Sweet and Sassy Daddies

by Natalie Ann

  Especially after his wife’s death at the hands of a drunk driver.

  Chapter Three

  A week had passed since the day Noah and Lizzie had rescued their kittens. With pride and amusement, Daniel listened to his son’s conversation with Taco—a repetition of his own words.

  “No, Taco, you have to obey if you want me to trust you. You can’t go out of the kitchen.” Noah had proven to be an excellent dad to his pet, applying the same principles he’d received.

  While out of the house, they’d lock the kitten with his bed and litter box in the laundry room, where he could do no mayhem. To give him credit, Taco was a smart kitten and fast learner who quickly realized that his bed was more comfy than the cold tile, and a pee in the litter box didn’t leave an annoying smell around for the whole day. After a week, Taco was well trained and ready for the big outdoor training.

  “When are we taking him out, Daddy?”

  “Soon. Let’s give him a few more days.”

  “D’you hear that, Taco? You better drink your milk to grow up.” Educating his pet had changed Noah into an easier-to-handle son, more willing to understand and follow orders. To thank Taco for his good influence, Daniel suggested they buy him a toy. Noah jumped up and down at the idea of buying his baby his first toy.

  “Daddy, do you think Wendy is doing as well?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Can we call Lizzie and her mom and get together on Saturday?”

  “Good idea, buddy.” Daniel had been tempted to call Meredith several times during the week—practically every night. Especially after Noah went to bed, when Daniel would stop working, pour himself a Manhattan, and ponder her visit to his house last week.

  If she’d wanted to see him, wouldn’t she have called? Had she been waiting for him to make the first move?

  He’d been so busy last week, particularly with a hit-and-run case. The man seemed to have disappeared from the face of the earth. Too involved in his work, Daniel had almost forgotten to call Noah’s school and talk to his son at noon, as he did daily—an agreement he’d made with the director when he enrolled his son, a one-minute call to hear the boy’s cheerful voice and reassure himself Noah was doing well.

  Without hesitating any longer, Daniel placed the call to Meredith. “Hi, Meredith. How was your week?”

  “Great. And you?”

  “Quite busy. We’re taking Taco to the walk-in vet clinic. Would you like to join us with your kitten?”

  “Sure.”

  “And then can I take you all out for a late lunch?”

  “Huh... I just cooked a pan of lasagna. It’d be easier for me to bring it to your house. We can eat together, and the children will enjoy their kittens.”

  “Great idea.” Strange, it would have been easier for her to invite them to her place.

  Obviously she didn’t want them visiting. Did it have something to do with that Uncle Les? Daniel had developed an acute ability to read people, and it had become second nature for him to investigate any situation that looked questionable. Soon, he’d find out about the undesirable Uncle Les.

  “Where’s the vet clinic?”

  Daniel gave her the address. “Bring the kitten’s bed and litter box. See you at eleven at the vet.”

  “Perfect.”

  At 10:55, he waited in front of the vet’s with Noah, who held Taco securely in his arms. A few minutes later, Meredith parked and strolled toward them with Lizzie and Wendy. The children greeted each other with happy giggles. They all walked into the clinic, where the distinct odor of pets lingered. Lizzie stopped short at the sight of two German shepherds, and her kitten cringed in her arms.

  “Mommy, look at the big dogs.”

  “Don’t be scared, pumpkin.”

  One of the dogs barked. Lizzie snuggled against her mother’s pants, screaming.

  Daniel bent and lifted the girl and kitten into his arms. “They can’t reach you now. Feel better?”

  Lizzie wrapped one arm around his neck. “Thank you, Uncle Dany.”

  He kissed her temple. This little girl badly needed a father. “Are you scared, Noah?” he asked his son.

  “No, not with you here, Daddy.”

  “Thank you, Daniel.” Meredith offered him a grateful smile.

  “What’s the problem here?” a technician in a white coat asked.

  “We got these kittens last week. They need a check-up.”

  “I’m Susan, Dr. Ross’s nurse. I’ll take them to a room inside.” She reached for Wendy.

