The huff of air that exploded from her should have come from a bull ready for its matador, not a skinny nine-year-old girl wearing shortalls, a T-shirt and a NASA hat. “Okay, okay.” Then she crossed her arms over her chest and channeled his ex-wife with a precision that had shocked him the first few times he’d seen it.
She’d been waiting on the steps when he’d stopped in front of Vanessa’s house. Same stance. He’d been ten minutes late to pick her up for this trip. Thea was adorable, but she had high standards.
“Dr. Wade McNally, newest trauma surgeon in Miami, what a pleasure to see you today.” Luis Montero swept across the cool lobby like a grand maître d’ determined to do his best. “Did you have a chance to meet my daughters at our party?”
Wade avoided Brisa’s gaze. “You made sure to tell me all about Reyna’s accomplishments.”
Reyna rolled her eyes behind her father’s back. Wade clamped down on the smile, but it annoyed him all over again that this was a woman he seemed to connect with.
That convinced him to meet Brisa’s stare. “Brisa and I had a short conversation about the amenities here at Concord Court. I wanted to get my daughter’s opinion on the place. The new school year’s starting soon, but she’s got time today to check the place out.” He braced his hand on his daughter’s back and urged her to step out from behind him. “This is Thea. She’s nine going on ninety.”
“He tells that joke every time he introduces me,” Thea grumbled. “Thank you for laughing.”
Luis Montero frowned down at Thea as if he shared Wade’s confusion about what might come out of Thea’s mouth next, but then focused on Wade. “I’m so glad you’re giving us a chance.”
“Having your daughter here will be an excellent opportunity for us to explore programs that serve families,” Reyna said. “That’s something that I wanted to evaluate. All our current vets are single, no partners or kids here. We have the units, but it will take time, so if finding playmates for Thea is important…” Reyna trailed off. Brisa knew her sister didn’t want to tell him that he’d have to think of somewhere else.
“I want a pool,” Thea drawled. “You have a pool? We’re set.” She’d moved over to kneel down next to the dog sitting beside Reyna. “Canis lupus familiaris. Spotted coach dog.” Thea and dog communicated wordlessly for a second. “And she’s deaf. Interesting. I’ve never met a dog like this.”
Wade hoped everyone in the room understood her puzzled tone was a compliment. Thea studied the world. When she met some new place or piece of flora or fauna, she was intrigued. Memorizing genus and species had been a hobby of hers since she’d learned to read. Eventually, she’d come to know more Latin than he did.
“Dottie’s my dog. She works at a fire station. And you’re right. She can’t hear you. Sometimes she reads lips, though, and she never misses out on a treat.” Reyna bent down to offer something for Thea to give to the dog.
He glanced at Brisa who was watching everyone quietly. Did she not like kids? She hadn’t greeted Thea yet. Too bad.
“Is this cheddar?” Thea sniffed the morsel. “Cheddar cheese. Your dog treat is cheese.” She held out her hand to the dog, who carefully took the food from her palm.
“It is. She likes a lot of different foods, though. What kind of treat would you choose?” Reyna asked as she ran a hand down Dottie’s back.
“Cheese is acceptable. I’m a vegetarian. Lacto-ovo vegetarian. I like cheese.” Thea repeated Reyna’s brush down Dottie’s back. “She likes that, too.”
His little scientist.
“So happy you approve, young lady,” Luis Montero said loudly and chuckled. “Thea speaks her mind.”
Wade couldn’t decide whether Luis believed that was good or bad.
Thea sniffed. “Thea does her research. If you’d like to live longer, I’ll be happy to tell you how.”
Wade froze as he evaluated his options. Telling Thea to be quiet was at the top of the list, but he was amazed at Luis Montero’s mouth dropping open.
He must have been amazed, as well. Eventually, Luis said, “I should be going, let you get your tour started. I hope you’ll choose Concord Court.”
Luis Montero held up a hand in a general wavelike motion. “Report by Friday, Brisa.” And then he’d swept out of the lobby.
