The Firefighter Daddy

by Margaret Daley

  “After the park, I’ll take you back to your house. Today is just too pretty to spend inside,” Sarah said as the back door opened and her grandmother and mother appeared.

  “In fact, when you three come to my house, I’ll have dinner almost ready, and if Sarah wants to eat with us, that’s fine with me.” Liam peered expectedly at Sarah.

  “How can I turn down that invitation? I’d love to.”

  Madison put her hand on top of the Lab’s head. “So Gabe can stay at our house, too?”

  “Yes, while Sarah is there.” Liam smiled at Nana, who had on her floppy hat but was still in her work clothes with short sleeves.

  The girls charged down the steps to the yard and ran toward the tennis ball on the ground near the back fence.

  “Who’s this young man?” Nana asked as she took a seat. “I haven’t met you before. Are you sweet on my granddaughter?”

  Heat flooded Sarah’s face. There was no telling what her grandmother would say. On her good days she wouldn’t have said that so bluntly. She usually was the subtle one.

  “We’re friends, Nana. Liam found Gabe when he was lost.”

  “Gabe was lost?” Her grandmother chewed on her lower lip, trying to think.

  “Yes, a few days last week. Mom, will you keep an eye on the girls while I show Liam out?”

  “Sure. Take your time.”

  The urge to roll her eyes at her mother was strong, but she refrained from doing it. Instead she walked with Liam around the side of the house and through the gate. When they were in the front yard, she said what she hadn’t wanted to say with his nieces nearby. “Nana is eighty and has bouts of forgetfulness. Today is one of those times. When Mom asked me to move home to help her at the salon and with my grandmother, I couldn’t turn her down. Family is important to me.”

  “I agree. Now if I can just figure out this daddy thing, life will run much smoother.”

  “I don’t know if that will ever happen, but you’re doing fine.”

  He smiled. “You’re kind. You didn’t see me trying to get my nieces to move this morning when we were late for church.”

  “It happens to all of us.”

  “I’m beginning to see that when I hear the stories some of the guys talk about at my single dads’ group.”

  “Networking is important. I’m looking for a group for caregivers that my mother can join. I think she would appreciate the support and a place to talk about her problems. We talk, but it’s not the same thing. I haven’t yet gone through the problems she has, but I can stay home with Nana while she attends.”

  “There isn’t one at church?”

  “No, but maybe Mom could start one. That’s a great idea, Liam.” She heard the gate open and watched as the two girls raced out of the backyard with Gabe right behind them, barking.

  Madison skidded to a stop first, excitement on her face. “You’ve got to come look.” She tugged on Sarah’s arm while Katie tugged on Liam’s. “You won’t believe it.”

  Chapter Four

  As Katie pulled Liam toward Sarah’s backyard, he didn’t know if he should prepare himself for something bad or good. With his nieces, he had trouble reading them at times, but at least it was better than the first month he was here. The girls would go from crying one moment to laughing the next. Their emotions had been all over the place, but then, so had his. He didn’t have a large family, and Gareth’s unexpected death had overturned his world.

  “Just wait and see, Uncle Liam. You won’t believe it.” Katie kept tugging on his arm, determined to beat her sister to whatever they wanted him to see.

  But Madison was several steps ahead of them. Sarah glanced over her shoulder at him, giving him a puzzled look, her eyebrows lifting.

  He shrugged and shook his head.

  Madison dragged Sarah around the back of the shed. “Look at them. They are so cute!”

  Katie dropped his arm and raced ahead.

  Liam came into view of the two girls and Sarah sitting on the ground while five kittens explored them.

  “Where’s their mama?” Madison carefully picked up one, black with white markings, and rubbed her face against its fur.

  Sarah scanned the area. “I don’t know. There was a pregnant cat that used to visit my yard every day in the evening when Gabe was inside, but I don’t know if it was a stray or belonged to someone. She was mostly white.”

  “Like this one.” Katie gathered a white kitten, except for its black tail, in her lap and stroked it.

  “Yes. She must be the mama. Maybe I can ask around the neighborhood to see who owns the cat.” Sarah examined a white, brown and black kitten.

  Liam took a place across from Sarah, his nieces flanking her. “Why would she leave them? They don’t look more than seven or eight weeks old.” A brown and black kitten climbed onto his legs.

  “She wouldn’t unless they somehow got away from her or...” Her forehead furrowed.

  “Or what, Sarah?” Madison asked.

  “Something happened to her. These babies look well fed and cared for. They haven’t been on their own for long.”

  Katie lifted the last kitten, white with brown markings, and put it in her lap. She looked right at Liam. “Could we take care of them until she comes back?”

  Liam had no idea how to take care of cats, let alone kittens. Growing up all he’d had were dogs. “If we took them home, the mama wouldn’t know where they were.”

  “Oh, you’re right.” Katie frowned, petting both kittens in her lap. Then suddenly her eyes brightened. “We can make posters to find their owner and mama.” She glanced at Madison. “We’re good at that.”

  “That’s a great idea. Your poster led me to Gabe.” Sarah looked around. “Where is he?”