  “Can we come?” Noah asked.

  “If you want, but don’t interfere when the doctor examines the cats.”

  “You won’t hurt her?” Lizzie asked from the comfort of Daniel’s arms.

  “No, but it may annoy her. Is it a she?”

  Meredith and Daniel chuckled. “We have no idea,” she said. “We count on you to reveal the secret.”

  Susan overturned the golden kitten. “This one’s a girl.”

  “I told you Wendy is a girl.” Lizzie giggled.

  A worried frown on his forehead, Noah handed over his kitten. “And my Taco?”

  Holding Wendy under an arm, Susan turned the black kitten upside down. “A boy.”

  “Yeah.” Obviously relieved, Noah relaxed.

  They followed Susan to an examination room, and Daniel set Lizzie on the floor. “There’s no dog here.”

  A moment later, an older man came in and shook hands with the parents. “I’m Dr. Ross. Keep the kids on your laps, please. I’ll look at the black one first.”

  He examined Taco first, then Wendy. When he gave them their shots, the kittens shrieked, and Lizzie buried her head in her mother’s chest, crying.

  “I assume you don’t want more kittens around,” Dr. Ross said. “We’ll have to neuter and spay them eventually. They’re too young now.” He turned to the children. “Your kittens got their shots and may feel tired in the evening. Be extra nice to them today.”

  Lizzie sniffled and hugged her baby.

  A moment later, they left for Daniel’s house. While the kids carried their kittens, Daniel lifted Meredith’s food warmer and cooler from her trunk. “I thought you said you were only making lasagna.”

  She chuckled. “Lasagna and veggies in the warmer. Salad and dessert in the cooler.”

  “Can we let you prepare the food while we put the pets outside for a moment?”

  “Sure. I’ll set the table and warm the meal.”

  He called Noah and Lizzie. “Bring the kittens out. No need for the beds or boxes. Set them on the lawn in front of the house. Let them walk around, but watch them carefully.”

  On this gorgeous late-April day, the children had a ball, playing with their kittens for half an hour until Meredith called that lunch was ready.

  “Leave the kittens in their beds in the laundry room and wash your hands thoroughly,” Daniel instructed.

  “Yes, Daddy,” Noah said.

  “Yes, Daddy,” Lizzie repeated.

  Daniel glanced at Meredith, who’d come into the laundry room. For an awkward moment, her jaw sagged, and she remained speechless.

  “Should I correct her?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. Up to you. I taught her to say Uncle Dany, but she may want to imitate her friend Noah. Does it bother you?”

  “Not at all.” Daniel closed the door of the laundry room. “Your kittens are tired. They’ll rest while we eat.”

  He received a couple of replies of “yes, Daddy” that warmed him all over.

  Meredith served the children. “May I serve you?”

  “By all means.” Daniel brought glasses of milk for the kids. “A glass of wine?”

  “In general, I don’t drink when I’m with Lizzie, and I have to drive.”

  “You won’t have to drive for several hours.” He poured two glasses of Merlot, then lifted his glass for a toast. “To Wendy and Taco, who allowed us to get together.” He clanked his glass against Meredith’s and then against the t
wo glasses of milk, the children’s bubbly laughter filling him with joy. Noah had never been so relaxed.

  Enjoying the afternoon as much as his son, Daniel attacked his lasagna with gusto. “This lasagna is heaven, and the broccoli is delicious. Right, Noah?”

  “Right, Daddy.”

  Meredith had brought an ice cream cake she’d made herself and received an ovation for its delicious taste.

  “Can we go play with Wendy and Taco now?” Noah asked.

  “Sure. Is Wendy trained?”

  “Yes. She pees only in her box,” Lizzie assured him.

  “We had no accidents at our place,” Meredith added.

  “Then you can put their boxes here in the dining area and their beds in the family room while you play on the rug. But keep an eye on them.”

  With the children happily occupied, Daniel helped Meredith clear the table and placed the dirty plates in the dishwasher.

  “What happened to your older sister, the one who raised you and later married a powerful congressman?”

