anymore. When I found out I was pregnant, I asked my company for a transfer to Cincinnati, bought my little house, and had my baby. We’re very happy on our own, my daughter and I.”
“You didn’t tell him about his daughter?”
“Not right away. He’d have suggested an abortion. But when Lizzie turned two, I wrote him an email and asked him if he’d like to meet her. I didn’t put any demands on him.” She shrugged with a grimace of dismay.
“Let me guess. He refused to believe you?”
“Exactly. According to him, it was a bad joke, a bold attempt at throwing some loser’s kid on him. As if I could do something as despicable.” A tremor touched her smooth lips.
His brow wrinkled with contemptuous thoughts about her former husband and her appalling taste in men. “And then?”
“He called me a year later to ask me if I was sure the child was his. I said I was absolutely sure. The year after, he called again.”
“No kidding. What did he want?”
“Apparently, he felt bad. He wouldn’t want to reject his own daughter if he really had one. He warned me he’d find out the truth. Two months later, he called again. He’d sent a detective to take pictures of the child and then came to Cincinnati himself to see Lizzie. Although she didn’t look anything like him, the detective had assured him she was probably his daughter. And he had a lot to think about. He said he’d get back to me. But I haven’t heard from him in the last six months.”
“And now?”
“Now Lizzie and I are living happily together.”
Meredith didn’t bring up the Uncle Les mentioned by Lizzie, and Daniel didn’t inquire. Was he a current flame or a previous boyfriend?
Each with a kitten in their laps, the children were playing with a box of Lego that Noah had fetched from an antique chest sitting under a window.
“Look at them. Noah has never sat in one place for long. I think the kittens may turn out to be a plus in our lives.”
An evocative smile hovered on Meredith’s lips. “They allowed us to reconnect. A good outcome to boast for these kittens.”
He nodded, although he was surprised that she’d suggest a renewed relationship. Or would she consider a few dates?
Time would tell. For the moment, she didn’t seem in a rush to leave.
“We should get together again soon,” he said in an attempt to gauge her reaction.
“The children would enjoy it.”
“How about you, Meredith?” he snapped more forcefully than he’d intended.
“I’d be happy to go out with you and our kids, Daniel.” She broke into an open, friendly smile that bedazzled him. “And if you need babysitting at any time, let me know. My working hours are flexible.”
“I’ll keep your offer in mind.” He flashed an easy but thoughtful smile. “Where do you work?”
“I have an office in a doctors’ building in Kenwood, and I’m a consultant for the All Saints school, which is why I chaperoned during the field trip. Lizzie goes to a daycare close to my office.”
“Noah is in kindergarten now.” Suddenly he remembered his son hadn’t eaten his dinner and went to warm his food in the microwave. “Noah, here are your nuggets and fries,” he said. “You never had a chance to eat them.”
“Lizzie shared hers with me in the bus. I’ll share these with her. Can we bring the kittens into the dining area while we eat?”
“Better leave them in their beds in the kitchen. They have their litter boxes close by.” He hoped his son wouldn’t protest.
“Okay, Daddy.” Noah was determined to be a good boy for the sake of his kitten.
Not convinced, Lizzie looked at him. “We have to leave them alone in the kitchen?”
“No problem. We’ll watch them from the table. This way, they won’t cause a mess.” Lizzie frowned, and Noah added, “Remember we made a deal with Daddy.”
“Yes, but...”
“No buts. A deal is a deal. If you don’t keep it, you can’t come here anymore.”
“I want to come.”
“Then you follow the rules like me.”
She huffed. “O—kay.”
Daniel brought them cookies for dessert and chocolate milkshakes, and offered Meredith fruit and cake. “We haven’t exchanged phone numbers yet.”
She recited hers and he entered them in his contact list. And then he gave her his numbers.
By seven o’clock, Noah yawned.
Daniel didn’t hesitate to say, “Time to prepare for bed, buddy.”
“Lizzie, we should leave now. Let’s bring your kitten’s stuff to the car.”
“But Mommy, I wanna stay.”
“No, Lizzie. Noah has to go to bed as his dad said.”
