Daddy 101 (American Romance)

by Leigh, Jo

  He studied her for a long time. Searching her face for what, she wasn’t sure. Wavering? Indecision? Finally his hands relaxed, then fell to his side.

  She’d never felt so alone in her whole life.

  Just then, Carley reached his side. She pushed up against him and snaked her arm around his waist. “Is this the famous Dani?”

  “Not now, Carley,” Alex said, turning to face her.

  Dani heard the threat in his voice, but Carley didn’t, or if she did, she didn’t-care.

  “She’s sweet, Alex. I mean it. She’s just darling.”

  “Knock it off, Carley. I told you. You shouldn’t have come. I thought I’d made that clear in Los Angeles.”

  “Well, we all make mistakes,” she said. Then she laughed, tossing her hair behind her shoulders.

  Dani watched her, fascinated. She was extraordinarily pretty, and yet now that she was close, Dani could see that she didn’t really look like a person. She was a living Barbie, with impossibly large breasts on such a small frame, huge eyes and a pouty mouth ripe for a Revlon ad. Each individual part was perfect, yet the whole was somehow artificial.

  “Ted is the one who made the mistake,” Alex said. “I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have done this. I never meant us to go any further.”

  “Honey, you don’t know what you’re thinking right now. Ted told me you’d been under a lot of strain. It’s only natural. So why don’t we just go back to the limo and work this out. I know I can make you feel all better.”

  Alex sighed. He reached for Carley’s arm and stepped away from her embrace. “Look, Carley,” he said, his voice kinder now. And soft, too, so that not everyone straining to hear would be successful. “You’re a great kid. I had a really good time with you. But I told you from the start, it wasn’t going to have this kind of ending. You said that was fine with you, remember? You said you wouldn’t press. That you wanted to stay single. To play the field. Right?”

  She frowned. “But things have changed. I thought—”

  “I know. I should have broken it off with you right away. It’s my fault. I hope you can forgive me.”

  “I don’t want to forgive you. I want you to make it up to me.”

  “That’s not going to happen.”

  Carley looked at him carefully. “It’s true, isn’t it? Ted wasn’t lying. You really do think you love little Miss Backhoe.”

  “Hey—”

  “You’ve got to be kidding. She’s going to look just swell sitting with Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy at the Armani shows, huh? And can’t you just picture her at Lincoln Center? For God’s sake, Alex, get real. You’ll get bored with her in two weeks. Just as soon as the novelty wears off.”

  Dani couldn’t stand it one more second. She turned, lifted Chloe into her arms and ran. Just ran.

  ALEX HADN’T KNOWN he could be this angry and not kill someone. He wanted to strangle Carley, and Ted, too. But he didn’t. He had more important things to do. Such as make sure Dani didn’t believe one word of Carley’s bull.

  “Go back to L.A., Carley,” he said. “Just get the hell away from me.”

  He turned to face Dani, but she wasn’t there. Looking around frantically, all he could see were strangers. Gawking, staring, frozen as if they were glued in place.

  “She left,” someone said.

  He found the woman who’d spoken. It was Karen somebody. She’d been to Dani’s. “Where?”

  “I don’t know.” She pointed east. “She just picked up Chloe and ran.”

  Alex took off. Once more, the crowd parted for him, only this time, they did it a whole lot faster. He ran, desperate to find her, to comfort her. To make her believe him.

  When he reached the edge of the crowd he saw her. She was standing by the cake booth, and Mimi was next to her. Chloe took Mimi’s hand. He kept running, and Dani spotted him. She turned abruptly and headed toward home.

  No way he was going to let her go. No way in hell.

  DANI TRIED TO RUN, but she was blinded by her tears. She didn’t want to trip or fall. Not now. Not when she so desperately needed to get home. She could lock the doors there and die in private.

  “Dani, wait.”

  She didn’t listen. She wouldn’t. Carley had done them both a favor. She’d finally told the truth. Someone had to. The awful reality had been sitting between them since they’d met. Alex was so far out of her league she didn’t even have a map to get there. Dani had never minded being a small town girl. She’d always been proud of her community and her upbringing. Now she just felt stupid.

  She’d dared to dream once before, with Randy, and she’d been shot down for her pretension. But that had been in private. This time, her arrogance and her stupidity were on display for the whole world to see. She wondered if NBC had caught that little soap opera back there, and if she’d be watching her shining moment, the moment Carley had called a spade a spade, on the evening news.

  She ran faster, or at least tried to. Alex caught her arm, though, and that was that. She gave in, stopping at the corner. She’d only needed five more minutes to make it to her house.

  “Look at me,” Alex said. His voice was gentle, and that just made her cry harder. “Come on, sweetheart. Look at me.”

  She lifted her gaze, sure she looked horrible with red-rimmed, puffy eyes. Oh, well, what did that matter? What did anything matter?

