Single Dads Collection. Lynne Marshall
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put up this sparkly light and…”
Her voice trailed away and Noah glanced to the clock. It was almost time for him to lie down and get a few hours’ sleep before going into work later tonight. The realtor had suggested a fabulous babysitter that lived only two doors down: a retired lady who was known as the town grandma and had babysat for years. Having someone dependable and trustworthy made this entire process much less stressful. Each little layer of his new life that fell into place where he needed eased his worry.
Noah wondered if he’d see Lucy at work, but then quickly pushed the thought aside. She’d been here for over an hour and if he was already looking forward to seeing her again, then he was falling down that rabbit hole he never wanted to be near again.
He wasn’t ready to move on. Cara had been gone only six months. Shouldn’t he wait longer before allowing that desire to creep in? Not that he’d let this happen. He looked at Lucy and…well, his thoughts, emotions and feelings had slipped from his control.
Noah rinsed out the tea set and put it away. Tea parties were a thing his wife had started with Emma and he’d wanted to keep some sense of normalcy in her life. As soon as they hit town, he took her shopping for a new tea set and they’d had a party every single day since. He didn’t mind dressing up so long as it put a smile on Emma’s face.
When they were gone a lengthy amount of time, Noah figured he’d better go save Lucy because Emma hadn’t been around a woman, minus the sitter, since her mother passed. She was most likely craving that connection. Both of Cara’s parents were gone and so was Noah’s mother…he’d never known his father.
Noah reached the doorway and found Emma and Lucy on the widow seat. Emma had already draped necklaces and headbands on Lucy.
“Oh, honey. Maybe Lucy didn’t want to be covered in accessories.”
Lucy picked up another hair ribbon. “Actually, it’s been a long time since someone pampered me. I was rather enjoying myself.”
The sight of Emma with another young woman, and not his late wife, did something to him. Something he couldn’t quite pinpoint. On one hand, there was that ever-pressing remorse he carried. The guilt of getting on with his life. The guilt of not having been able to save his wife.
He’d been a police officer back in Texas as well and had saved others, but ultimately he hadn’t been able to save his own wife. He’d spoken to her after the storm and she’d assured him she was fine, but he should have—
He stopped himself. The blame would never end.
On the other hand, he knew his wife would’ve wanted him to move on, to live for their daughter. She wouldn’t like that he was feeling guilt, because that emotion robbed his happiness.
“I hate to break up this party, but it’s time for you to go to Miss Mary’s house.”
Emma protested with a whine, but Lucy placed a hand on her knee. “It’s okay. Maybe we can have another playdate.”
“Really?” Emma asked, suddenly in a better mood.
Lucy glanced to Noah. “If your dad doesn’t mind.”
Noah weighed the options. He didn’t want to let this get too routine because Emma would likely get attached. He had to watch out for her, but on the other hand, it was nice to see his daughter open up and want to play and be with another young woman.
He couldn’t lie—seeing them together put his guard up. He wasn’t looking for a replacement for his wife or mother for his child. At this point, he wasn’t looking for anything because he was still trying to figure out this new life.
A mix of emotions swirled through him. He was attracted to Lucy and he had to assume that was normal, but that didn’t mean he felt good about it. It didn’t mean it was right to happen at this particular moment.
“I’m pretty busy, though.” Lucy glanced to Noah and back to Emma. “I’ll talk to your dad later at work and we’ll see. Okay?”
Lucy took off all of her play jewelry and hair accessories. After laying them on the window seat, she bent down to Emma.
“Thank you so much for showing me your room. It is beautiful just like you. Maybe one day you could come see my horses since I know you miss yours.”
Emma squealed. “Can I, Daddy? Please, please, please.”
Noah laughed. “We’ll see what we can work out.”
Emma threw her arms around Lucy’s neck and Noah had to look away. He couldn’t see this, couldn’t let his heart flip over in his chest. He loved Emma with everything he had in him, but Lucy was practically a stranger.
Maybe he needed distance himself, because the more he was around Lucy with her sweet smile and her easygoing nature, the more he wanted to be. And the fact she’d brought him a peace offering wasn’t helping the case he was trying to make regarding staying emotionally detached.
Lucy had enjoyed a tea party, she’d played dress-up, and she’d baked him scones. And that was only in a little over an hour. What would happen if he invited her back for dinner? Or if they went to a movie or to the park? Then what? Would he grow even more intrigued?
Lucy crossed the room toward him and Noah had to shift out of the doorway so she could pass. When she got within a few inches, she paused and looked him straight in the eye.
“Thanks for sharing your day with me,” she said. “That meant more than you know.”
And then she was walking down the hall and out the door. That was the end of it.
Or was it? Because the sadness in her eyes when she’d thanked him had him wanting to run after her and figure out just what was hurting her. But he didn’t, because he knew her angle. Yes, the attraction was there, but she wanted to cure him or make his life better. She’d mentioned her group more than once and she was the type of person who would throw herself into helping others and forgetting herself.
The unmistakable sorrow he’d glimpsed as she passed by couldn’t be ignored, but it wouldn’t be easy to bring up at work when he went in for his shift. There were other officers coming and going and calls she’d be taking. But he’d find a way.
Lucy may think she was going to cure him, but perhaps it wasn’t he who needed the help.
“You don’t actually believe we’re going to let you off the hook, right?”
Lucy was hoping for exactly that. She set the mugs of hot chocolate topped with whipped cream down on the coffee table and Tara and Kate each reached for theirs. This was Lucy’s first night off in days and she wanted nothing more than to wear her fat sweatpants and no bra, and have some sugary drink with her friends.
The hot chocolate wasn’t even spiked. Kate’s parents had been killed by a drunk driver, so she didn’t drink, and Tara and Lucy respected her enough to not drink in her presence.
“We’ll hang around long enough and she’ll be chatty. She won’t be able to keep it inside.”
Lucy rolled her eyes at Tara. “I’m not going to get chatty. There’s nothing to tell, really.”
“I heard you were at Officer Spencer’s house yesterday afternoon,” Kate stated as she held her moose mug with both hands.
They’d gathered at Lucy’s house, in agreement they were going to stay in, binge watch romantic comedies, and have some downtime. They were all so busy with their own work lives lately that it wasn’t often they could meet outside of the support group.
But here they were and Lucy was being quizzed, all because Noah lived on a street with busybody neighbors. And it wasn’t like anything had happened. She’d drunk tea; she’d played for a