  “Your mama took him inside when she saw the kittens. She told us to get you. She was sneezing. Is she sick?” Madison cradled her kitten against her chest.

  The white, brown and black one began climbing all over Sarah. “She’s allergic to cats but mostly the pollen in the air. She can’t be around outside long in the spring.”

  “That’s sad.” Katie said while both of her kittens began playing in her lap. She giggled. “Then we have to take them.”

  Those words struck panic in Liam. He hadn’t figured out how to raise two girls, let alone five kittens.

  Sarah caught his gaze and smiled. “They should stay here. I can make a place in the shed for them. You two can help me this afternoon.”

  A scowl descended on Madison’s face as she set her squirming kitten on the ground. “What about Gabe?”

  “Gabe is usually great with other animals. We’ll figure it out. What I’ll need from you two are some posters. What do you say?”

  “Uncle Liam, will you help us like you did last time?” Katie asked.

  He could do this. “We’ll start after dinner tonight, and then after school tomorrow we can finish them and put them up.”

  “I can help, too. Monday is my day off. Until then we can clean the shed and make it safe for them—” Sarah’s eyes gleamed “—while your uncle goes home. I’m looking forward to his dinner tonight.”

  The girls hopped to their feet as Liam stood and offered Sarah his hand. “Are you sure you don’t need my help?”

  She stepped closer while the girls corralled the kittens. “Yes. I know an exhausted man when I see him. Everyone needs a break once in a while. Besides, I don’t have men cooking dinner for me too often. Go. We’re gonna be busy this afternoon, and you’ll only get in the way.”

  “Yeah, Uncle Liam. This is women’s work.”

  Liam shot a look at Madison. Where in the world had she heard that? “Okay, I’ll leave you women alone. Dinner will be ready by six.”

  As he strolled toward the gate, Liam heard Katie say to Madison
, “We aren’t women. We’re kids.”

  “We are women,” Madison said in a raised voice.

  He slowed his pace, sure he would have to go back to break up another argument.

  “Actually you are both women. Or, rather, females and children. Madison, will you ask my mom for a box from the garage? Katie, I need you to keep an eye on the kittens while Madison gets the box. I’m going to check out the shed.”

  Madison hurried toward the back door while Katie kept her attention fastened on the kittens. As Sarah rounded the front of the shed, her gaze connected with his. For a brief moment Liam felt rooted to the spot by the gate. He liked her, and he could tell the girls did, too. She blinked and severed their link. Waving her hands, she shooed him away.

  * * *

  When Liam opened the front door to let in Sarah and his nieces, the aroma of beef, onion and something she couldn’t place flooded her senses. Her stomach rumbled and the girls giggled.

  “You must be hungry.” Madison charged into the house first.

  While Katie rocked back on her tennis shoes, she stared up at her uncle. “Gabe is staying at Sarah’s. He’s babysitting the kittens.”

  “He is? They get along?”

  Katie nodded as if she were an authority on the Lab. “Yes. In fact, when he lay down, he let them climb all over him.” Katie moved into the entry hall. “And I’m hungry, too. When are we eating?”

  Liam looked at Sarah and grinned. “I guess we’re eating first.”

  “Is it ready?”

  “It will be after they set the table and wash their hands. I stuck the rolls in the oven right before I answered the door.”

  She took another deep whiff of the dinner. “What is it?”

  “I came home and put a meat loaf in the oven, cut up the vegetables and put them on to simmer slowly while I grabbed a much-needed nap. How were the girls?”

  “Great. They worked extra hard on the shed. Katie told me she wanted the bestest place for them.”

  “They didn’t complain.”

  “Not once.”

  “How did you accomplish that? I get at least groans and moans if I ask them to do something around the house. The worst is when Madison points out to me that their daddy never made them clean their rooms or pick up their mess in the den.” Liam stepped to the side to let Sarah inside.

  “Really? Do you think they were telling the truth?”

  He shut the door, turned toward her, looked over her shoulder and then leaned close and whispered, “They’re listening. Yes, I do, because when I arrived in Buffalo the house was a mess. Gareth hated cleaning up as a kid.”

  “But you did?” His nearness sent her heart thumping against her rib cage.

  “Yes. What I didn’t learn as a child, I did when I went to work at the fire station. My captain was a stickler for it. A place for everything. That cut our response time down by a minute over other stations.”

  “But you might not be able to run this household like a fire station.”

  “It makes good sense in any situation.”

  She remembered what Nana had told Mom when Sarah was young. “There is a time for work and a time to play. Don’t sacrifice one for the other. At least, that’s what my grandmother used to say. I don’t know for sure. I don’t have kids.”

  Liam turned to the living room where the girls were hiding. “Madison, Katie, that’s enough listening to our conversation. Why don’t you two go set the table?”

  Madison stepped into full view. “I don’t wanna.” She crossed her arms and tilted her chin up. “Katie hardly did anything last time.”

  “I did, too.” Katie pushed her older sister.

  “Now.” Liam raised his voice.

  “Daddy never—”

  “Enough,” he said, cutting off Madison.

  “I will, Uncle Liam.” Katie spun around and hurried toward the kitchen.

  “Thank you, Katie,” he called out then stared at Madison.