  “I hope you didn’t believe anything that idiot had to say. She’s all wet, Dani. She was looking for someone with deep pockets to support her habits. It wasn’t going to be me.”

  Dani sniffed. “She wasn’t such an idiot.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “She was only telling it like she saw it. You would get bored with me. I wouldn’t fit in with your fancy friends. I’m just a small town girl, Alex. With small town values. I don’t know anything about Armani, or Tiffany’s or the Empire State building.”

  “Honey, there aren’t going to be any tests.”

  “You’re not looking at this realistically, Alex. We’ve only known each other a few days. You can’t possibly predict a happy ending for us. The odds are a million to one.”

  “I’ve made my father’s fortune six times over playing odds just like these. I’ve never lost.”

  “I’m not a commodity you can sell when it doesn’t meet your expectations.”

  “Sell? I told you before, I won’t let you go: Ever.”

  “No. I can’t believe you. I can’t. It’s too hard. There’s too much at stake.”

  “All right. Let’s say, just for argument’s sake, that there is a chance it wouldn’t work out. Isn’t that the same risk everyone takes? There aren’t any guarantees in life, Dani.”

  “I know. But at least you want to start out with the odds in your favor.”

  “They are.” He smiled then, and her heart lifted. She didn’t know why. Nothing had changed. But his face, so hopeful and full of promise, hit a chord deep inside her. Then she got it. It was his expression. The same expression she’d seen on Chloe’s face when she’d discovered something new and totally wonderful. It was a child’s smile. Innocent and pure.

  “Dani, I can’t tell you I know everything that will happen in the future. What I can do is tell you what I want and what I promise.”

  She winced, reality crashing in on the brief flicker of hope she’d had. “No, don’t.”

  “Why? Tell me what it is that scares you so much.”

  A great rush of sadness rose inside her. So much she couldn’t bear it. “How can I believe you when no man I’ve loved has ever told me the truth?”

  He was quiet while she struggled to keep her tears at bay. One slipped through, and Alex reached over with his thumb and gently, sweetly, took that tear away. Then he leaned closer, and he kissed her tenderly on the lips. It was a kiss she’d remember always, the one she’d think of in her last moments on earth. It held every kindness, every secret, every bit of love she’d ever dared to dream of.

  When he let her lips g
o, he moved his arms around her back and brought her close. Cradled in his embrace, she rested her head on his shoulder and he rocked her back and forth. Then she heard his whisper.

  “I won’t make you do anything you don’t feel is right. I won’t ask you again to come live with me in New York. But I will ask you if you’ll give me permission to move here. Not in your house, not if you’re not ready. But close. If it’s time you need, I’ll gladly give it to you.”

  She tried to pull back, to object, but his grip grew stronger and he held her steady.

  “Wait, please. Until I’m done.”

  She settled down again, although the moment he was through she would tell him he couldn’t possibly move to Carlson’s Gap.

  “I won’t be here as much as I’d like. It’ll mean a lot of traveling, but that’s okay. We can work that out. I can get the jet down here, so it won’t be so much of a burden. I can set up the computers here, I can do everything I need to. But mostly, I’ll have you. That’s all that really matters to me. And later, if you decide that you feel right about it, we can maybe get married. I mean for real. The whole nine yards. Fifty-fifty.”

  “Are you done?” she whispered.

  “I think so.”

  Now when she pulled back, he let her go. She had to look at him. To see his eyes. To see that he was telling her the truth. When her gaze met his, she knew. Absolutely, unequivocally. Alex Bradley loved her.

  And she loved him right back.

  All her worries vanished. For once in her life she trusted her instincts completely. No second-guessing, no misgivings, no fear of the risk involved. He loved her enough to move heaven and earth. She loved him enough to leave the safety of Carlson’s Gap behind.

  She smiled. “Aren’t you supposed to be signing autographs about now?”

  His brows came down and he looked at her as if she was nuts. “What?”

  “I said, aren’t you supposed to be signing autographs?”

  “You think that’s more important than this? Than us?”

  She shook her head. “No. But you are helping to raise money for the pet shelter.”

  “I know. I’ll just pay the rest. It’ll get built, don’t worry.”

  “What do you mean, the rest?”

  “I pledged the balance.”

  “You didn’t have to do that.”

  “I know. I wanted to.”

  She smiled, feeling more peace and contentment than she’d ever dreamed possible.

  “What?” Alex still looked puzzled. “What is that smile about? And why are we talking about animal shelters? Didn’t you hear me?”

  “I heard you.”

  “And?”

  “And I think we need to get back to town. I mean, I wouldn’t want anyone to think badly of us when we’re gone. I’ll be coming back, you know. To check up on the shelter, and to make sure my practice is in good hands.”

  “What?”

  “You keep saying that.”

  “You mean...?”

  She nodded. Alex just stood there, looking a little goofy with his mouth open.

  “Well, if you’re not going to say it, then I guess I have to.”

  “What?”

