The Daddy Coach

by Karen Muir

  Hours later in the dark, she was startled awake by the touch of a hand on her arm and warm breath on her cheek. Harry.

  She switched on the bedside lamp.

  “Call my dad.” Harry’s face was scrunched up, his cheeks flushed pink.

  She glanced at the digital bedside clock. 2:14 a.m. “Your dad’s sleeping. Can we wait just a bit?”

  “No. I want him now.” Harry’s eyes filled with tears, and she felt his brow. Still too warm. He crawled into her arms.

  “I want Daddy.” His voice wavered, and a tear rolled down his cheek.

  She’d never seen him cry, and it alarmed her. She reached for her cell. Hearing his dad’s voice might soothe Harry enough to go back to sleep.

  Will’s cell rang several times before a woman’s throaty voice said, “Hello.”

  She paused, thinking she’d dialed the wrong number. “I’m calling for Will.”

  “Oh, hi. Is this Gina? This is Bree.”

  Bree? What was she doing with Will’s phone? “I…didn’t know you were part of the reunion, too.”

  Bree’s laugh seemed overly perky, considering the late hour. “Wouldn’t miss it for the world. Most of the cheerleaders are here. Always loyal to our guys.”

  “Right.” Harry shifted in her arms, reminding her of why she’d called. “Is Will there?”

  “He stepped out for more ice. Should be back any minute.”

  More ice. Will and Bree were having drinks at 2:14 in the morning. Apparently sharing a room, the way lovers do. Pain sliced through her, and she closed her eyes for an instant then spoke briskly. “Harry’s not feeling well and wants to talk to Will. Please have him call.”

  “You bet. Poor little guy.” Bree’s sympathy sounded genuine.

  She hung up and began singing The Muffin Man, Harry’s favorite song since the day they’d baked muffins. He lay listlessly in her lap. Wiping his brow with a damp cloth, she pushed aside thoughts of Will and Bree together.

  He called soon after. “How’s Harry?”

  “He still feels too warm, and he wants you.”

  “Put him on.”

  “When are you coming home?” Harry’s tone was plaintive.

  He and Will spoke briefly, then Harry said, “Bye” and handed the phone to Gina. “He’ll be here tomorrow.”

  “Good.” Will was cutting his vacation short, like the good dad he was.

  Harry seemed comforted by his talk with Will. He lay down and quickly went to sleep.

  She turned out the light. Staring up into the darkness, she gave in to the hurt from moments ago when Bree had answered Will’s cell. He’d replaced her so quickly and easily, it bruised her inside. She’d never stood a chance of winning him back.

  She closed her eyes and braced herself for his return tomorrow. She must never let him see how much she still cared. With a smile for the boys and a handshake for him she would exit their lives with her head held high. Then deal with her broken heart in private.

  …

  Harry woke up hungry the following morning. His temperature was normal, and he and Ian helped her make waffles. Will called during breakfast to say he’d be home shortly after noon. The boys were so excited about his return, they bounded upstairs to dress quickly and even cleaned their room without being told.

  Gina cleared the breakfast dishes, hoping Bree would not come home with Will. Seeing the two of them together, knowing they’d been intimate, would magnify the hurt. She wanted to hate Bree but couldn’t. Bree was kindhearted and would be good to the boys, as would any woman Will brought into his life.

  When Harry and Ian came downstairs, she suggested they make a Welcome Home, Dad book and fill it with drawings of things they liked to do with Will. She got out crayons and blank papers, and the boys drew stick-figure scenes of tent camping and kite flying.

  They had just finished their lunch of tuna sandwiches and orange wedges when Will walked through the family room door. “Hello. Anybody home?”

  Ian and Harry shot toward him like twin torpedoes and jumped into his arms for hugs and smiles all around. After a moment, he set them down, fished two small stuffed dogs from his duffel bag, and handed one to each boy. “This makes you official members of the Husky fan club.”

  “Cool.”

  “Yaaay.”

  The boys wiggled with excitement, and she watched the tender scene with a smile. She loved this family and would miss them terribly.