  “You like her better than me.” His niece stomped after Katie.

  Liam released a long breath, kneading his nape. “Their idea of helping is making a bigger mess.”

  “Have you let them know what you expect?” Sarah wished she could erase the lines of concern on his face.

  “I just did.”

  “Not exactly.”

  When he frowned, confusion carved deeper lines in his features.

  She took his hand, tugged him into the den across from the living room and faced the entry hall to keep an eye out for any little girls trying to listen. “You gave them a choice when you said ‘why don’t you two set the table.’ Any time you phrase something you want done in a question, they have a choice. Yes, they will or no, they won’t.”

  “So I should have said ‘go set the table.’”

  “Yes, exactly.”

  “How do I convince Madison I love her the same as Katie? I gave up my life in Dallas to come here and raise them.”

  “Talk to her. Find out why she doesn’t think you do.”

  “It’s probably because I get on her about chores more than Katie. Her sister doesn’t give me as much grief as Madison does.”

  “Remember this is all new to both of them. They won’t change overnight. Madison is the oldest. She’s been doing it one way longer than Katie.”

  He plowed his fingers through his hair. “I wasn’t prepared for this.”

  “Even though they still live here in the same house, it is a big adjustment for them. Everything in their surroundings is familiar except you.”

  Memories of living in the same place after Peter had died brought the sorrow of that time to the foreground. She started to share it with Liam so he’d know she’d gone through something similar, but the words wouldn’t form in her mind. Instead she added, “They expect to do everything the way they always have here. Show them your way one step at a time. Give them time to get used to a few chores before you give them any more.”

  “Are you sure? You don’t have children. I can’t keep messing up.”

  For a moment she didn’t breathe as she dealt with the deluge of emotions of when she’d lost her unborn baby. She couldn’t say anything. She turned away, tears blurring her vision.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that as a criticism.” He clasped her shoulder. “Please forgive me. Lately I’ve been making one mistake after another.”

  She swallowed hard, squeezed her eyes closed a second and slowly rotated toward him, his hand slipping away. The words she’d wanted to tell him about having a miscarriage and how hard that was stayed locked away. She rarely talked about it, even to her mother. “I was married for three years, and we were hoping to have a family but my husband died in a car crash.”

  His expression morphed into a look of regret. “My frustration caused you to remember, and I’m so sorry for that and for your husband’s passing.”

  Stamping down the pain, she continued, “I do have some experience dealing with children. As a teenager, I worked in a day care center to earn money in the summer, and I volunteered at the church nursery during the late service. Also, I’m the designated hairdresser for the children who come to the salon.”

  He smiled. “Good. When I can convince the girls to have their hair cut at least a few inches, you’ll be the one I come to.”

  Behind Liam, Madison and Katie appeared in the doorway. Sarah indicated them with a nod.

  Liam turned. “Are you two ready to eat?”

  “Yes, and we’re starving. I’ve even washed my hands already.” Katie held them up still wet.

  Madison didn’t say a word. She stalked toward the kitchen.

  Katie took Liam’s hand. “She doesn’t want her hair cut. She wants to see how far it will grow.” The child looked at Sarah. “But you can cut mine.”r />
  “That would be great. Your uncle can call to set up an appointment with whatever works for you two.”

  The little girl grinned and took Sarah’s hand, too. Her daughter wouldn’t have been much younger than Katie if she’d lived. Again Sarah fought the emotions threatening to take over. She wasn’t going to ruin their evening because she hadn’t worked through her grief. Instead she’d run away from it, but she was discovering that that didn’t really work.

  * * *

  A half hour later, everyone sated, Liam put his napkin on the table. “I have dessert. We can eat it in the den while working on the posters, if you all want.”

  Katie’s eyes grew round. “We can?”

  “I thought we couldn’t eat in there.” Madison pinched her lips together.

  “So long as you clean up any mess you make, I don’t see why not.” He recalled his first month with them and the food he’d found everywhere, some with mold growing on it. That was when he’d put his foot down and restricted eating and drinking outside the kitchen. He was going to try this. Maybe Sarah was right.

  Madison’s solemn expression eased. “In our bedrooms, too?”

  Apparently his brother had let them. The memory of the half-eaten grilled-cheese sandwich under Madison’s bed with ants crawling on it taunted him. He had second thoughts. He wasn’t sure if he should allow them to take food upstairs. “How about we try downstairs for a month, and if you clean up after yourselves, then I’ll let you also in your bedroom? But again, you have to take care of any mess you make. Okay?”

  “Yes!” Katie pumped her arm in the air.

  “What if we don’t, or Katie doesn’t and I do?”

  “Then Katie can’t take food or drink out of the kitchen. You can.” Liam slid his gaze to first Madison then Katie before it settled on Sarah. The smile she sent him warmed him. He felt as though he’d taken a step in the right direction.

  Madison took the last bite of her meat loaf. “Sarah, I want to help with the kittens. I hate seeing them in the shed all day.”

  Katie dropped her fork on the plate, the clinking sound echoing in the kitchen. “You can’t let them out. They could get lost. If their mama comes back, they won’t be there.”