No hugs. No future plans. No bragging on his other daughter, the one who sagged as if she was a puppet whose strings had been cut. Not every family was open with affection. He’d been through enough homes growing up to understand that, but he’d always wanted a hugging family. Right now, he and Thea hugged, but sometimes the distance between them kept him up at night.
Wade watched Brisa and Reyna share a look, their lips twitching.
“Should I handle the tour, BB?” Reyna asked softly as she stood in front of the desk. “I have plenty of time. I would like to encourage Thea to share any vegetarian tips she has with our father because watching his face scramble that way was amazing.” Reyna held out her hand to Thea, who slapped it in a low five. “I like your style, Thea. Let’s be friends.”
Thea ducked her head and returned to conversing wordlessly with Dottie. The only time Thea lost words was when an attack of shyness hit. They didn’t happen often around adults.
“No, I want to do this tour.” Brisa met Wade’s stare over the desk. Was she worried he’d spill the beans about her matchmaking scheme if she left him alone with Reyna? He wouldn’t, but he could understand how she might be unsure of that. She didn’t know him beyond a few pictures, his profile and their exchanged texts.
The memory of Brisa’s dark eyes lit by the bar’s candlelight and the conversation they’d shared while perched on the side of a glass-bottomed pool with a view of Miami’s skyline floated through his mind.
Maybe she knew him better than he thought.
And she was going to help him with his plan. He’d get a place with a room for Thea. Together they’d start building their own traditions and make his place a home.
Having a good excuse to spend more time with Brisa improved his mood, Wade noticed. He might need to figure out why. Later.
Today he was going to be grateful for every minute.
CHAPTER FOUR
BRISA WASN’T READY to face off against Wade alone. The relief of escaping her first meeting in her new role as manager of Concord Court made it easier to pretend everything was good as she led Wade and his daughter through the pool area on the way to the unit she had in mind. The water shimmered in the faint breeze that stirred the tropical landscaping surrounding the pool, which made up the center of the complex. Miami’s August heat fell back a fraction here.
She had helped design every inch of Concord Court. There was no reason to feel so out of place. That was a sign she’d had a hard discussion with her father.
“Thea, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Brisa. Thank you for coming today.” Brisa said to Wade’s daughter as she double-checked the application Wade had quickly scrawled while they’d been in the office lobby. Reyna had hovered nearby, afraid to leave in case she was needed.
For an application and a tour.
Irritation had bubbled up, but Brisa understood that was always her sister’s MO. To look after everything and everyone, including Brisa.
Wade’s daughter shoved her hands in her pockets as she frowned down at the pool. “Why isn’t anyone swimming?”
Brisa turned to Wade, the first time she’d gambled on making direct eye contact since they’d left the tension of the lobby behind. Why did it seem dangerous to meet his stare when they were together like this? He’d given his word not to expose their secret, and she had no doubt he’d keep it.
The danger might stem from the number of times his face had popped into her mind since she’d left him on the sidewalk in South Beach. As a face on a computer screen, he’d been forgettable. Nice enough, but not “forget why you opened your desk drawer” di
stracting.
Sitting across from him in the intimate shadows of the cocktail bar and the memory of the way he’d watched her…
Like he saw her.
Not the face she showed the crowd, but her.
That had been hard to forget.
“Well, Thea, no one is in the pool right now…” Brisa clamped her phone in her other hand “…because the complex hasn’t hit half its capacity yet and…” She had no idea how to answer that. Should they do something to increase pool usage?
“Grown-ups waste the best opportunities.” Wade’s daughter had her hands on her hips again. “A whole pool available for laps or practicing synchronized choreography or aqua therapy.” Then she opened the gate and stepped into the shade. “Bougainvillea. My mom loves this stuff.”
Brisa watched Wade’s daughter rock back on her heels as she surveyed the rest of the landscaping. When she gave a satisfied nod, Brisa raised her eyebrows at Wade. Was she a proud grandpa in a preteen’s body?
