by Sam Destiny
“Good morning,” I whispered, not wanting to startle her.
She looked up, her mother’s eyes gazing back at me from the tiny face. It gave me a stab between the ribs.
I missed Jacky every day. Even though it got easier, it sometimes nearly knocked me on my ass because I still had a hard time getting used to being alone. There was something about sharing a life with a person, even if only for a few years, that made getting into new routines harder some days.
Seemed today would be one of those days.
“Daddy!” She jumped up with a smile. I crouched as she threw herself at me, hugging me tightly. “I had no nightmares! At all!”
I squeezed her to me, kissing the top of her head while processing this. Frankly, I couldn’t think about what had been different last night because it would give me more things to ruin my day.
“Why were you home anyway? And how did Clare get in with you?”
Sally wiggled out of my arms, then placed her hands on her hips. “Duh, Daddy. Your key is hidden behind the house number. So typical,” she explained, even rolling her eyes. I gritted my teeth as I recognized Delaney in her posture and tone.
However, I wouldn’t lie. I was glad they’d made it into the house; otherwise, I wouldn’t have known my daughter was home until I called Cane this morning.
Which reminded me…
“And why did Clare have to find the key in the first place?”
Sally’s face fell and she turned away, going back to playing with her dolls.
“Sal?” I prompted, touching her shoulder, but she just shrugged me off.
I realized I wouldn’t get answers from her today. Kissing the top of her head again, I stood. “I’ll go tell Clare thank you. Stay here, okay?” I ordered, and she nodded.
I made my way downstairs, pulling my cell from my pocket and dialing Cane, getting his voicemail. “Call me back. You have some explaining to do.” I nearly growled the order, but couldn’t change the fact that my best friend’s trusted nanny hadn’t been able to handle my child—and had just dropped her off.
I hung up and slipped into flip-flops, grabbing my keys and locking the door before making my way across the lawn and walking into the house next door.
The smell of cookies hit me. My mouth watered and my stomach rumbled. Clare, surrounded by platters full of the freshly baked goodness, stood with her back to me, her head hanging, the usually noisy house silent. I snuck a cookie from the batch closest to me and nearly groaned as the chocolatey, gooey decadence hit my tongue.
I couldn’t remember when I’d last tasted something this good. While chewing, I watched her, waiting for her to move. I wondered why she’d watched Sally. She didn’t owe me anything.
Inside me, anger, worry, and embarrassment warred. A stranger had to take care of my daughter, and I’d been so exhausted, I let her. She’d also invaded my house while I wasn’t there.
It was Jacky’s and my place, had been since we’d bought it before Sally was born, and I’d never taken any woman back there.
“You’re welcome, Dale. For the cookie and watching your daughter.”
Her voice lacked enthusiasm and the anger I was used to. However, I was surprised she’d known I was there.
“What happened?” I crossed my arms in front of my chest to keep myself from sneaking another cookie.
“Some woman banged on all the doors she could, demanding someone tell her where the crazy child’s dad was. I stepped onto the porch because I was curious. I saw Sally, grabbed her, and pushed the woman. She left. I took Sally inside. The end.”
She hadn’t moved, hadn’t looked up, and I had no idea what to do.
“That wasn’t the end.” From the little I knew of her, she wasn’t a person who’d watch a scene like that and not demand an explanation.
She sighed, then nodded, still not looking at me. Frankly, that made me all the more curious.
“I asked her what in the world she was thinking, handing off a child like that, and she…” Clare’s shoulders tensed. It took me a moment to realize it was because she was upset.
“She what, Delaney? This is not the time to play fucking games, okay? This is about my daughter and the one evening I thought I could maybe grab a beer, have a life. I wanted a break for one evening, then this happened.” I shrugged, although she couldn’t see it, and leaned against her counter, grabbing another cookie.
“Take some for Sally, too,” Clare muttered, then finally turned. She looked pale, her emerald eyes dull, her usually rosy lips in a tight line.
