Bachelor Dad: A Single Dad Romance. Roxann Delaney
Sophie emerged from the bathroom, dressed in the pajamas he’d left for her.
Without saying a word, she walked to the bedroom that had been Paige’s and peeked inside. “It’s yours,” he told her. “I know it doesn’t look anything like a little girl’s room, but we’ll fix that real soon. It was my sister’s room when she lived here.”
Sophie’s hazel eyes were wide and unreadable, but she nodded slowly. Her head turned toward the big bed, and then back again.
It was his turn to nod. “Go ahead, climb into bed and I’ll tuck you in.” He suddenly smiled at the memory of his mother saying the same to him. Feeling a little easier, not to mention nostalgic, he waited until she’d crawled onto the bed and scooted under the covers before approaching. “Up to your chin?” he asked, taking the top edge of the blanket in his fingers.
But Sophie wasn’t paying attention. Her gaze darted around the room, as if she were looking for something. At first, he wasn’t sure what it might be, and he suspected Sophie wouldn’t suddenly speak up and tell him what the problem was, so he looked around, too. And then it dawned on him.
“Your teddy bear?” When she nodded, he felt a knot in his chest ease. “You left it on the sofa. I’ll get it and will be right back.” He barely waited for her nod before he turned for the door and hurried to the living room, where he scooped up the tattered teddy bear and returned to her room.
She hadn’t moved an inch. The big bed seemed to swallow her, and he made another mental note, along with the others, to find a smaller bed for her. When he handed her the teddy bear, he noticed that the relief on her face turned to joy. Apparently something was right. Finally.
After making sure she was comfortable, he brushed his lips lightly on her cheek. He felt her still, and when he moved away, she was watching him closely. He wasn’t sure what to make of it.
“I’ll be down the hall in my office,” he told her, switching on a small bedside lamp. “If you need anything, just come get me, okay?”
She nodded, her face solemn. Unsure if he should leave her alone, he finally moved toward the door. “Good night, Sophie.”
He hadn’t been in his office for five minutes when he thought he heard crying. Stepping carefully out into the hall, he listened closely. His heart ached at the sound of whimpers and soft sobs coming from her room, but he wasn’t sure what to do. Should he go in and assure her that everything would be all right? It might be a promise he couldn’t keep.
Instead of going in to try to soothe her—something he was certain he would fail at—he returned to his office and put away his things. A few minutes later, he listened at her door. The crying had stopped, and he suspected she might have fallen asleep. Opening the door as quietly as possible, he looked inside.
The soft glow of the lamp lit her small features, and he was again immediately reminded of his sister. Was it wishful thinking? Did he really want to do this? Did he want to be a father?
The thought of raising a small child terrified him. He’d seen what parents could do to their children. He’d chosen long ago not to father a child. And yet it had happened.
He’d have the paternity test done. He needed proof that she was his. Not only for himself, but for the future and whatever it might bring.
But most of all, he wondered if he was going to screw this up. The thought chased everything else from his mind. He searched, but he couldn’t find an answer.
Chapter Three
Libby drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, wondering if she’d ever find a place to park. The last thing she wanted or needed was to be late for Noah’s football game, but she hadn’t expected there to be so many people attending Desperation’s Fall Festival. She’d forgotten how people in town turned out for all of the town’s celebrations, but then she’d only been in town for about eight months. It all had her wondering what Christmas would be like.
Finally finding a spot that was so far away she could’ve saved herself the trouble and walked from home, she parked and stepped out of the car. “I should be used to it,” she muttered under her breath as she began walking toward the sound of the music in the distance. “After all, I’m on my feet all night.”
As she approached the carnival that had been set up around the baseball field, the music grew louder, and she could see the top of a Ferris wheel. The closer she got, the more people of all ages and sizes she saw milling around the area. To her surprise, she recognized more than she thought she would have. Maybe she wasn’t such a stranger in Desperation, after all.
But maybe that wasn’t such a good idea, she thought, making her way through the crowd. She couldn’t really get close to anyone. Not for a while, at least. Not until she felt comfortable being who she’d become. Who she’d had to become.
“Libby?”
Pulled from going down a memory path she really shouldn’t, she turned to see the secretary from the grade school. “Hi, Sadie.”
“I’ve been keeping a lookout for you,” Sadie said, joining her. “I was afraid you might miss Noah’s game.”
Libby shook her head and smiled. “I’ll miss the fireworks tonight, but not his game this morning.”
“That’s the important thing.”
“I was beginning to wonder if he was going to tell me he didn’t want me to be here,” Libby admitted with a soft laugh. “He forbade me to come to practices.”
Sadie laughed, too. “They can get strange at this age. I went through the same thing with Kevin’s two older brothers, so I guess I’m used to it.”
Libby appreciated Sadie’s friendship. They weren’t close friends, but Sadie had been a big help with enrolling Noah in school, which had been well into the second semester. It might have been a nightmare, but Sadie had made it painless.
“I didn’t realize this Fall Festival thing was so popular,” Libby admitted.
“Any excuse to get out and have a good time. Maybe it’s to make up for the name of our town,” Sadie suggested. “Whatever, we do know how to throw a party.”
Libby definitely agreed.
Now in the midst of the carnival, she looked around to see the smiling faces of her neighbors and people she’d only seen once or twice. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the perfect fall day. Everyone except Letha Adkins, who was glaring at her, as usual.
“Don’t let her bother you,” Sadie said, leaning closer. “I’ve never seen the woman without a frown. Unless she was needling someone.”
Libby simply nodded. She knew she wasn’t popular among at least a few people in town. After all, she did work at Lou’s. For some that meant she didn’t measure up. It didn’t bother her much. She wasn’t in Desperation to win a popularity contest. She only wanted a place to live where she hoped to keep her son and herself safe. Besides, most of the rest of the people she’d met were nice.
They left the carnival behind and approached the football field, where two small sets of bleachers held several parents and friends of the young players. As they drew nearer, she spied Garrett among them. His daughter was at his side, and Libby wondered who they’d come to watch play.
Sadie introduced Libby to her husband, who was sitting on the row just below Garrett. When Sadie invited her to join them, she did hesitate for a brief moment, but she didn’t want to sit alone, so she accepted.
As she settled next to Sadie, she turned to say hello to Garrett. “I wasn’t aware you were a peewee football fan.”
“Baseball is more my game,” he answered, “but Noah mentioned he had a game today, so I thought I’d come. Hope that’s all right.”
She was surprised. “He did? Of course it’s okay,” she hurried to assure him.