Because of You : A single dad romance

by Fabiola Francisco

  Not wanting to think about that, I pay attention to the show playing on the TV, grateful the medicine I’m taking helps ease the discomfort I’m feeling.

  A loud knock on my door sounds after a few episodes, and I remain still. When it echoes around my house again, I groan and stand, making my way to the front door. I freeze when I look through the peephole and run a hand through my tangled hair. I undo the bird nest-looking bun and tie my hair back up before opening the door.

  “Hey.” I look at Sawyer with a racing heart and furrowed eyebrows. He stands before me, assessing me from top to bottom and holding a paper bag.

  “Hi, sorry… I didn’t really think this through. I swear I don’t normally show up at women’s houses unannounced. Just wanted to make sure you were really okay and bring you some soup.” He lifts the paper bag with a nervous smile.

  My messy hair and rumpled pajamas are forgotten as I look at him and smile. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.” My shoulders drop.

  “I know. I wanted to.” He shrugs as if it were no big deal.

  “Come in.” I open the door and close it quickly, wondering if any of my neighbors saw him walk in. “The place is a bit of a mess,” I apologize, eyeing the empty soup bowl on the coffee table and a few crumbled tissues next to it.

  “Understandable considering the circumstances.” He looks around shyly. “Anyway, how are you feeling?” His eyes narrow as he scans my face.

  “Better. I was able to shower and have some leftover soup earlier. I’m calling that a win right now.”

  Sawyer chuckles and takes a seat on the couch, placing the bag on the coffee table. “I wanted to make sure you got something in your system. The medication is strong, so you shouldn’t skip meals.”

  “Thank you again. Where’s River?” I realize it’s late afternoon.

  “He’s with a sitter Dr. Foster recommended. I had some later appointments today.”

  Convenient.

  “Do you want something to drink? Tea, coffee, water? I may have some Coke, too.” I throw on my southern hospitality hat, realizing I didn’t even offer him to sit. He took it upon himself to do so. We can blame the flu combined with my shock at seeing him here for my lapse in judgment.

  “I’m okay.” Despite his response, I move to stand. Sawyer holds my hand and tugs me down. “Really, I am.” He nods.

  “I insist. I’d make tea for myself if that makes you feel better.” I offer a winning smile.

  He chuckles and nods. “I’ll help you.”

  Without arguing, I stand and lead him to my kitchen, grabbing two mugs once he assures me that tea is perfect. I’ve never met a man who drinks tea, and that makes me like him even more.

  Sawyer and I move around the kitchen in perfect harmony, me filling the mugs with hot water from the kettle and him placing the tea bags in the steaming mugs. After adding honey, we sit back on the couch, and I turn off the television.

  “I know me being here might be against the rules…” he starts. “I just,” he takes a deep breath and runs a hand through his hair, “I wanted to see you.”

  I smile into my mug before taking a sip of my tea. “I’m glad you’re here. I don’t really know what the rules are, but it is a little complicated, huh?”

  “Yes, but I like you.” Sawyer doesn’t hide behind flowery words. He says exactly what he feels without any runaround, and my heart leaps.

  “I like you, too, but…” I shrug.

  “I know, I know. I wish you wouldn’t have run off that night in Nashville. Maybe if we’d talked some more, we would’ve realized we were going to be living in the same town. Things would be different?” This last phrase lingers like a question.

  “Maybe,” I agree.

  “All I know is that I can’t stop thinking about you, and knowing you’re so close makes it even harder to forget.” I inhale his words, wearing them like the most comfortable pair of sweatpants I own.

  “I was struggling to forget about it before you showed up in my classroom,” I admit. “There’s definitely no forgetting about it when I see you almost every day, but River…” I leave the rest unspoken when he nods in understanding.

  He places the mug on the table and slides his hand up the side of my face, his fingers tangling in my hair. He leans forward, kissing my forehead. I sigh and relax.