  Will turned from the boys to look her way. “Hi, Gina.”

  The solemn man of days ago now stood grinning from ear to ear, like a man who’s spent the last three nights sharing a bed with his hottie girlfriend.

  “Welcome home. Did you have a good time?”

  Aaargg. Stupid question. She could cut out her tongue. Will’s good time was written all over his face.

  “Fantastic,” he replied.

  Harry retrieved the Welcome Home, Dad book and held it out to Will. “For you.”

  “Wow.” Will flipped carefully through the pages. “Let’s look at this together on the couch, as soon as I talk to Gina.”

  As the boys dashed for the couch, he crossed the room, still wearing that grin that would not die. Gina found his happiness infectious, even as it grated her soul. His high spirits sprang from another woman, yet she loved him too much to begrudge the gleam in his eyes. If Bree could put that carefree bounce in his step, then she wished the two of them all the best. But she would not stick around to watch.

  Will stopped directly in front of her, looking so vibrant and joyful, she couldn’t help smiling.

  “Thanks for agreeing to stay with the boys,” he said.

  “Thanks for asking me. We had fun.”

  “Finding someone you can trust is a priceless thing.”

  Trust? She caught her breath. Did he mean what she thought? She searched his eyes, no longer guarded, and there it was—the forgiveness she wanted so desperately. Relief swept through her, weakening her knees. Regaining Will’s trust meant everything, but when she tried to tell him, the words stuck in her throat.

  He laughed softly and touched her arm. “I want to spend a few minutes with Ian and Harry, but you and I need to talk. Promise me you’ll stay.”

  She nodded, not trusting her voice. Will sat down between his sons to examine their drawings in greater detail, and she watched the threesome in awe. Here was the family she’d never had, the family she loved most. She wanted to always remember them just this way. Sitting close, laughing and talking, their eyes lit with love.

  A real family now, they no longer needed her. Sticking around as Will asked would be awkward for them all. The boys didn’t need that, and neither did she. Wishing each of them a silent and heartfelt goodbye, she moved quietly to the door and slipped outside.

  …

  Her phone rang early the following morning.

  “You left.” Will sounded annoyed.

  “I had things to do.” Mostly lying awake and crying.

  “So come over now.”

  Repeat yesterday’s wrenching goodbye? No thanks. “Can we do this over the phone?”

  “No.” His tone was emphatic. “It’s important. Come now.”

  Her hand tightened on the receiver.

  “Please,” he urged.

  She sighed. Only a fool would subject herself to further heartache, but apparently that was her. “All right.”

  She pressed a cold washcloth to her tear-puffed eyes, pulled on jeans and a red sweatshirt with snowflakes, and an hour later knocked on Will’s door. He answered immediately. Also dressed in jeans and a rumpled gray sweatshirt, he apparently hadn’t had time to shave.

  “Did I wake you?” he asked.

  “No.”

  “Good. Thanks for coming.”

  “No problem.” Just tell me why I’m here. “Are the boys awake?”

  “No. They were up late. We went shopping.”

  “Oh.” She nodded, waiting for him to say something.

  He lifted his hand as if he
were about to speak, then let it fall.

  She shifted her weight. This was getting awkward. “What’s up, Will?”

  His mouth hitched. “It’s complicated.”

  She sighed. “Then I’ll need coffee.”

  “Gotcha.”

  She followed him to the kitchen, where he motioned her to a chair. “You like it black and really hot, right?”

  “Right.”

  He set two steaming mugs of coffee on the table and sat across from her. She took a cautious sip.

  He eyed her a moment before he spoke. “You may have gotten the wrong idea the night you called my cell and Bree answered.”

  She quickly put up her hand to stop him. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. I have no say in your life.”

  “It does matter, Gina, and I need to explain.”

  The steely look in his eyes said he meant to have his say. She nodded. “Okay.”

  He fingered the handle of his coffee mug. “Bree and I had a long talk about our lives.”