And what did she mean by “synchronized choreography”?
“Best I can guess is you’re being evaluated on a pass-fail system.” His lips curled. “You’re doing fine so far,” he whispered.
Brisa cleared her throat. “If you’ll follow me this way. I want to show you the unit I think will be best for you, Dr. McNally. If it doesn’t suit you, I brought another set of keys so we can keep the tour going. In this unit, your neighbors will be Reyna and Sean. These are the two-bedroom units on this side. You’ll have one bedroom on the ground floor and one on the second floor, along with a second, large bathroom.” Brisa fit the key into the lock and turned it. “I’ve got a pamphlet you can take with you, in case you need a reminder of the layout after you go.”
Brisa pushed the door open and flipped the switch nearest the door. Overhead lights lit up the open-plan living room and kitchen combination. “Would you like a tour of the different features or would you prefer to explore on your own?”
When she turned back to get their answer, she realized Thea had already disappeared.
“She has zero interest in kitchens,” Wade said as he stepped up next to her at the island that marked off the kitchen. “As long as it’s meat-free, she’s content.” He studied the appliances—all stainless steel—and the cabinets—all oak with copper handles. “The finishes are higher-end than I expected.”
Since she’d picked every detail, Brisa chose to take that as a compliment. “Concord Court isn’t old base housing or a government-funded facility. This is a home. My father wanted classic but nice, something that demonstrated true quality. It’s the least that veterans deserve.” Brisa wrinkled her nose. “When you know how to get a deal here or there on granite, tile and flooring, it all works out.”
“The designer did a great job,” Wade murmured as he ran a hand across the smooth stone countertops. “Cooking here will be nice.”
Brisa nodded, the thrill of his compliments, even though he didn’t know he was giving them to her, shooting through her. There was something else, too. His hand on the stone made it easy to imagine him settled in, cooking a dinner. He would be good, never flashy, but solid, dependable. Might wear a cute apron now and then and would always wash dishes as he went. Every meal could mean conversation and watching him work there.
And it was suddenly warm. Was she daydreaming about a man in the kitchen? That was new.
“We should find out what Thea thinks of the ground-floor bedroom,” Brisa suggested.
They found the girl spread out like a starfish on the beige carpet, staring up at the ceiling. “I’m thinking dark blue paint and some of those stick-on stars that glow in the dark.” Thea raised and bent one knee, and crossed the other leg over it, gangly legs twitching as she envisioned her new room. “Yeah. Blue. I mean, purple could work or even black, but blue seems…acceptable, not too wild.”
Brisa raised her eyebrows as she turned to Wade. He was slowly shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe it, either.
“Not here, Thea.” He cleared his throat. “Let’s talk to your mom about doing that at her place. I’ll buy you new furniture for there, too. You and I will do all the work while she and Steve are in Japan.”
Thea’s face had been lively before, full of curiosity and interest, but that changed in a heartbeat. “Right. Nothing fun like that here.” She sat up slowly, resigned. “Never mind.”
“It’s just that…” Wade moved over to squat next to his daughter. Getting down on her level put their faces so close that it was impossible not to spot the resemblance. Father and daughter both had determined chins. “I don’t own this place. When I buy a house and we move there, we’ll discuss funky paint for your room then. Here, it needs to be temporary. Easy to take down when we go. Photos of Mars. Maps of the solar system. K-pop boy band posters.” The last part of his speech was strained, but Brisa could tell he was doing his dad best.
She tried to remember her father ever bending down to their level when she and Reyna were girls to explain anything, and couldn’t.
But today, her father had tried to explain his position. That had made conversation possible. Their father had listened. A succinct “no” had never gone well for the Monteros, either generation, but he kept trying it.
Thea nodded. “Mom said the same thing. They’re renting the house. They’d need permission. Steve didn’t want to talk to their mean landlady to get it.”
Brisa had been enjoying the conversation until Thea’s stare landed on her.
