A Heart Decision

by Laurie Kellogg

  Read more of Laurie’s Steamy, Heartwarming Fun romances:

  The Memory of You (prequel to the Return to Redemption Series)

  A Little Bit of Déjà Vu (Book One of the Return to Redemption series)

  The Great Bedroom War (Book Two of the Return to Redemption series)

  The Parent Pact (Book Three of the Return to Redemption Series)

  No Exchanges, No Returns (Book Four of the Return to Redemption Series)

  Or try her L.L. Kellogg A Little Naughty and a lot of Fun romances:

  Hypnotic Seduction (Book One of the Seduction Series)

  The Naughty Never Die (Book Two of the Seduction Series)

  Excerpt of The Parent Pact

  Cinderella and Prince Charming never had to consider the welfare of their children

  When widower Tyler Fitzpatrick meets Annie Barnes at his daughter’s school, his libido goes tilt. The sexy single mother is everything he and his grieving little girl need. Unfortunately, Annie flatly refuses his dinner invitation. She wants a husband and a father for her son—not just a boyfriend. And the last time she checked, wealthy, summa-cum-laude lawyers didn’t marry high-school-drop-out housekeepers.

  Tyler concedes there’s a vast difference between their experiences and lifestyles. Still, he’s inexplicably drawn to the impoverished young woman—even though her little boy reminds Tyler of an underprivileged past he’d rather forget. While becoming better acquainted, he offers Annie a job caring for his daughter and home in Redemption, PA. He also proposes a Parent Pact—an agreement to become role models to each other’s child and to fill one another’s needs as single parents while they continue to search for true love.

  Accepting Tyler’s offer would solve a lot of Annie’s problems. However, surrendering to her weak-in-the-knees attraction to the irresistible widower could very well leave her and her son heartbroken. Yet, when circumstances threaten her ability to feed her child, Annie reluctantly agrees to the pact, making it clear she has no desire for Tyler to fill her so-called needs in bed. It’s a bald-faced lie, but she knows the man’s desperation to give his daughter the nurturing she needs will compel him to accept a purely platonic relationship.

  Now, Annie’s only problem is resisting the overwhelming temptation to let sin-in-a-tailored-suit Tyler seduce her.

  Chapter 1

  It seemed like only yesterday she’d snipped off Noah’s baby curls.

  Annie Barnes stood in front of Redemption’s brick elementary school and smoothed her six-year-old son’s blond-streaked hair.

  Okay, God, if you’ll cut me a break and keep the kids from making fun of him, I promise to be a better mother. I’ll find some way to buy him new sneakers next week.

  Right. Considering her life thus far, the window Noah busted yesterday would count as her so-called break. She didn’t know why she bothered trying to bargain with the Big Guy upstairs.

  He hadn’t saved her parents’ lives.

  He hadn’t kept her from getting an A-plus on the four pregnancy tests she’d taken between her tenth-grade final exams—the last two of which she’d failed.

  And He hadn’t allowed her to afford anything more than a small box of crayons for Noah to carry in his second-hand backpack the first day of school.

  “Have fun today, Pumpkin. And listen to Mrs. Winslow.”

  “O-kaay.” Noah ducked, evading the smooch she aimed at his sun-kissed cheek.

  Her throat tightened as he dashed off to the playground. Today, he didn’t want her kissing him in public. By tomorrow, he’d want her to say good-bye at the corner.

  On the bright side, now that her son was in first grade and in school all day, she could add more homes to her cleaning schedule. She’d lost her best paying customer last week, and as her late mechanic father used to say, finances were as tight as a rusted lug nut.

  At sixteen, the decision to keep her child had been an agonizing one. However, after much soul searching, she’d promised herself she would do everything in her power to give her son the best life possible. So far, she’d managed to care for Noah, but she wasn’t about to win a mother-of-the-year award.

  If she didn’t drum up some new business soon, she’d never be able to buy the winter jacket he needed, let alone the bike he wanted for Christmas. All summer, the other kids had whizzed by on their shiny two-wheelers. The envy in her son’s eyes had sent her on an around-the-world guilt trip. And her inability to afford a measly pair of new sneakers this week had provided a first class upgrade.