“But...”
“Noah will help you carry your thing to the car,” Daniel suggested.
“You carry the kitty in her bed, Lizzie. It’s not heavy.” Pleased with himself, Noah grabbed the litter box.
Daniel sat the little girl in her seat, buckled her, and placed the kitten in its bed on the floor and the litter box next to it.
“Thank you for coming, Meredith. I’ll call you soon.”
“It was great seeing you again, Dany.” The warmth of her smile echoed in her voice.
And it was great hearing her calling him Dany so easily. The pretty high school teenager had turned into a gorgeous woman. She’d mellowed too, as if life had taught her a few hard lessons.
***
At home, Meredith breathed with relief at the sight of the deserted kitchen, still in good shape.
“Where do I put my kitten, Mommy?”
“In the kitchen. You heard Noah’s daddy saying it’s the best place until the kitten is trained.”
“If I leave her in the kitchen, would Uncle Les hurt her?”
Good question. Meredith sighed.
“I don’t think Uncle Lester will come back soon.”
Worry for her daughter and pity for the man who’d been a dear friend for two years warred in her heart. Frustrated by a situation she didn’t understand and couldn’t solve, she huffed.
“You sure, Mommy? Uncle Les will not kick Wendy when he’s mad?”
On two occasions, Meredith had had to lock herself with Lizzie in her room and call the police. Lester had spent a night in jail, where he’d sobered up. And returned the next day with a bouquet of flowers for Meredith and a toy for Lizzie, begging Meredith to forgive him. But Lizzie had been badly shaken when witnessing his violent outburst, groaning, banging on the fridge and doors, and breaking a couple of plates.
Anyhow, she’d better change the code on the garage keypad to avoid having him show up unexpectedly, in an out-of-control state.
“No, he won’t be able to come in,” she said with a firm voice that convinced Lizzie. Her pumpkin left the kitty in her bed, ran upstairs, and returned with her doll blanket.
“Nighty-nighty, Wendy.” She covered the kitten and bent to kiss her head.
Meredith switched off the lights.
“Leave a nightlight on, Mommy. Wendy may have nightmares in the dark.”
“Okay.” Relieved to see Lizzie going to bed without protesting as she did almost every night, Meredith turned on a nightlight. She held Lizzie’s hand to go upstairs, had her wash her hands and face, and changed her into her pj’s. The little girl drifted off the moment she lay down.
Once she made sure her daughter was asleep, Meredith went downstairs, changed the code on the keypad, and checked that the kitchen door and front door were securely locked. She didn’t think Lester would ever hurt her, but she’d rather not take any risks. No one could predict what alcohol could do to a man’s mind.
Meredith had met Mitchell Lester Connor at the plaza restaurant where he often ate alone. A serious, somewhat shy and boring accountant and auditor who’d never married, Les had been a good friend and a part-time lover.
Faithful to her pledge to never marry again after her divorce, Meredith had refused his marriage proposal. Lester hadn’t insisted and kept visiting, taking her out for dinner, acting the charming companion most of the time, when sober. But contrariety caused him stress and sent him to the bottle for solace. Alcohol had changed him into a violent, uncontrollable man who terrified Lizzie.
Last month, Lester hadn’t visited for two weeks, then he’d shown up one night, reeking of alcohol, completely inebriated. He’d blabbered that he didn’t know where to hide from the nasty prosecuting attorney determined to see him rot in prison for the rest of his life.
Unable to make sense of his groaning, Meredith had served him dinner and sent him to sleep in the guestroom. He’d left early in the morning, and she’d found his note on the kitchen countertop.
My dear Meredith,
So sorry. I’m in a mess. And may not come back until I clear it up.
Thank you for keeping me last night.
Love,
Lester
When Daniel had revealed his wife’s sad fate and his determination to send the damned drunk killers to prison, Meredith had cringed and remained silent.
She’d lost Daniel years ago because of an unworthy rival; she wouldn’t make the same mistake again. Daniel was a wonderful man any woman would love to snag and keep, but as a prosecuting attorney, he was even more inflexible than he’d been in his youth.