Like a challenge.
Was she the mean landlady in this scenario?
“You could give us permission, couldn’t you?” Thea asked her.
This girl was completely innocent. Pure sweetness.
And the smartest one in the room.
“Brisa doesn’t run this place by herself. I’m sure there are policies and she’d have to go talk to someone about making an exception.” Wade sighed and stood, his knees popping loudly at the effort.
Brisa wanted to object. Was he trying to make her into the bad guy in all of this?
Even worse than the story’s villain, he’d made her into the weak villain, the one who had to get permission. The fact that she’d almost agreed with him, initially…
Policy versus her father’s special guest invitation.
A new twist on the “rock and the hard place” scenario.
Only one decision would make the little girl slowly blinking up at her happy.
Since Brisa could easily remember the time that she and Reyna had tried to redecorate her room with some stars of her own, pink paint instead of blue, and had lost television privileges and their father’s warm regards for an entire summer… Well, what else could she say?
“As long as you take the stars down from the ceiling and give the room a fresh, neutral coat of paint before you go, I’m going to give permission. No mean landlady here,” Brisa said brightly. “I like an original design outlook. Maybe I’ll drop by and be inspired.”
Thea’s fist pump in the air was cute. She might be a poor winner, but in this case, it was easy to enjoy.
“Pace off some measurements, Thea.” Wade took out his phone and handed it to Thea. “Make notes in my phone on the items we need, so we get the shopping done quickly. Count your steps from wall to wall. Corners to the windows and doors.”
Brisa frowned. She was a little girl. Would she understand…
Thea immediately skipped to the corner and started counting steps, carefully placing one foot right in front of the other. “I’ll do it twice to make sure I don’t make any mistakes, Daddy.”
“Very scientific,” Wade announced and gestured at the door. Brisa stepped outside the bedroom to go collapse against the kitchen island. Her eyes met his and she had to clamp her hand over her mouth to still the giggles that bubbled there. He was a man who understood the depth of trouble he was in with a precocious da
ughter like his and it was adorable.
He put one hand on her shoulder to urge her farther away from the bedroom. “Do you see? I need another adult around here to help me ASAP.” Wade covered his face with his hands. “Even two adults might not be enough to corral this child. This could be the origin story for some criminal mastermind, all because I couldn’t outthink her fast enough. I tell her no and she outmaneuvers me. I’ll be toast by the end of the week.” She noticed his lips were twitching, and he had to cover his mouth with his hand, too. They stared helplessly at each other and laughed hysterically but quietly.
Finally, he slowed and said, “I like ‘Daddy’ so much better than ‘Wade,’ though.”
When Brisa was sure she could breathe, she pressed her hand to the center of his back and rubbed a circle there. Until she realized what she was doing. His back. It was nice. Brisa cleared her throat. “You’re doing fine.”
“It’s okay, you know. If you need to tell us no on the decorating, I get it, and she will, too.” He held his hands up, palms out. “But it would be nice to have the cool bedroom, the one her mother wouldn’t give her.” Then he squeezed his eyes shut. “Petty. I’m not doing that.”
Brisa straightened up. “Yeah. Don’t fall into petty.”
Wade sighed. “It’s so hard. To have been the one who made do with phone calls and brief visits while her mother got to be in her life… I have to make up a lot of ground in a short period of time, and I’ll do everything I can to make that happen, even paint and stick on stars.” He shrugged. “Do you have any idea what it feels like to know that you don’t quite measure up against someone else in the eyes of somebody you love more than life itself?”
The emotional punch out of nowhere caught Brisa off guard. Her knees shook before she managed a deep breath. Did she understand? She’d lived that for a lifetime. An entire lifetime.
But there was no way she could talk about that with him now.
Brisa cleared her throat and held out the key. “Welcome to Concord Court. We’re going to do everything we can to help you and Thea feel at home here, Dr. McNally, uh, Wade.”
Harlequin Heartwarming March 21 Box Set Page 26
