Unexpected Father. Carolyne Aarsen
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hoped that she would. Someday.
A thump from the other side of the hallway caught everyone’s attention and made Evangeline sit up.
When she and Denny had returned from the grocery store, she’d seen he was at a loss for what to do. So she’d helped him feed Ella and get her sleeper and diaper on for the evening. While she’d given Ella a bottle, he’d set up the portable crib they’d bought at the hardware store. When she’d finally left, Ella was sleeping. Even so, she’d felt as if she was abandoning him, but she’d had her own schedule to keep.
And while she felt bad for Denny, he was a virtual stranger to her and on some level she wanted to keep some distance between them.
“Is that your new neighbor?” Mia asked, her eyes flashing with anticipation.
Evangeline clutched her book, her eyes riveted on the pages she had opened it to. She didn’t want to think about Denny moving into her father’s space across the hall. Two weeks ago she had told this same group, with much anticipation, how her father was coming back and soon this store would be hers.
Time to cash that reality check.
“He’s probably rearranging the furniture to make room for Ella’s crib,” she said, flipping a page of the book and looking up, ready to change the subject. “I found it interesting that it took the heroine half of the book to realize what she wanted.”
“I still can’t believe someone dumped a baby on him,” Angie said, obviously not ready to drop the topic of Denny. “Who would do that?”
“You don’t always know what a person is going through or why they make the decisions they do,” Renee said quietly, giving Angie a careful smile that spoke of tough choices Renee herself had made in her own life.
“That was kind of you to help him out with that little girl,” Sophie Brouwer said, patting Evangeline on her arm.
“I couldn’t leave him alone to figure it out.” Though she still felt bad for leaving him when she had. Trouble was, how much could she realistically do? She barely knew Denny as it was.
“Poor guy probably didn’t have a clue,” Mia said. “I have to say I’m crushed that you didn’t call to ask for my advice.”
“You’re way too busy with your shop and your four kids,” Evangeline returned.
“That’s the truth,” Mia said with a sigh. “I’m just thankful I could get Blythe to watch the kids tonight.”
“So what’s the deal with this Denny guy?” Renee queried. “I thought you said he was leasing the ranch?”
“Apparently he’s trucking and ranching. Just like my dad.” Evangeline couldn’t keep the faintly bitter note out of her voice. Her own feelings about her father were still a confusion of anger and disappointment. But simmering beneath this was a frustration that he still created this storm of mixed emotions. She’d thought, after all these years, she had insulated her heart from her father’s unmet expectations.
And he still hadn’t called her.
“What’s he like?” Mia asked, leaning forward in her chair. “Hero material?”
“He’s a trucker and a cowboy. Neither of which are my type, so have at ’im, girl,” Evangeline said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
“I’ve got a divorce behind me and four kids to raise. Not interested,” Mia said with a short laugh. “Though Kelly at Mug Shots says he’s got that rugged good-looking thing going,” Mia continued, as if trying to persuade her friend to give the guy a chance. “And apparently he has gorgeous eyes.”
“Why are you rhapsodizing over him if you’re not interested?”
“I was thinking of you. You’re always looking for a hero.”
“I’m a hero,” Jeff put in with a wink.
Evangeline laughed. “You’re a fireman. You’re everybody’s hero.”
“Only to some,” he said, cutting a quick glance Angie’s way.
But Angie was looking at her book, her long blond hair falling across her face, the corner of her lip tucked between her teeth.
The way Jeff looked at Angie created a twitch of envy. She doesn’t know what she’s missing, Evangeline thought.
“You’re looking pensive,” Emma spoke up, giving her a secret smile as if she knew what Evangeline was thinking. “Something bugging you?”
Evangeline gave her a tight smile followed by a light shake of her head. Evangeline and Emma had become good friends when Emma had moved to Hartley Creek a few years ago. Evangeline had stood up for Emma when she’d married Carter. Tyler had been her escort to the wedding.
Evangeline remembered too well how she’d felt at that wedding, dancing with Tyler. His attentiveness and good looks were the epitome of everything Evangeline had hoped for in a future husband. In fact he had made Evangeline hope that someday she might be escorted down the aisle wearing a white dress and translucent veil.
But she’d discovered Tyler liked the idea of a girlfriend more than the idea of a wife. And from the way her father was acting she doubted she could count on him to be present should that momentous day ever come.
Evangeline caught herself and gave herself a mental face palm. Enough with the gloomy thoughts. Move on. Follow your own advice to Denny. Do what comes next.
Another thump from across the hall caught her attention. Seriously, what was he doing over there? Obviously moving in was noisy work.
“So now we need to decide on a book for next time,” Sophie Brouwer was saying. “Any suggestions? Evangeline, you usually have some good ideas.”
Evangeline glanced down at the list of books she had, indeed, come to book club with. But as she looked at the titles she released a wry smile. One was about a young girl being reconciled with a father after a long separation during the California Gold Rush. The other was about a father looking for his lost daughter during the Spanish Civil War.
Definitely a theme going on here.
“I don’t think any of these would work.” She folded the paper and tucked it into the pocket of her sweater, ignoring Mia’s puzzled look.
“How about Arctic Grail?” Jeff suggested.
Mia shivered. “Brr. Sounds like a winter book again. I hereby declare no books about winter in summer. In fact no books about winter even in winter. We get enough winter in Hartley Creek.”
“I have some ideas,” Eloise Beck said.
She gave her recommendations and the ensuing discussion centered on ordering the books and the date of the next meeting.
Evangeline stood to write the name of the book and date on the large calendar she had hanging in the back room. As she finished scribbling it in, she heard a knock at the door leading to the hallway.
When she opened it, Denny stood in the hallway, one hand resting on the door frame, the other in the pockets of his worn blue jeans. His T-shirt strained across his chest and shoulders, and behind her she heard a faint sigh and a whispered, “Oh, yeah.”
“Is everything okay?” she asked, trying not let Mia’s reaction get to her.
Denny straightened as he looked past her to the group in the room. “Sorry. I didn’t know you were busy. I can come another time.”
“It’s okay,” she said, folding her arms over her chest. “We’re just finishing up.”
“I just...I just needed to borrow a couple of garbage bags.” He gave her a crooked smile. “I forgot to pick ’em up when we were at the grocery store.”
“I’ve got some here in the bookstore,” she said, taking a quick step back, his smile creating an unwelcome reaction.