  “Nancy? Actually, she’s my half-sister. She’s still married to Howard Dutton. And now he’s a very powerful senator. They live in Boston, but I have a brother who lives in Cincinnati. How about you? Are your parents still in Columbus?”

  “My father passed ten years ago. My mother moved to Chicago.”

  They dried their hands and he suggested, “Can I give you a tour of the house?” He was ready to let her discover his private life. Would she mind sharing part of it?

  “I’d love to see it.”

  Chapter Four

  Curious to discover Daniel’s environment and learn more about his personality, Meredith followed him as they toured the first floor, the modern living room with white leather furniture, glass and bronze tables, and a couple of antique chairs. A credenza was adorned with a silver frame of a groom and bride beaming with happiness, and another with the young parents and their baby.

  On the buffet in the dining room, there were more portraits of the young woman. Daniel opened a door. “My office. I often work late at home after Noah goes to bed.” He waved to the desktop computer, laptop, and tablet occupying the impressive cherry-wood desk, but Meredith almost choked at the dozens of small frames spread here and there on the shining wooden surface—an altar to the departed wife he must have adored.

  Daniel ushered her toward an Oriental carpeted wooden staircase with a wrought-iron banister, and they climbed up to the second floor. “This is Noah’s room.”

  She admired the boyish blue room, where the walls were painted with wild animals and the white wood furniture was simple and practical. A large blackboard affixed on the wall displayed a few words in capital letters.

  “Every day, I write a few words for him to learn. I’m not counting on any teacher for his education.”

  What a wonderful father. “I should start doing the same.”

  He paused at the door of a large room. “The master suite.” He rapidly opened and closed the door, allowing her a quick glimpse of the elegant room before they moved on to another room further down the hall. “This is a guestroom and that one is my room.” He ushered her in.

  “Your room?” A plain room with no decoration at all. No frames, no personal touches.

  “That’s where I sleep. It’s closer to Noah’s room.”

  Oh God, he’d stopped sleeping in his master bedroom since...

  Suddenly he spun and faced her, holding her at arm’s length. “I haven’t been with a woman since Connie passed.” His gorgeous hazel eyes burned with an intense fire. “But you’re different, Meredith. I’ve known you...forever...before her.”

  Meredith’s jaw dropped, her lips parted. “Dany,” she whispered, ready to kiss him and forget the world in his arms.

  But he held her firmly away from him. “Is there a man in your life, Meredith?”

  “No man in my life. No man in my heart.” Except you.

  “Who is Uncle Les?”

  “A good friend.”

  “How good a friend?”

  Inflexible and straightforward, as always, he wanted the truth, and she’d give it to him, a simple direct truth, only facts. She held his gaze. “We dated for a few months... five months, to be exact. He proposed, and I refused. At the time, I hadn’t yet recovered from my bitter divorce and an ex who didn’t want to recognize his daughter. Les insisted we remain friends. I didn’t mind. We went out, and he visited, on and off.”

  “He stayed over?” Daniel had no right to pry, but she’d answer all his questions, determined not to let him reach the wrong conclusion as he had years ago.

  “Yes, in the guestroom. Never with me after I refused to marry him. He became, and still is, a good friend. He helps when things break around the house, and I help him cope with some personal problems. Don’t forget I’m an experienced psychologist.” She smiled, praying he’d believe her.

  “I didn’t trust you years ago. And I regretted it for years.” A shadow of sadness darkened his eyes.

  “And now?”

  “I shouldn’t ask any questions. You’re a divorced woman, a single mom supporting your daughter, and you’re free to go out and date whom you want. But I’m dying to kiss you, Meredith.” He flashed his bone-melting smile. “And I want to make sure I won’t trespass on another man’s right.”

  “There’s no other man, Daniel. Kiss me and show me if it’s as good as in my dreams.”

  His grip on her shoulders softened, and his fingers skated along her neck in a warm caress and cupped her face. “No kidding. You have been dreaming about us kissing too?”