  I’ve never wanted to get to know a man as much as Sawyer. I want to spend time with him, learn his passions, hear about his past, find out what makes him wild. I want to kiss him and feel his arms around me.

  “Maybe we can make this work?” I hear the question in his voice. “We can spend time together before telling anyone and see what we have.”

  I find myself nodding, sure we can pull this off. The smile Sawyer gives me is enough for me to nod a million times more. His eyes light up, and he brushes his lips against my forehead again. Then, he looks at me with furrowed brows.

  “You’re starting to run a fever again.” He stands, walking to my kitchen.

  I don’t move as I hear him open drawers and turn on the water. He returns with a dampened towel that he places on my forehead.

  “I’m going to let you get some rest. Have the soup.” He gives me a pointed look.

  “I will.” I nod to assure him.

  “We’ll talk.” He smiles that award-winning smile again, and I walk him to my door.

  “Bye, Ada. I mean it, call if you need anything. I’m sure you’ve got family and friends, but I am a doctor,” he winks.

  I chuckle and nod. “I wouldn’t mind a house call.” I return the wink, causing him to groan. Thankfully, my spirits are up at the moment.

  After he leaves, I basically float back to the living room and grab the mugs, placing them in the dishwasher. I feel like I’m on cloud nine, dreaming of a handsome man willing to sweep me off my feet.

  chapter 7

  Sawyer

  “Dad? Dad!” My eyes snap to the rearview mirror to look at River.

  “Yeah?” I focus back on the road.

  “Were you listening to me?”

  “Sorry, buddy, I have a lot on my mind.” I sigh, running a hand through my hair and stopping at a stop sign. “What’s going on?” My real distraction is Ada. She’s been taking up residence in my head for longer than I should admit, but recently she’s all I can think about.

  “Pete invited me to his house this weekend.”

  “For a playdate?” I ask.

  River blows out a breath and says, “Playdates are for little kids. I’m not little anymore. Just to hang out.”

  His words sucker punch me, and if the car wasn’t still stopped, I would’ve slammed on my brakes. “Right. Well, I’ll have to talk to Pete’s parents, make sure it’s okay.” And that they’re decent people to watch over my son. I don’t say that out loud, but I definitely think it. I’m careful who River spends time with since he’s still young. When he’s grown, he can make his own decisions.

  “Okay.” He seems happy with that response and leans back in the seat, humming along to the song on the radio.

  I am glad that he’s making friends and adjusting well to Springville. If River does go to a friend’s house, I wonder if Ada would be free. I can look on the bright side of this.

  As soon as we get home, River sits at the kitchen table to do his homework, and I serve him a glass of juice and a snack.

  “What are you working on today?” I sit beside him, looking over his homework.

  “I need to write sentences with my spelling words, do a math page, and a reading worksheet.”

  “That’s not too bad.” I stand and begin prepping supper.

  “Nope. If I finish quickly, can we play catch?” He looks at me with bright eyes.

  “Yeah, buddy.” I ruffle his hair, earning me a long-drawn Dad before he gets to work.

  I busy myself in the kitchen, prepping the chicken breasts we’re having and turning on the oven for the broccoli I’ll be roasting. At River’s request, we put on music, and I’m reminded of th
e days Tessa was alive, and we’d cook together. A sad smile takes over. After years, it’s become easier living without her, but I still miss her, and I’ll always love her.

  When my phone rings, I reach for it and answer the unfamiliar number. I step out of the kitchen, so I don’t distract River.

  “Hello? Dr. Brooks?”

  “Yes, hello…” I wait for the woman to speak.

  “Hi, I’m Anne, Pete’s mom. Pete would like to have River over on Saturday. I know the boys talked about it at school, but I wanted to personally call.”

  “He did mention something. I just want to make sure you’ll be home as well.”

  “Yes, both my husband and I will be home. We never leave Pete alone, and we’re always around.”

  After agreeing to meet in person at dismissal tomorrow and getting a good feeling from her, I agree to let River go over Saturday afternoon. He knows that if he feels uncomfortable or wants to leave early, he can always call me.