  “Um-hmm.” She so did not want to hear this.

  “She’s worried she’ll never find Mr. Right.”

  Gina frowned. “I thought you were her Mr. Right.”

  “We’re friends, and we care about each other. But the chemistry’s not there.” Arms braced on the table, he leaned toward her. “I’m actually in love with someone else.”

  Gina choked on her coffee. She couldn’t have heard that right. She plunked her mug down on the table, and hot liquid sloshed onto her thumb. “Ow! Damn.”

  Shaking her hand, she jumped up and hurried to the sink. Will was at her side to turn on the cold water. She eased her hand under it.

  He moved close beside her and slipped his palm under hers beneath the cooling stream. Staring down at their joined hands, she tried to ignore the heat of his body, pressed close to hers, and the sensual tug of his scent. His free hand caressed her shoulders and set her hormones ablaze. His voice rumbled soothingly in her ear. “I’ve got ointment upstairs that will take away the pain.”

  “No, I’ll be okay.” His caring touch worked way better than any pain reliever. “I’m not usually so clumsy.”

  His hand swept down to the small of her back. “You’re never clumsy. It’s my fault for startling you.”

  “I wasn’t startled.” Thunderstruck was a better word. “I was just…surprised. I thought you and Bree were madly in love.”

  “No. She broke up with her longtime fiancé, and she’s worried she’ll never find Mr. Right.”

  “I see.” But she didn’t. “So, why was she dating you?”

  “The breakup hit her hard, and she needed a friend. Someone to talk to.”

  She turned in his arms. “So you and Bree are just friends?”

  He nodded. “Good friends, but not a couple. Well…not since college.” He paused. “Does that count?”

  She thought about that. “Yes. I think it does.”

  “It was long before I met you.”

  She stilled at the sudden intensity in his eyes. “What has that got to do with it?”

  “Everything.”

  Scarcely breathing, she watched him turn off the water and reach for a kitchen towel to gently pat her hand dry. Finished, he tossed the towel on the counter and faced her, his thumbs hooked in his pockets. “I don’t hold Roderick and The Hanky Panky against you.”

  She tensed. “That was strictly a science outing.”

  “I know that now. But I struggled mightily with it at the time.”

  They were circling around something yet to be said. “Let’s cut to the chase. Why am I here?”

  He moved closer, his eyes darkening. “You’re here so I can tell you how I feel.”

  She placed her hand on the cool counter and tried to slow her galloping pulse. “Okay.”

  “When you told me who you were, I was shocked and angry.” He paused. “I’d been lied to before, but it hurt worse this time because I care about you so much more.”

  She lowered her gaze, awash with guilt.

  “I needed time to think,” he went on.

  She nodded. “Right.”

  “But now, I understand the reason behind what you did. You’re incredibly loyal.”

  Surprised, she looked up into his eyes.

  “Though sometimes misguided.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t be kind. I was foolish and naive. Blind to the truth.”

  “Yeah, you were. But when you did learn the truth, you tried to make things right.”

  “Well, of course.” She shrugged. “What else could I do?”

  “You could have walked away. You could have gone on with your life and given no further thought to me or the boys.”

  He reached out to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Instead, you searched for the diamonds and turned them over to the police. You called the Vandenburgs to smooth things over, and you cared enough about Ian and Harry to call and see how they were doing.”

  Her pulse throbbed at his nearness. “It felt right.”

  “It was right. You’re a woman who would do anything to help someone you love. A man would be lucky to have a woman like you.”

  Overcome with relief, she pressed her fingers to her mouth. Since her firing, she’d been cut off from everyone she loved, as though she’d been left outside in the bitter cold. Will’s words brought her back inside by the fire and wrapped her in a warm blanket of inclusion. “Thank you for saying that. I hated the way it ended between us.”

  His hand closed on her arm, turning her to face him. “I hated it, too, and I’m hoping you’ll give me another chance.”

  She stilled, scarcely breathing. Careful now. Don’t jump to conclusions. “Another chance at what?”