I’d ask any other person what was bothering them, but Delaney and I weren’t close enough.
“What happened, Delaney?”
She licked her lips. “I guess Sally fell asleep during a movie and woke up screaming when there was an explosion on the TV. Well, seems that freaky woman didn’t want to handle a screaming child, so she packed her into the car and drove her here. Your precious, terrified daughter. Instead of comforting her, she wanted to get rid of her.” She shook her head. “I swear, if your child hadn’t been in my arms, hiding her face against my shoulder, I’d have punched the so-called nanny.”
“Cane calls her a single dad’s nightmare. If this is how she acts, I don’t know why he has her. I mean… I guess Kelly is easy without nightmares and—”
“Your daughter is amazing, and so quiet. I mean, she’s no trouble at all. She has nightmares, yes, but all you have to do is hold her.”
I swallowed down an angry comment. More often than not, me holding her didn’t work at all.
“She was upset, so I figured it was better if she was in her own bed. I’m sorry I just came into your house, but I couldn’t exactly contact you.”
She waited, her expression neutral. I wanted to be flippant, but I couldn’t. Not when she’d given my daughter a quiet night. Not when she looked as if she’d soaked up my exhaustion.
“Thank you. Trust me, I won’t be going out again, so you don’t have to worry about a repeat happening.”
I hesitated, then grabbed a handful of cookies and turned toward the door.
“You can go out, Dale. Just drop her off here. Maybe it’s because you don’t go out that you’re a miserable prick most of the time. After a good night’s sleep, you’re surprisingly human.”
I spun around. “I’m a prick because I don’t get laid regularly? Is that what you’re saying?” I stepped toward her, but she didn’t back down. “Should I parade women around in front of Sally?”
“That’s not what I said and you know it.”
Finally, the spark was back in her eyes, and I ignored the way it shot right to my dick. If she weren’t such a pain in the ass, she’d actually be hot.
“What were you saying then?” I asked.
Yeah. What in the world had we been talking about?
CLARE
Dale Harris was the last thing I needed this morning, especially as close as he was to me right now. I’d been trying to be nice, but he twisted my words until he found yet another reason to be pissed at me.
God, I want to punch him.
Hell, I want to punch everyone.
I hate the world right now.
“All I was saying, you fucking idiot, is that maybe you occasionally need some time to relax and just be you. Not a parent, not a person someone else has expectations in, but just a dude out for a beer. Why do you turn everything I say into an insult?” I tilted my head. “Then again, maybe you suggesting you need sex means you need exactly that. I’m sure there’s a poor lady out there somewhere who will instantly spread her legs for you.”
I held his eyes as I said those words, yet there was a weird churning in my stomach at the thought. Yes, there were too many willing and cheap women out there, but was I really ready to babysit his daughter so he could get his dick wet?
He came even closer, his nose almost touching mine. His breath washed over my face, smelling of chocolate and sugar, and I stared at his lips for a second before my eyes snapped back to his.
“You think a cheap lay is my thing? How about we do it right here, right now, on your kitchen counter?”
My jaw dropped. Before I knew it, my hand shot out, landing a loud slap to his face. “You know nothing about me, asshole. Not a thing. Get out of my house right now, or I’ll kick you where it hurts.”
He hesitated a moment, clearly trying to figure out if I would or wouldn’t follow through, then suddenly pressed an angry kiss to my lips. When he pulled back, he grinned maliciously, pushed another cookie into his mouth, and left.
“You asshole!” I screamed, hearing him chuckle as he walked across my grass. I wished I had punched him instead of a simple slap.
What the hell had he been thinking, kissing me? Especially after calling me cheap. I licked my lips, his taste still on them, and my heart thudded angrily in my chest. I didn’t know what it meant. Fuck, I couldn’t even decide what I thought about the kiss, except how nice his lips had felt on mine.