  “Hey, Annie.” Jennifer Hanson, the mother of twin boys who’d been in Noah’s kindergarten class, stopped her.

  “Hi, Jenn. How’re you?”

  Jennifer launched into a long-winded tale, explaining her husband, Keith, had been laid off in June, and they’d had to cancel the family vacation they’d planned at Disney World that summer—a place Annie dreamed of taking Noah, despite that she would need a minor miracle.

  Human physiology finally forced Jenn to draw a breath, and she asked, “How was your summer?”

  “About as exciting as watching mold grow. I spent what little free time I had studying for my GED exam.” Unfortunately, she hadn’t learned nearly enough to pass the test for her high school diploma. “If I don’t want to end up scrubbing toilets the rest of my life, I need to take a prep class.”

  “Check out the continuing ed night school. I think they’re offering a course.”

  Unfortunately, it would mean paying for a babysitter as well as tuition, which was tough living in Redemption. The small town’s commuting distance to Princeton, Philadelphia, and even New York attracted successful professionals, which sent the hourly rate for childcare sky-high.

  Jenn had already segued into the huge Labor Day picnic her boss, Dr. Webber, had invited her family to the previous day. “I met the new dentist Dr. Webber hired. He’ll take over the practice when my boss retires in a few—” She suddenly fell silent, which only proved miracles were possible. The incurable chatterbox nudged Annie, jerking her head toward the school’s driveway. “Hull-O.”

  Whoa. Annie did a double take. Six feet of temptation in a hand-tailored suit climbed out of a silver Jaguar convertible. “Uhhh, you’re married, Jenny. Remember Keith, your husband?”

  “A wedding ring doesn’t blind a woman.” Her friend chuckled. “And you’re single. You keep saying Noah needs a daddy. Go make some small talk and see if the guy is available.”

  “It’s doubtful. And if he is, a man who looks like that probably has no desire to get tied down. In fact, I’m thinking he might be gay.”

  “You never know.” Jenn’s eyebrows lifted in an encouraging arch.

  The tawny-haired man oozed self-confidence, smiling at the little girl in the back seat. Contrasted against his tan, his teeth looked as brilliant as his white dress shirt.

  “Wait a minute.” Annie wrinkled her forehead. “Isn’t that Mandy Fitzpatrick in his car?”

  Jenn heaved a disappointed sigh. “It figures Erica’s hubby would be even more gorgeous than she is.”

  The man strolled around to the passenger side of his car, surveying the schoolyard. His gaze swept past Annie, then snapped back for a second look lasting several heartbeats. The broad smile he aimed at her warmed her cheeks. Okay, definitely not gay.

  “I wonder why he’s suddenly bringing Mandy to school.” Annie frowned. “He never has before.”

  “Maybe Erica had their baby,” Jenn speculated, dragging Annie closer to the car as the man pulled a comb from his back pocket. “Wasn’t she due the end of September?”

  Before Annie could answer, a high-pitched shriek sliced the air.

  “Shhh—I’m sorry, Kitten.” The man squatted at the rear of his car and hugged Mandy. “You can’t go to school like this.”

  The little girl winced and squirmed while her father raked his black fine-toothed comb through her long blonde tangles. Unable to watch the child’s torture a moment longer, Annie darted the few yards between them to rescue her.
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  “If you keep yanking on her hair, your daughter’s going to look like she had several rounds of chemo, heaven forbid,” Annie warned, recalling the way her mom’s hair had fallen out by the handfuls. “Would you like to borrow a comb with wider teeth? I promise it’s bug-free.”

  “That’d be great. As you saw, I’d starve as a hairdresser.” He tossed his hands up, and the deep timbre of his voice reverberated through her. “I did my best to comb it after her bath last night, but there were lots of tears. And then we ran late this morning.”

  Annie rooted in her shoulder handbag for her comb. “Would you like me to do it?”

  A long breath hissed out of him. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  “It helps if you use conditioner after you shampoo. There’s a spray-on kind that’s great for kids.”

  “It didn’t look this bad when we left the house. But after driving to the school with the top down….” He spread his arms helplessly, stepping closer while Annie worked snarls out in small sections of his daughter’s hair.

