Suddenly a Father

by Michelle Major

  “Well, we’ll take good care of you.” Her smile faltered as Brooke stood on her tiptoes to see over the counter. “I didn’t know you had a child.”

  “Me neith—”

  Millie coughed.

  “This is my daughter, Brooke.”

  Brooke waved and lifted her stuffed animal in the air. “This is Bunny.”

  “And your wife?” Lauren asked with a curious glance toward Millie.

  “I’m not married,” Jake explained. “Millie is Brooke’s nanny while we’re in town.”

  The predatory gleam that flamed in Lauren Bell’s eyes had Millie clenching her hands. “A bunch of us from the old group get together for happy hour at the Two Moon Saloon on Fridays after work. You should join us sometime. If the nanny does evenings.”

  “The old group,” Jake repeated slowly. “Yeah, sure, I’ll see what I can do.”

  Brooke tugged on his hand. “You won’t leave me, right?”

  Millie saw him close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he gave a sweet and sexy—damn him—smile to Lauren Bell. “Since we’re friends, Lauren,” he said, leaning forward as if he were sharing a secret, “do you think it would be okay if Brooke had a little tour of the offices before I got started? Maybe you could introduce us to some of the therapists and she could see what I’m going to be doing while I’m here.” He winked. Millie suppressed a gag. “She’s kind of nervous and I’m sure you know all the ins and outs of how things work around here.”

  Lauren stood and called over her shoulder, “Rhonda, watch the front desk for a few minutes.” She turned back to Jake. “Does the nanny need to come with us?”

  He shook his head without looking at Millie. “Just you, me and Brooke.”

  Millie was surprised Lauren didn’t do a fist pump in the air.

  “I’ll take you back. Come through that door to the left of the waiting room and I’ll meet you there.”

  Jake led Brooke past Millie. “Good start, right?”

  She rolled her eyes. “For someone who has no charm, you really laid it on thick just now.”

  “Who said I had no charm?”

  “Personal observation.”

  “I’ve got loads of charm, Fairy Poppins.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “But only a lucky few are on the receiving end of it.”

  Millie coughed out a laugh. Without taking her eyes off Jake she said, “Your ‘old friend’ is dousing herself with body mist at the moment. Be careful how you wield that charm, Dr. Travers. It’s quite a weapon.”

  He gave a mock shudder. “Let’s go, Brooke, and whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand.”

  She saw Brooke squeeze his fingers tighter. “Be back soon, Millie,” the girl said, clutching Bunny to her chest.

  Ten minutes later, the door to the waiting room opened again. Millie tossed aside the magazine she’d been pretending to read as Brooke skipped through the door, followed by her father.

  “Look, look,” Brooke squealed, running forward to Millie. “I got a stressy ball, and a pen and notepad with the phone number here on it.” She thrust the notepad forward. “So if we need to call Daddy when he’s here, we can.”

  “We don’t need to stay?”

  Brooke shook her head. “Daddy’s going to text me pictures to your phone so I can keep track of him. And we’ll get lunch ready because he’s going to be really hungry after his therapy stuff.”

  Millie stood as Jake walked up. She could see a woman in a polo shirt and khaki pants waiting just inside the reception door for him. “Everything’s good?”

  He nodded. “Your idea worked.” He ruffled Brooke’s hair. “Now that Bunny has seen everything that happens at the office, he feels much better about me being here.” His gaze was warm on Millie, making parts of her body tingle that had no business coming to life for Jake Travers. “Thank you,” he said softly.

  Before she could reply, Brooke held up the stuffed animal. “Give Bunny a kiss goodbye, Daddy.”

  Jake’s mouth dropped open an inch. “How about a high five?”

  Her mouth set in a stubborn way that made Millie think of Jake. Already like father, like daughter. “A kiss.”

  He bent forward and touched his lips to the animal’s grungy fur.

  “Me, too,” Brooke said, angling her cheek toward him.

  He glanced up at Millie, emotion clouding his eyes. She nodded, the tingling in her body rapidly progressing to a full-on tremble.