I massaged my temples, wondering what to do with myself. I didn’t have a friend to speak of because I was a secretary in a firm that specialized in TV installations. Besides me, there was only one other lady working there, and she was almost sixty. I didn’t go out enough to meet new friends, and if I did, all I ever saw were cliques. Good luck getting into those.
Anyway, I didn’t need anyone. I was my own woman. I took care of my house, my money, and if I needed it, my own pleasure.
Starting to pace, I wished I had a dog. Something to talk to, to comfort me. That thought had come up several times before, but I’d dismissed it, worried what I’d do with it when I was at the office. But now? I figured I’d make it work.
Opening my laptop, I searched for chocolate labs, my favorite, and realized the season for new pups was over. People obviously didn’t consider having a litter of puppies in the summer a good idea. I read through different forums and pages until I spotted an entry that caught my interest. It was four days old and the dog offered was cheap, but maybe I’d be lucky.
I dialed the number, waiting with bated breath until someone picked up.
“Summers.”
“I’m calling about…” I checked the name, “Lacrosse. My name is Clare Delaney and I’ve wanted a chocolate lab since, well…forever.”
“Do you know anything about dogs?” the woman asked.
I put my laptop aside and walked up the stairs to my office. Not that I ever used the room, but it also served as storage. I found the dog training books right on top of a pile.
“I do. I’ve read a lot about them before. I worried what I’d do with a dog while at work, but I read that if they are used to it, they’ll be peaceful while you’re gone.”
The woman laughed. “Yes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need attention occasionally. So, here’s the thing… Lacrosse isn’t a perfect chocolate lab. I’m thinking you should come over and look at her so you know if she might be the right fit for you.”
Not perfect? I wondered what that meant, then decided I could always refuse to take her if I didn’t think it’d work out. “I thought pups usually left their mothers at around eight weeks. It says Lacrosse is eleven weeks.”
The woman hesitated, then sighed. “Just come by to look at her. I’ll tell you everything about her then. She has shots and we have all the papers. We also started to potty-train her, too. She still sometimes can’t make it outside, but at least you won’t have to start from ground zero.”
I liked the sound of that and chewed my bottom lip. Maybe I was having a midlife crisis at thirty-one.
“Where can I see the precious bundle?” I asked cheerily, although I worried what could be wrong with her that she hadn’t been picked yet.
The woman rattled off the address. I assured her I was going to be there in less than an hour, which I managed even with stopping to grab the necessities for my future dog. Sick of being alone, I was set on having one.
Plus, maybe I could train it to bite Dale Harris’ ankle whenever the guy stepped foot on my land.
The moment I got there and opened the door to the garden, a brown furball came bounding forward. Smiling, I crouched to scoop her up, realizing why Lacrosse was still here. Her tail and butt were white. In such expensive dogs, that was actually considered a defect.
The puppy licked my face and I laughed, unable to help myself. No matter what, this little one was coming home with me.
When a woman approached me cautiously, I gave her a beaming smile.
“She’s perfect,” I announced, watching how her shoulders relaxed as she blew out a breath.
Her eyes shone with happiness when she knelt next to me. “As you can tell, she’s not. Technically, a good breeder would’ve gotten rid of a defective one, but, well… I couldn’t. No one else wanted her, just in case they ever wanted to breed their own, so…” She shrugged.
I laughed. “I’m going to have my hands full with this one. I’m never going to breed them, I assure you.”
Lacrosse jumped all over me, her tail wagging happily, and a calm settled within me, as if my body was telling me this was the right decision. Granted, I’d have to put a new fence around my garden, but that would be the least of my worries. I was sure about it.
“She’s going home with me,” I announced, standing to grab the new collar out of my handbag. The pup instantly started to whine.
“She sure loves you,” Mrs. Summers chuckled. I couldn’t help but think that as much as we imagined we chose the dog, the puppies ultimately decided with whom they were a good match.
Taking her home gave me a peace I hadn’t expected. As Lacrosse bounced off every surface in my house, I couldn’t help but think that something finally felt right in my life again.