  “You gotta work on that return, sweetie.”

  “Tell me!”

  “No. It’s ask me.”

  “Wh—” He stopped. Grinned. “Pardon?”

  She grinned right back at him. “Boy, for a bright guy...” She sighed dramatically, enjoying this more than she could ever say. Then, she took his hands in hers, looked into his eyes and said, “Alex Bradley, will you marry me?”

  “What?”

  She shook her head. “No, the correct answer to that is, yes.”

  He nodded. Wow, did he nod. “Yes,” he said. “Yes, and yes.”

  “Will you promise to love me in sickness and in health? Through good times and bad? Till death do us part?”

  “Yes.”

  She leaned close, but just before she kissed him, she whispered, “I believe you.”

  Epilogue

  Two years later

  “Why can’t we name him Pete?”

  Dani shook her head at Chloe. She might be a whiz kid at her private school in Manhattan, but sometimes she was just a ten-year-old kid with some pretty stubborn ideas. “Because we can’t name the baby after the dog.”

  “But it was Pete who helped you meet Daddy. If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be having the baby.”

  “True. But I’m sure if you give Pete a very big bone, he’ll be just as tickled.”

  “Alex Junior is just too boring.”

  “Well thanks.”

  Dani turned at the sound of Alex’s voice. She smiled up at him as he came to the dinner table. “It smells great.”

  “Remember the last time I made chicken here?”

  She smiled. “That was a meal I’ll never forget.”

  “I’ve improved since then.”

  “True. But I still like Annie’s cooking better.”

  “I don’t know. It’s nice to be here alone. Just us.” He put the chicken down on the table and surveyed the meal he’d cooked with his very own hands. “Matter of fact, I think we ought to stay here for a while.”

  Dani watched him take his seat. Something was up, she could tell. That tone of voice was always a dead giveaway. “What are you thinking?”

  “You sound worried.”

  “I am.”

  He put his napkin in his lap, then made a point of pouring himself a large glass of water, and filling her glass and Chloe’s, too. “I just think it might be nice if we had the baby here.”

  “But it’s all planned. What about New York?”

  “It’ll still be there when we want to go back.”

  “What about the new building?”

  “Ted and Donald can handle it.”

  “Chloe’s summer school?”

  He turned to his daughter. “Would you be brokenhearted if you just had to play and draw and help Mom with the baby?”

  She shook her head. “I didn’t want to go to that dumb computer school anyway.”

  Alex looked back at Dani. “See?”

  “What brought this on?”

  “I was at the diner this afternoon.”

  “Mom.”

  “And Aunt Laura. Uncle Steve. Caroline. Mimi...”

  “All right. I get the picture.” She picked up her fork and stabbed a small piece of chicken. “Are you sure it’s not going to make you crazy? We haven’t stayed here more than a week since we moved.”

  “No. It’s fine. I want to be here more. I think we should plan to stay here every summer.”

  “What?”

  “Any minute now, we’ll have two kids to think of,” he said. “I want them to grow up to be just like their mom. With small town values.”

  “But a little New York sophistication wouldn’t hurt, either.”

  “Nope. Together, they’re an unbeatable combination, don’t you think?”

  “I do,” she said.

  “Know what another great combination is?”

  “What?”

  “Alexander Peter Bradley.”

  She laughed. “Now wait a minute.”

  “Chloe’s right. It’s all his fault we’re together. If he’d stayed healthy, we’d never have met.”

  “See, Mom?” Chloe said. “Even Daddy gets it.”

  Dani looked at her family. Her beautiful young daughter. Her wonderful husband. Her hand went to her stomach, so ripe with her unborn child. Even Pete, the old guy, was curled up in the corner. All was right with her world. “Okay. You win. But you two have to tell him the story when he’s old enough to ask about his name.”

  Chloe held out her hand and Alex grabbed it. They shook like partners. Buddies. Father and daughter. And now she’d be having Alex Junior at home, surrounded by her family and her friends.

  For the rest of dinner, she didn’t say much. It was good just to listen to the lively discussion between Alex and Chloe about the in
ternet, Renoir, the New York Yankees and finally dish duty. Of course she wasn’t allowed to help. Her belly got in the way, they claimed. But that was all right, too.

  Listening to the laughter spilling out of the kitchen, she went to the living room, right up to the bookcase. She found the large coffee table book that was right next to the potted fern. Opening the front cover, she saw the page she’d put there over two years before. She’d wanted to keep it safe. To bring it out on long lonely nights, so she would remember her little adventure. The two days she’d spent with the Sexiest Man in the World.

  She lifted the magazine cover, still pristine, and held it up. He was handsomer now, of course. Sweeter.

  Her two days of adventure had turned into two years of joy. He was still the Sexiest Man in the World. And she was the Luckiest Woman on Earth.

  ISBN : 978-1-4592-6081-8

  DADDY 101

  Copyright © 1998 by Jolie Kramer.

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