  Jake kissed his daughter’s cheek then the top of her head. Millie wasn’t sure if the sigh she heard came from her or the therapist waiting for him. Jake straightened and she noticed a faint color across his cheeks. The doctor was actually blushing. Why was vulnerability so darned appealing when it came wrapped up in an alpha-male package?

  He glanced at the clock on the wall then met her gaze, looking embarrassed and flustered. “I’m going to meet with one of the orthopedic surgeons on staff after this. Give me a few hours and I’ll be ready to go.”

  “Remember the pictures, Daddy.”

  “I will, Brooke. You ladies have fun.”

  He walked away but looked over his shoulder before the waiting-room door closed behind him. “Thanks again, Millie. For everything this morning.”

  She lifted her hand, trying for a casual wave but feeling pretty sure she looked more like she was having an uncontrollable body spasm. “Just doing my job,” she called out brightly.

  His eyes clouded a bit at her words and she immediately regretted them. But before she could say anything else, he was gone.

  Chapter Five

  After struggling to get Brooke back into her car seat, Millie left a message for her sister. She needed to do something about her car situation if she was going to be driving Jake and Brooke all over Crimson.

  While she waited to hear back, she and Brooke went to the grocery and then stopped at the bakery she’d seen on her way through town. The main street through downtown was bustling with people on this gorgeous late-summer day. She knew that tourism was big business in Crimson. Olivia had been married to the town’s former mayor before she divorced him and met Jake’s brother Logan. Now she managed the community center that offered programs for both locals and nonresidents. The popular gift shop attached to the center sold goods from local artists. Jake’s other brother, Josh, owned and operated a guest ranch on the outskirts of town along with his Hollywood-actress wife, Sara.

  The town was picture-postcard cute, and she could understand why tourists would find this town irresistible. Colorful Victorian buildings lined the street, and the majestic peaks of the Rocky Mountains served as a backdrop. Crimson embodied a kind of small-town charm and friendliness she guessed might be lacking in tonier mountain resorts.

  “What’s your favorite kind of muffin?” she asked Brooke as they made their way to the Life Is Sweet bakery.

  “Blueberry,” Brooke answered without hesitation.

  “Yum. Mine, too.” Millie tipped her sunglasses back on her head. “I bet they have blueberry.”

  “We need Frenchy toast bread,” Brooke added, tossing her rabbit into the air.

  “And bread for French toast,” Millie agreed. Plus a giant vanilla latte, she thought to herself.

  The moment she opened the door to the bakery, the smell of sugar, bread and roasting coffee filled the air. She took a deep breath and led Brooke toward the counter. The interior was adorable, with pale yellow walls and lights strung across the ceiling. The counter was made of wood planks, and the same warm trim was at the base on the walls and around the door frames.

  A large chalkboard menu filled the back wall of the room and the glass display was filled with scrumptious-looking cakes, muffins, cookies and pastries. A cluster of tables sat to one side of the room, and a few customers were clearly enjoying their selections.


  Brooke let out a rapturous sigh. “I love it here,” she whispered.

  Millie smiled. “Me, too, Cookie.” She spotted Natalie Holt at a table near the front of the store and waved.

  “Hey, girl.” Natalie motioned Millie and Brooke to join her. She sat with another woman, who smiled as they approached. “How’s the first day with the hot doc going?”

  Millie made a face. “This is Jake’s daughter, Brooke,” she told Natalie.

  “Oops.” Natalie smiled, not looking embarrassed at all. “Nice to meet you, sweet pea.”

  Brooke grabbed hold of Millie’s shirt but smiled at Natalie. “Millie calls me Cookie.” Brooke held out her stuffed rabbit. “You can too if you want. This is Bunny. My mommy gave him to me for my birthday. She’s dead now.”

  Natalie’s smile turned gentle. She reached out a hand to gently pet the stuffed animal. “I bet having Bunny with you helps you remember your mommy.”

  Brooke nodded then looked up at Millie. “Can I have a blueberry muffin now?”