  River gets excited when I tell him he’ll be able to see his friend this weekend, and I start coming up with a plan to see Ada. Guilt creeps up on me for keeping this a secret, but some things are better this way. River is still young, and I want to make sure a relationship is going somewhere before bringing him into the mix and risking him getting hurt or confused if it doesn’t work out.

  After dinner and playing catch, River’s in bed and I’m sitting on the couch, scrolling through the television channels. I reach for my phone and press on Ada’s name, wanting to talk to her instead of writing messages.

  “Hello?” Her soft voice comes through the earpiece speaker.

  “Hey, how are you feeling?” I’ve missed seeing her at dismissal this week, but I’m hoping she’ll be better by Saturday. She should be, but that won’t mean she’ll be up for a date.

  “So much better. I barely had a fever today, so I’m hoping to go into work tomorrow.”

  “If you’re still not one-hundred-percent, stay home tomorrow, and you’ll go back on Monday.”

  “I hate that I’ve missed three days already.”

  I smile, liking how much she cares about her job. “I know you do.”

  Before I can ask her about Saturday, she asks, “So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this phone call?”

  I hear the smile in her voice and can’t help my own. “I’ll admit I do have a selfish reason for calling,” I pause. I’d say there’s no going back after I ask her out, but the truth is that I’m already hooked on her. “I’d love to see you this weekend. Saturday afternoon, if you’re completely over the flu, of course.” My heart races. I haven’t been this nervous about asking a woman out in a long time, since Tessa, but I shelve that thought.

  “Saturday afternoon?” Ada questions, her tone sprinkled with confusion.

  “Yeah, I was thinking we could grab lunch. River has a playdate—”

  Her throaty laughter interrupts me. “So you want your own playdate?” she teases.

  I chuckle and scrub a hand along my cheek. “I want to see you.”

  “I think we can make that work. That is if my doctor allows me to rejoin the land of the living.”

  “I’m pretty sure I could convince him.” The idea of role-playing has me hardening in my pants.

  “I bet you can,” she jokes. “I’d love to go out with you, but…” I sit straighter when she pauses. “I think we should go out of Springville to avoid any issues if people see us together.”

  “I already thought of that. I’m going to search for a few ideas around here.” I sigh in relief. I have a feeling I won’t want our date to end.

  “I know the perfect place.”

  “Really?” I smile.

  “Yup.”

  “Are you gonna tell me?” I fish for more information.

  “Nope.”

  “Well, would I still be able to pick you up?” There’s no way I want to go in separate cars. The more time I can get with her, the better.

  “You better. I expect the full date package.”

  Although she’s teasing me, I say, “Trust me, you’ll be getting it all and asking for more.”

  I hear a small gasp and grin with pride.

  “Watch it, or you may not be able to get rid of me so easily.”

  “If I had thoughts of getting rid of you, I wouldn’t ask you out. I’ve learned to appreciate the people I want in my life before it’s too late.”

  “Sawyer…” She may not know what happened to Tessa, but she could probably decipher my words.

  Before I can add anything else, I hear River calling me from the hallway. “I gotta go. Get rest and keep taking the medicine. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I whisper.

  “Goodnight.”

  Hanging up the phone, I go in search of River and find him standing by my bedroom door. His hair’s a mess, and his eyes are squinted. He rubs one with his fist before saying, “I had a bad dream. Can I sleep in your bed?”

  “Of course, buddy.” I kiss the top of his head and help him into the bed before getting ready myself. Lying in bed, my son curled into me, I know I’ll never do anything that will risk his happiness. I need to figure out if and how a woman fits into our lives and the best way to allow her in.

  chapter 8

  Ada

  I fidget as my trembling hands mess with my top. I keep fixing it when there’s nothing wrong, but I need something to distract me while I wait for Sawyer to pick me up. I’m a combination of nerves and excitement. The last thing I expected when he called was for him to ask me out.

