His Valentine Surprise. Tanya Michaels
him apologize should do it. In fact, Vicki and I just met with Principal Morgan, who wants a written apology on her desk by Monday morning. You’ll probably be getting a call from her.”
“Oh, Mark—the two of you got summoned to the principal’s office? You just wait until Robert Joseph gets home,” she said, annoyed enough to use her son’s full name. “I had a doctor’s appointment first thing this morning and was running late for car pool, so I didn’t even check email before I left. He was safely at school before I found out what he’d done. What were those children thinking?”
Her question, although probably rhetorical, was followed by a deeply awkward pause as they both acknowledged what the scheming duo had been thinking. They’d been reasoning that kids deserved two parents and that Vicki missed her mother. And that Mark had failed abysmally when it came to rejoining the dating world of singles.
“As your daughter pointed out, Valentine’s Day is right around the corner,” Dee said. “I don’t suppose there’s anyone special you were interested in ask—”
“Not you, too!” Mark protested. If his daughter broadcasting his supposed romantic ineptitude to hundreds of people was the most embarrassing thing that had ever happened to him, then discussing his love life with his late wife’s big sister ran a close second.
“Is it because of Jess?” Dee asked quietly. “If you’re not ready for another relationship, I understand. But if something else is keeping you from… We spend a lot of time together and there are pictures of her all over my house. I wouldn’t ever want you to feel guilty about seeing someone else. Jess would want you to be happy, and Frank and I would be completely supportive if that’s what you wanted.”
“It isn’t,” Mark said. “Not right now, anyway. You know that things haven’t been going too well at the store? The owner, Bennett Coleridge, is in town for the weekend. He’s thinking about shutting me down, Dee.”
She sucked in her breath. “Oh, no.”
“So I’m a little preoccupied right now. Besides, a woman in my life shouldn’t be a Band-Aid. If I go out with someone, it should be because we’re interested in each other as two adults, not because I need her in order to bond with my own daughter.”
Maybe the principal had been right today, damn it. While he resented the implication that he wasn’t there for his daughter, maybe he wasn’t there for her in the ways that made the most sense to a six-year-old. Obviously it was imperative that he provided for her, but maybe—in her view—it was equally imperative that he watched some of her ballet lessons or read to her class.
“Vicki and Bobby were sneaking off to do this,” he continued, “and I never had an inkling that she was up to something.” When she’d flat out admitted this morning that she had “a plan,” his brilliant parenting strategy had been to dismiss what she was trying to tell him. Dumbass. “Before I think about any romantic relationships, I should probably strengthen my relationship with my daughter.”
“All right. But you know if you ever do want to take someone out for the evening, we’re happy to babysit.”
“Thank you. You and Frank have been amazing. I don’t think I tell you that enough, but we’re so blessed to have you.” Even Bobby had arguably acted out of love for his cousin. Mark couldn’t fathom what it would be like for himself and Vicki to start over from scratch somewhere else, without their invaluable support network.
I won’t let that happen, he vowed to himself as he disconnected the call. He would simply redouble his efforts to keep the store open. But he wouldn’t let those efforts stop him from being the father that Vicki deserved.
Chapter Three
“Oh, it’s you.” Since the store was currently deserted, Mark’s words carried.
From just beneath the bell that jangled to announce patrons, six-foot-five Cade Montgomery raised his eyebrows. “Dude, stop falling all over yourself with elation whenever you see me. People will talk.”
“Sorry, didn’t mean to sound unhappy that you’re here,” Mark said. “I was just hoping…”
“That I was a paying customer?” Cade commiserated. In years past, the dark-haired bear of a man had earned a full-time living with guided rafting excursions, but in the current economy, he had to supplement that income with carpentry odd jobs.
“Yeah.”
“It’s the middle of a weekday,” Cade pointed out. “People are either at work or at lunch. You’ll get more business tomorrow.”
“I know.” But would it be enough business? Since Mark had reached the store after this morning’s meeting at Woodside, he’d been consulting vendor catalogs, trying to decide if he could cut costs by dropping certain brands that weren’t selling well or switching distributors.
“Speaking of lunch. I was in the area delivering some shelves to a client and swung by to see if you wanted to grab a burger with me.”
“But that would mean closing the store for an hour.”
Cade glanced meaningfully at the reversible Open sign hanging in the window; the back featured an adjustable clock face. “Gee, if only you had one of those signs that said something like ‘Will Return In….’”
Mark rolled his eyes. “Smart-ass. I was planning to work through lunch because I missed some time this morning. I got called into an unexpected meeting with the new principal at Woodside.”
“About that Fitness Fair?”
“No, about Vicki.” The tiniest matchmaker. Mark had seen movies where children of single parents schemed to get their folks together. But those were always specific matches—one man, one woman. His overachieving daughter had tried to hook him up with the entire damn PTA!
“Vicki? Is she winning an award or something?” Cade asked, unmistakable affection in his voice.
“Not unless the school gives out awards for most inappropriate use of email.”
Cade’s brows shot up. “Don’t follow.”
Mark sighed. “Come on. Let’s get lunch, and I’ll tell you all about it.”
RECAPPING THE MORNING’S ego-bruising events for his friend’s entertainment did not improve Mark’s mood. Even though it had been Cade’s idea to go eat, the man had mostly ignored his bacon burger in favor of laughing at Mark.
“I had no idea your daughter was so proficient with the internet,” Cade said, still chortling. “If I’d known, I would have friended her on Facebook. Hey, think she could talk me through a problem I’ve been having with Outlook?”
“Glad you find this so hilarious,” Mark groused.
“And you don’t? You have to admit, what she did was really cute.”
“Says the man who wasn’t getting lectured by Principal Morgan first thing this morning.”
“That’s right, I remember hearing a new principal moved here from the opposite end of the school district. What’s she like, the female version of Ridenour?” Even though Cade didn’t have any young relatives at the elementary school, it was a small town and everyone had at least a passing acquaintance with Jonathan Ridenour, one of Braeden’s most involved citizens until his heart attack.
At the idea of comparing Shay to Ridenour, Mark finally cracked a grin. Cade was a good guy, but a bit of a hound dog. He’d dated at least half of the attractive single women in the tricounty area yet had no idea that a beautiful blonde had recently taken up residence nearby. “No, she’s not much like Ridenour. Younger, for one thing.”
“Makes sense. Why replace him with someone who would just retire in another year or two?”
Mark frowned, remembering his encounter with Shay. “And I think Jonathan would have been slower to assume it was