  “You’re in luck.” Natalie pointed to the woman across from her, who was dabbing at her eyes. Millie understood the effect Brooke could have with her candid innocence. “This is Ms. Katie and she owns the bakery.”

  The woman, who looked young for a business owner, stood and held out her hand to Millie. “I’m Katie Garrity. It’s nice to meet you. I’m also a friend of your sister’s.”

  Millie took her hand. “Olivia’s made a good life in Crimson,” she said, trying not to sound jealous of her sister’s perfect life filled with friends in a community she loved. Trying not to feel jealous.

  “She’s a wonderful part of our community.” She bent down in front of Brooke. “Did I hear you say you’d like a blueberry muffin?”

  “They’re my favorite.”

  “I just happen to know that fresh blueberry muffins came out of the oven a little while ago. They should be cooled by now. Would you like to come to the kitchen? We’ll wrap one up for you.”

  Brooke bounced on her toes. “Can I go, Millie?”

  “As long as you listen to Ms. Katie when you’re with her.” Millie held out her hand. “How about if I hold Bunny until you get back?”

  “He wants to go with me.” Her big blue eyes met Millie’s again. “You won’t leave me, right?”

  “I’ll be right here.”

  “What would you like, Millie?”

  “A vanilla latte if it’s not too much trouble.”

  Katie’s smile was as sweet as the scent of her pastries. “No trouble at all.”

  “Fairy Poppins likes blueberry muffins, too,” Brooke announced.

  Millie heard Natalie choke back a laugh. Katie’s grin widened.

  “You know that’s not my name,” Millie told Brooke.

  “It’s the name Daddy calls you.”

  “Daddy and I are going to have a talk later,” Millie said, blowing out a breath.

  Katie put a gentle hand on Brooke’s back. “Let’s see about those muffins.”

  They disappeared into the back of the bakery as Millie sank into the chair across from Natalie. “This is way more complicated than I expected.”

  “Second thoughts?” Natalie asked.

  Millie shook her head. “No, but I wish I knew how to help more.” She pointed to Natalie. “You handled Brooke’s comment about her mother better than I did the first time she made one to me.”

  “I work at a retirement home, sometimes in the Alzheimer’s unit.” Natalie shrugged. “I deal with a lot of honesty and a lot of death. Kids are different than seniors, but people need to talk about the ones they’ve lost. It doesn’t help to pretend like everything’s normal when it isn’t.”

  “You’re right. I know that. I took a college class on children and grief, but it’s different when the situation is real.”

  “Where’s Jake today?”

  “He’s at the hospital. He had a physical-therapy appointment and was meeting with a doctor after.”

  “From what Olivia and Sara have told me, it’s a good sign that Brooke was willing to stay with you.”

  “I think so. There’s just so much to do. Brooke needs a normal schedule. Jake needs time to process everything that’s happened. She takes all of his attention when they’re together.”

  “What about preschool?”

  “I don’t know if Jake will go for that. He’s already paying me more than he should to be the nanny. I could certainly teach her whatever a preschool could.”

  “But you can’t get her the socialization with children her own age. I’m sure she had activities before everything changed.” Natalie pulled her purse off the empty chair next to her. “There’s a fantastic preschool here in town, Crimson Community Preschool. Most of us just call it CCP. My son went there and loved every minute of it.”

  “Do you only have one child?”

  Natalie nodded. “I’m raising Austin on my own, so one is plenty. He’s eight now. It’s been just the two of us for as long as he can remember.”

  “That must be difficult. A single mother raised me, so I have an idea of how much work it can be. Do you have family in town?”

  Natalie shook her head. “My mom is here but busy with her own life. Austin and I are a good team. My friends support me, and the people I work with are great.”

  “Have you lived in Crimson your whole life? You never left, even for college or—”

  “I never saw any reason to leave,” Natalie said quickly, and Millie got the impression she didn’t want to talk about her life in Crimson any further. That was fine. Millie knew all about keeping things to herself.