  I ended up staying home from work yesterday to make sure I’d be feeling completely healthy today. Slight guilt swept in when I let our administrator know I wouldn’t be going into work, but I did have a low fever coming and going, so better safe than sorry, right? I rationalized it all night, but eventually, my desire to go out with Sawyer won out.

  A loud knock echoes around my house, and I look at myself in the mirror, making sure the bit of makeup I put on is okay. I don’t need much more than concealer, some bronzer, mascara, and my favorite blush pink matte lipstick. Smiling to my reflection, I grab my purse from my bed and prepare to meet Sawyer.

  I smile when I open the door and find him running a hand through his hair. My eyes sweep down his body from the red and white plaid shirt that looks like he quickly rolled the sleeves up—giving him a rugged vibe—to his dark jeans and boots.

  His greens eyes light up as they do their own perusal down my black, satin camisole with lace trim on the top and a beige knitted cardigan along with my faded ripped jeans.

  When Sawyer meets my eyes again, he says, “You look beautiful.” My heart speeds up, and butterflies roam wild in my stomach.

  “Thank you.”

  He kisses my cheek and squeezes my hip. “Are you ready?”

  My body tingles at the contact, a fire lighting inside of me.

  “Yeah.” I lock up and following him to his car, smiling when he opens the door for me.

  “Where to?”

  I guide him with directions until we’re leaving Springville and taking the long route to a drive-in diner in a neighboring town. It’s one of my favorite places—a time machine to the 50s—with the best milkshakes in the entire state. It’s nothing fancy, but I hope Sawyer likes it.

  “I’m glad you’re feeling better.” He smiles as he focuses on the road ahead. We’re taking a winding backroad with vast land and shrouded with tall pines. Roads like this bring me peace.

  “Me too,” I sigh. No way did I want to miss the chance to spend time with Sawyer.

  “Who is River’s playdate with?” I realize I never asked, and I’m curious if it’s one of my students or someone else.

  “Pete,” Sawyer glances my way quickly. “He’s in your class.”

  I nod. “I know Pete. He’s a good kid. He and River clicked right away. I’m happy to hear that they’re becoming good friends.”

  “I’m glad to hear he’s a good kid. I didn’t know him or his mom much, but after talking
to her, she seemed responsible enough.”

  “You have nothing to worry about.” I never thought I’d date a man who already has a child, although it’s endearing to see this side of him. It’s obvious that Sawyer is a great dad, and River is proof of that. He’s kind, polite, and considerate in class. You don’t always find kids like that nowadays.

  “What made you want to become a teacher?” he asks.

  “Take the next left,” I instruct before answering his question. “I can’t say I had a big aha moment. I love working with kids and watching them grow and learn. It just made sense.”

  “It seems like you made the right choice. The kids adore you. I can tell you River is happy you’re his teacher.”

  “The feeling is mutual.” I shift in the seat, keeping my purse on my lap and give him a few more directions to the diner. “What made you want to move to Springville?”

  Sawyer shakes his head and shrugs. “It was a good opportunity. I guess it was time for a change, and I like that River will get to grow up in a small town the same way I did. It’s just more wholesome, you know? If I had waited until River was older, he’d probably resent me for taking him away from his friends, or I wouldn’t have gone through with it.”

  “That makes sense,” I nod. Curiosity about his wife taps me annoyingly, but I brush it away. He’ll tell me when he’s ready to.

  “And I guess it was in the cards that the mysterious Amanda Bynes from Nashville lives here, too.” He looks at me with a smile.

  I giggle and shake my head, blushing. “I can’t believe I told you that was my name.”

  “It was all in good fun, although it made it impossible to find anything about you.”

  I turn to look at him with a raised brow. “Were you trying to stalk me?” I tease.

  “Not stalk,” he shakes his head. “We have a lot of technology and ways of finding people nowadays. Had I found you on social media, I could’ve asked you out.”