  Loud, thumping sounds came from overhead. The boys were awake and might appear soon.

  He caught her other arm and pulled her near. “I want another chance to be the man in your life.” She gasped softly.

  “Hearing Bree talk about finding her soul mate—she called him ‘the one’—I realized how lucky I’d been to find mine.” He traced his fingers down her cheek. “And how foolish I’d been to let her go.”

  She stared at him in disbelief. The man she loved was asking to come back into her life. She’d been so sure she’d lost him, so doomed to a life filled with regrets. Amazement and relief swirled in her chest but were quickly washed away by a raging river of joy. This wasn’t a dream. This was real.

  “You don’t have to decide right away,” he said.

  She laughed shakily. “Just give me a minute.”

  “Come again?”

  “I don’t need more time to know I’m crazy about you.”

  He moved closer and cupped her face in his hands. “I love you, Gina.”

  “I love you, too.” She tipped her head back. “You’re my soul mate, Will. My Mr. Right and ‘the one’ for me.”

  Warmed by the love shining in his eyes, she burrowed into his warmth. He held her close a long moment, then pulled back to look down at her. “I want you for my wife and the mother of my sons.”

  “I want that, too.” A lifetime of wonderful days lay ahead of them, and happiness enveloped her in a blissful haze. With Will she would never feel unloved again. And he could always trust her to have his back. Love blossomed inside her like a garden of wildflowers she was eager to share with him.

  He kissed her lightly, and she stepped into his arms with a sense of coming home. Starved for his touch, she slid her hands up his back and into his hair. She could never get enough of this man. His kiss grew urgent, and long delicious moments passed. Lost in his arms and a sensual world all their own, she lost track of time and place. Until a cool draft brushed her neck, followed by a sense of being watched. Uh-oh.

  She turned to see two pajama-clad boys in the doorway, their mouths two perfect O’s of surprise. Ian clutched his teddy bear, and Harry gripped what looked like a new fishing pole.

  She and Will broke apart and spoke at the same time. “Hi, guys�
�”

  “We were just—”

  Harry frowned. “Is Gina your girlfriend?”

  Ian scratched his tummy. “Are you gonna get married?”

  Will moved to a chair and drew his sons close. “Is it okay with you guys if Gina is my girlfriend? And we get married?”

  She held her breath, afraid they might say no.

  Ian clapped a hand over his mouth and giggled.

  Harry shrugged. “I guess. Can we give ’er the fishing pole now?”

  Will glanced back at her and smiled. “Yes, Harry. I think now would be an excellent time.”

  Puzzled, she watched him approach and hand her the fishing pole. A red one.

  Her chest tightened as the significance hit. Will had remembered what she’d said that day at the beach about Jim’s Christmas gift and how much it had meant. Tears blurred her eyes.

  “This means we want you to be in our family,” Harry said.

  Ian appeared at her side, blushing slightly. “And we luv you.”

  She felt a happy crying jag coming on and fought to hold it back. “Thank you, guys. I love you, too. Will you go fishing with me?”

  “Sure.”

  “Yeah.”

  Swiping at her eyes, she knelt to give them hugs. Over their shoulders, she returned Will’s wide grin and loved him even more for making her childhood longing come true. She was part of a loving family at last. She would share a real home with a husband and children she adored.

  She stood, ready to sing and dance and take on the world.

  “I’m hungry,” Harry said. “What’s for breakfast?”

  Recalled to earth, she laughed and called out their favorite. “French toast. I’ll need two helpers.”

  Harry and Ian scrambled for the counter stools, ready to crack eggs and stir batter. Will moved to her side and slid a bold hand down her back to cup her rear. Startled, she gasped, and the fishing pole in her hands clattered to the floor. Yikes. Were the boys watching?

  Her gaze flew to Harry and Ian, both intent on clearing space on the counter. Relieved, she grasped Will’s straying fingers and returned them to her waist. Smiling up into his eyes, she whispered a promise. “Later.”

  He dipped his head for a quick kiss and corrected her. “Soon.”