DALE
I paced my house, fuming, ready to jump out of my skin, while my child sat on the lawn next door and played with that annoyingly cute puppy. I had no idea when Clare had gotten it, but I felt as if it were a ploy to take my daughter away from me. Anger bubbled as I watched the two play with the dog, Sally laughing in delight whenever the puppy licked her face.
The doorbell rang. I couldn’t help but feel glad that someone, anyone, would distract me from the agitation I felt at that moment. I walked toward the door, stopping when a woman breezed in.
“Mom?” I stared, surprised, as she walked up and hugged me. God, she was exactly the person I’d needed, but hadn’t realized it until I’d seen her.
“Dale! I thought I’d drop by for a few days. I missed you and my grandchild, so, yeah, here I am!”
I kissed her cheek, the stress immediately melting off me, then stepped back to let her enter. She dropped her bag by the door and followed me into the kitchen, glancing out of the window before smiling.
“I was going to ask where Sally is, but I guess a puppy trumps everything else. I wanted a chance to talk to you alone for a few minutes anyway.” Her smile slipped. I wondered what was going on. We’d spoken just last week and she’d sounded perfectly fine.
I smirked. “Why? I swear, I didn’t do it.”
She cocked her head, then shook it. “When we talked last week, you sounded off. Exhausted, tired. And not just from lack of sleep, but weary. What’s going on?”
I rubbed my palms across my face, wondering how best to answer that question, then leaned back against the counter, crossing my feet at my ankles. “Sally sleeps like shit, and I’m…” I sighed. “I’m awake all night, wondering how it would be if I weren’t alone. Most nights, I tell myself I want a woman around for her, but sometimes…”
Mom smiled. “Sometimes you wish you had someone to share the worries…and everything else. Someone who kisses you and gives you a hug when you need it, right?”
An image flashed through my mind—me kissing a woman’s forehead, messy curls tickling my chin. Startled, I wiped it from my mind.
I knew those curls and would sure as hell stay away from them.
“I don’t know. I mean, I’m… I went out Friday, just to relax, but couldn’t beca
use I was worried about the person watching Sally. Turned out I was right.” Her eyes widened. I held up my hand. “Sally was okay. The hellion next door took care of her. But I cannot free my mind, Mom. I just need one night off, you know? Just to be a guy out in a bar, knowing he can come home and sleep off his buzz.”
“I’m here, Dale. I’ll watch Sally. Get drunk, if that’s what you want, and sleep it off.”
God, I liked that idea. Maybe I’d find someone to share a bed with for a few hours.
“No, son. You’ll be coming home…and you’ll be alone,” my mother stated sternly, her hands on her hips, as if I’d said my last thought out loud.
“I didn’t say anything,” I replied innocently.
She shook her head. “You didn’t have to, Dale. I saw it on your face. Yes, you’re lonely, but I don’t think you need someone for a night. The only thing you’ll accomplish with that is a mess, so forget that right now, buddy.”
I arched a brow. “I’m no longer eighteen, Mom. You can’t tell me what to do.”
She glared at me. I knew she would be more than able to and would chew me out if I actually showed up with anyone later. Not that I would, mainly because I didn’t want to give Sally any wrong ideas.
I considered calling Cane—after he’d apologized for the way our last bar trip had ended, we’d actually made up—to have him join me, but realized I wanted to be alone, mope in a bar, come home after some beers, then hopefully eventually fall into a peaceful sleep.
CLARE
It was half past two when I decided Lacrosse and I had enough of Netflix and should get to bed. The pup had settled in perfectly, and I could no longer imagine how it felt to be without her.
Just as I stretched and stood, a noise made me freeze. Listening, I heard nothing but silence. I might have chalked it up to my vivid imagination, or the crime shows I’d been watching, had Lacrosse not started to growl, placing her tiny body in front of me as she looked toward the door.
“Good girl,” I muttered, bending to pat her when another creak outside drove my heart to nearly jump out of my chest.