  A whiff of the man’s exotic after-shave wafted past her nose. Glancing up, she discovered him staring intently at her face rather than watching how she detangled Mandy’s hair. Annie swallowed hard and jerked her gaze away.

  It figured. Another married creep looking to fool around on the side while his wife swelled with his child.

  She finished Mandy’s hair, tucked her comb back inside her purse, and faced the child’s father. “By the way, I’m Annie Barnes. My son Noah was in Mandy’s kindergarten class last year.”

  “Son? You don’t look old enough to—I mean, I thought you were a kid’s older sister or aunt.” A deep flush crept up from his collar. “I’m sorry. That was rude.”

  “Don’t sweat it. Having a child at only sixteen causes that misconception a lot. How’s Erica?” she asked, pointedly. “Since you’re doing this stint as Mr. Mom, should I assume she had the baby early?”

  Mandy looked up at her father, her lower lip quivering as tears brimmed in her bright blue eyes. He stroked his daughter’s flaxen head. “It’s okay, sweetheart. She doesn’t know.”

  Annie’s stomach clenched. She’d obviously stuck her foot in her mouth. Was it possible Erica had miscarried?

  He wiped Mandy’s damp cheeks and kissed them. “Get your backpack and your lunch.”

  While the child turned back to the convertible, the man pulled Annie out of his daughter’s earshot. “My wife was killed in a car accident right after school let out for the summer.”

  Annie squeezed her eyes shut. It was more awful than she’d suspected. Talk about thinking the worst of a person. She hated it when people made assumptions about her based on appearances. Not only had the poor guy lost his wife, his unborn baby must have been killed with her.

  “I’m so sorry.” She might as well pry her jaw open a little wider to shove her other five toes in. “If there’s anything I can do to help, Mr. Fitz—”

  “Tyler.” The uneven curve in his lips hinted at his weariness. “You’ve already been a big help. Thanks for doing Mandy’s hair.” He nodded toward his daughter who had returned with her pink Hello Kitty backpack and matching lunchbox. “I was afraid I’d have to send her to school looking like a scarecrow.”

  “Well, I couldn’t bear the idea of six-year-old girl looking like Homer Simpson.” She smiled, finding it impossible to ignore his long, thick lashes and the tiny indentations dimpling his cheeks.

  “I appreciate it. I really don’t need the school reporting me for child neglect.” He hugged Mandy to his side. “I’m ashamed to say, I’m one of those guys who’s been so busy bringing home the bacon I’m clueless about frying it. In fact, I’m not even sure Mandy even likes it.”

  “I love bacon, Daddy,” his daughter chimed in.

  “Good, Kitten. Maybe I’ll try making some this weekend.” He turned his attention back to Annie. “It’s a shame little girls don’t come with owners’ manuals.”

  “If you’re that inexperienced, how’ve you been managing the last few months?”

  “My sister stayed with us for the summer.” His clover-hued gaze bored into Annie as if he had laser vision. “Unfortunately, with the new term starting, Sabrina had to leave yesterday—she’s an elementary school nurse.”

  The blood pulsing in Annie’s head drowned out the sounds from the playground. She usually avoided men with Tyler’s stop-a-girl-in-her-tracks good looks. However, his tenderness with his daughter touched Annie in a way that made her regret letting her usual cynicism discolor their meeting.

  Even so, she could forget any hearts-and-flowers notions. An educated, well-to-do guy like Tyler Fitzpatrick would never be seriously interested in a little nobody like her.

  ~*~

  Tyler studied Annie’s high cheekbones and the twin pools of dark chocolate shimmering above them. His heart thudded in his chest like a convict beating on prison bars.

  In the two years since he’d discovered Erica’s multiple affairs, he’d been so bitter he hadn’t had much regard for women. Although, Doc Foster’s explanation of his wife's specific type of bipolar condition and the resulting lower inhibitions had helped him understand Erica's reckless and impulsive behavior.

  Forgiving her infidelity had been another matter.

  If his wife had truly loved him, she would have sought help for her mood swings rather than self-medicating her depression through the exhilaration of sleeping around.