  “More than I care to admit.” She raised her head, wanting to read his thoughts. Would he trust her and kiss her? If she’d learned anything from the past, it was the fact that Dany O would never date a girl he wouldn’t fully trust.

  “When was the last time he visited?”

  “Who?”

  “Uncle Les.”

  Amazing, he was still dwelling on that issue. “The last time he stopped by, a month ago, he said he wouldn’t come again until he’d solved his problem. I haven’t seen him since then, and he never called.” She shrugged. “You know what, Daniel, let’s go back downstairs.”

  “Sorry I killed the mood.”

  “Yes. Is that how you treat the women you want to kiss?” she snapped, and turned her back to leave his room, her heart aching with an inexplicable feeling of emptiness.

  He snorted. “You were the first woman I was ever attracted to, a long time ago.” He came up behind her as she reached the door and pulled her against him. “And you’re the first since I became a widower,” he muttered against her hair.

  “What do you want from me, Daniel?” She sighed, his warm breath tickling her ear, sensitizing her flesh.

  His arms wrapped around her waist, pressing her hard against him, and his lips brushed a trail of kisses along her jaw, her cheek, her temple. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since the minute we met in the parking lot of the school.”

  Her heart skipped a beat. “Me too.”

  He turned her around in his arms and crushed her mouth, molding his lips to hers, invading her mouth, teasing her tongue. It wasn’t the awkward kiss of an eager teenager, but the unleashed passion of a grown man who’d been deprived of love for too long.

  “Daniel,” she whispered when he released her mouth, and she inhaled a deep breath. Dany O, the cute, lanky boy of her youth, had morphed into a strong, handsome man that she was falling in love with.

  His arms cuddling her against him, he kept his chin pressed to her temple. “I’m sorry I asked too many questions. Call it a lawyer’s professional habit. I’m so attracted to you, Meredith, I want to make sure I have the green light before…before…” He pulled back and captured her eyes, his one-of-a-kind, sweet and sexy smile mesmerizing her. “You know what I mean…”

  “Before falling in love?”

  “Exactly. You’re a good psychologist.”

  She didn’t answer,
but cradled his cheeks and kissed him. Then she laced her fingers at his nape and studied him. “Can we take it one day at a time until you learn to trust me?”

  “Don’t I trust you?”

  “Not enough. Not completely.” He’d reject her on the spot if he heard some well-concealed details that she wasn’t at liberty to disclose.

  “Meredith, I want you back in my life. You, and your adorable Lizzie, and even Wendy.”

  She burst out laughing and eased away. “We’ll need careful planning every time we get together.”

  “Can I count on you to be our social director?” He let her go but kept a hand on her back as they exited his room.

  So he’d follow her lead, take one day at a time, and let her set the pace of their relationship. Maybe it was his way to show he trusted her. Or maybe it was his way of studying her.

  In the family room, they found the kids playing together, their kittens napping in their beds.

  “Daddy, Taco and Wendy are sleeping too much. Are they sick?”

  “No, but the doctor said the shots he gave them would make them drowsy. Do you want to take them out now?”

  “Sure. Wake up, lazy-bones.” Without pity, Noah grabbed Taco and shook him. The kitten meowed and showed his claws.

  “Easy on him, Noah. Don’t get him upset. He shouldn’t get his claws out on you. Train him to love you and trust you.”

  Meredith stifled a smile. Great advice she should put into practice with Daniel.

  Train him to love her and trust her.

  Lizzie looked at Noah and his dad, then caressed her kitten. “Come, Wendy sweetie. We’re going out for a walk,” she said in a soft voice. The kitten purred and rubbed against her arm.

  Wow, that was how Meredith should act. With caresses and sweet words, could she have Daniel purr, or rather moan, in her arms?

  After half an hour of outdoor play, Lizzie yawned and declared that Wendy was tired, and they returned to the kitchen. Daniel baked a frozen pepperoni pizza for dinner, and Meredith prepared a fruit salad for dessert. By seven o’clock, she decided it was time to go home. “Lizzie, let’s say goodnight.”