  Natalie took out a pen and notepad from her purse and copied a number from her phone onto the paper. “Here’s the preschool’s number. Talk to Laura Wilkes, the director. Tell her you’re a friend of mine.”

  Millie took the paper. “Thank you.”

  “You do have friends here,” Natalie said as she stood. “Crimson is a great place, Millie. You should think about sticking around for good. It would make Olivia happy and I think you’d like it here.”

  “I don’t...” Millie tapped her fingers against the table. She almost couldn’t imagine being part of a community like Crimson. It was too good to be true. “I’ll think about it.”

  Katie and Brooke reappeared from the kitchen just then. Katie balanced two plates in one hand and held a travel cup of coffee in the other. Brooke grasped a large brown paper bag under one arm.

  “I’ve got to get back to work,” Natalie called. “Thanks for the coffee break, Katie.”

  “Anytime,” Katie said as she approached the table. “Drop Austin off whenever works best tonight. I’m excited to hang out with him.”

  “You’re the best.” With a wave to Brooke, Natalie headed out of the bakery.

  Katie set the coffee cup and plates down on the table and took a seat near Millie. “Brooke told me you also needed bread for French toast. I gave you a loaf of brioche that will be perfect.”

  “Thanks,” Millie said and took a long drink of coffee. “This is perfect.”

  Her phone beeped and she glanced down at it. “Your daddy sent you a picture, Brookie-Cookie.” She held out the phone so Brooke could see the photo of Jake waving with his good hand while his other one was stretched out on a table as he squeezed a small ball. “He’s doing exercises to make his hand stronger.”

  “I used to do exercises at tumbling class.” Brooke put the bag on an empty chair, Bunny perched on top. “Ms. Katie has a mixer this big,” she told Millie, arms outstretched. “And so much sugar for making things sweet.”

  “Like these muffins.” Millie patted the seat next to her. “Climb up here and let’s eat.” She took her wallet from her purse and looked at Katie. “How much do I owe you for all of this?”

/>   “It’s on the house,” Katie answered easily. “A ‘welcome to Crimson’ gift.”

  “You don’t have to do that.” Millie pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and tried to hand the money to Katie.

  The other woman waved it away. “I want to. It’s a nice thing you’re doing, helping out Jake.”

  “He’s paying me,” Millie protested.

  Katie smiled. “I know all the Travers brothers, although I was closest in age to Josh growing up. It’s going to be hard for Jake being back in town like this. He was a bit of a loner growing up and so darn smart.”

  “He’s got a lot to deal with, but he’s doing okay.” Millie found it odd that she felt the need to defend him to someone who probably understood a lot more about the situation than she did.

  Katie leaned over to look at the photo on Millie’s phone. “Talk about getting better with age,” she said then gave a low whistle. “It’s been years since I’ve seen Jake, but he never fails to impress. You know everyone in the family has been so worried about him. They’ve managed to keep what happened under wraps, but that can only last so long in a town this size.”

  “The woman working the front desk at the physical-therapy office recognized him. I guess they went to high school together. Her name was Lauren.”

  “Lauren Bell?” Katie scrunched up her nose. “She should have the details of his return posted on Facebook within hours.”

  “Isn’t that a HIPAA violation?”

  “Not those details. I mean about Jake—what he looks like now, details about his daughter—”

  “The fact that a hot, single doctor has returned to town is big news, huh?”

  “In certain circles.”

  One of the young guys working behind the counter called out to Katie and she stood. “I’ve got to get back to work,” she told Millie. “After Labor Day things will slow down around here. Maybe we can get together for a hike?”

  “A hike?”

  Katie laughed. “You know, walking on a trail in the woods. Quite popular in Colorado.”

  “Right.” Millie knew what a hike was; she just couldn’t believe Katie Garrity was inviting her on one. Growing up, Millie and her mom had kept to themselves. Her mother thought it made things easier when Millie’s father came around—they could be available at a moment’s notice and there weren’t questions from curious friends about Millie’s dad or lack of one.