  He’d yet to absolve his late wife, so except for the loss of her innocent baby, whom he’d vowed to accept as his son and love as much as Mandy, Erica’s passing had been more of a release than a source of sorrow—something that still filled him with intense guilt.

  After all, didn’t it say something about him as a husband that losing the son he’d never held, and who wasn’t even his own, had caused him more anguish than the loss of the woman he’d once imagined he loved?

  He was tired of playing the grieving widower and couldn’t remember the last time a woman’s smile had affected him like Annie’s.

  Her flawless complexion and the glossy cap of sable curls framing her huge eyes reminded him of an Ivory soap model—wholesome and pure. However, her wry sense of humor contradicted her innocent face. Undoubtedly, a teen pregnancy would have forced her to grow up fast and had probably destroyed any illusions she might have had, along with her naivety.

  “Anyway,” he continued, recovering his composure, “I’m beginning to think this morning was shipped express from hell.”

  “Oooh.” Mandy covered her mouth with her tiny palms. “Aunt Sabrina says you’re not s’pose to say that word.”

  He heaved an impatient breath. He could explain the difference between using the term as a reference to the underworld rather than as a curse, but she was probably too young to understand. “You’re right, Kitten. I’m sorry.” He turned back to Annie and muttered, “Good thing she wasn’t around this morning when the toaster oven caught fire, and I burned myself on the frying pan.”

  “You set the toaster on fire?” Annie’s giggle morphed into a sputter. “I’d love to hear what you said then.”

  “Trust me. You wouldn’t.” He rolled his eyes. “I make a living using a phone, computer, and calculator. So when I burn my button-punching fingers, it’s tough to remember to censor myself.”

  “You’re still a new mother. You’ll learn.” Her dazzling smile hit him right in the solar plexus.

  He’d never believed in love at first sight, but he could understand how a guy might mistake this lightheaded kiss-me-baby feeling for more than simple attraction. Still, he’d be crazy to think about getting involved with a girl a decade younger, regardless of her sweet face and quirky sense of humor that was more refreshing than a pitcher of ice-cold lemonade in August.

  The school bell’s clang broke the mesmerizing spell between them, and she jerked her gaze away.

  “Thanks again for your help, Annie.” He squeezed her hand. “I’d appreciate it if you would spread the
word about Erica. It’s the first day of school, so not many people know.”

  Still in a daze, he took his daughter’s arm and led her to the group of first-graders lined up at the school’s glass double doors. “Have a good day, Kitten. I’ll be waiting right here at three-o’clock.”

  He pressed his lips to Mandy’s forehead. She hung on his neck, planting a sloppy smooch on his cheek. Regret swelled in his chest. He’d been an idiot squeezing in so many breakfast meetings last year and denying himself the pleasure of taking her to school.

  As he swiped his hand across his cheek, Mandy pouted and pointed at him. “Daddy! You’re not s’pose to wipe off my kiss!”

  “I didn’t. Honest.” He kissed her again. “I was rubbing it in.”

  After Mandy trooped inside behind her class, smiling and waving to him, he turned and found Annie chatting with the dark-haired woman she’d been talking to earlier. Annie glanced over and caught him watching her. Her cheeks turned bright crimson.

  Nope. His ego hadn’t imagined the gazillion kilowatts arcing between them. She was definitely interested.

  His gaze inexorably drifted down to her dainty ankles. Annie couldn’t be more than five-two. The twinkle in her big round eyes and her short curls reminded him of a mischievous pixie.

  Ten years ago, he could have been arrested for even glancing at her—but there was no question about her being eligible now. Regrettably, she probably listened to completely different music and, no doubt, couldn’t even remember a world before CDs and cell phones.

  His failed marriage proved a relationship couldn’t be built on attraction alone. Thanks to Erica, he now understood he needed more than merely a physical connection to alleviate the profound loneliness that plagued him after tucking Mandy into bed each night.

  He cherished the hours he spent with his daughter, but he needed a wife who would be a partner to him—a woman to talk to and laugh at his jokes. Someone who would rub his shoulders, share time with him in front of a fire, and listen to his problems. And, if that someone happened to have the smile of an angel, so much the better.