“Just like Lorelai’s mom,” Vicki said excitedly.
Oh, let’s hope not. One Carolyn Moon was more than enough for any administrator.
Shay suppressed a grimace, instead offering a smile of encouragement. “Before I send you back to class, I need you to make us one more promise. You and your cousin used those email addresses without permission and what you did was a violation of privacy. I need you to write an apology.”
Vicki scrunched up her face. “I can’t spell violation!”
“I’ll help you, just like I help with your homework,” Mark said. He said it so quickly, with a sidelong glance at the principal, that Shay felt like he was trying to redeem himself. The subtext of his declaration seemed to be We read, we do math. See? I don’t suck as a father.
Shay experienced a twinge of guilt. Had she been too hard on him earlier? She shook off the thought, deciding not to second-guess herself. After all, her tough love approach had worked. She’d won a grudging concession from him to be more involved with his daughter and Vicki already looked delighted by that idea.
By the time they wrapped up their conference, Mark had promised that the principal would have Vicki’s written apology in hand by Monday morning. And Vicki had sworn—“cross my heart”—that she would never send out another unauthorized email again. Shay bid them both a warm farewell, adding that she was always available if they needed to talk.
Once they were gone and she’d sat back down at the computer, she couldn’t help the unbidden thought that if Vicki had really wanted to make her Valentine email effective, she should have attached a JPEG image of her father.
FOR HIS MEETING WITH the principal, Mark had turned off his cell phone. As he crossed the frigid parking lot toward his car, he switched the phone back on and discovered that he had four voice-mail messages from Dee. He dialed her number, unsurprised when she answered on the first ring.
“I am never letting Bobby near a computer again,” she said immediately. “I’m serious. His days of commandeering my PC for homework purposes are over. I’ll buy him a typewriter, an abacus and an encyclopedia set.”
Mark laughed. “Far be it from me to tell you how to raise your kid, but tossing the boy back into the Stone Age might be overkill. Grounding him and making 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 my fault. He’s got kids, grandkids. He understands that sometimes they just… Do you think I’m a bad father?”
“Hell, no. You adore that little girl. But you know enough to tell her when it’s time to go to bed and not give her whatever she wants just because she throws a fit. Not that I’ve ever seen her throw one,” Cade qualified. “Of course, that’s probably just because you’re such a good dad you’ve taught her better manners than that. Look, don’t ask me about parenting. What do I know? Talk to your sister-in-law if you’re really worried.”
That made Mark feel better. After all, no one questioned that Dee was a great parent, even though her son had been Vicki’s accomplice. Somewhat mollified, he admitted, “It’s not that I think Principal Morgan is wrong, per se, about my getting involved. I just don’t think she can fully appreciate the pressure I’m under as a single dad. She’s never been in the parenting trenches herself.”
Cade swiped a fry through some ketchup. “You think maybe she’s bitter? Got into teaching because she loves kids but never had any of her own? Maybe she’s jealous of people with families.”
Mark opened his mouth to correct his friend’s misconception that Shay was a woman well past her prime, but the waitress came back to refill their drinks and Cade spent the next few minutes flirting with her. Once she was gone, conversation turned to Mark’s store and his idea about contacting nearby lodges and resorts like Hawk Summit.
“You know, there’s actually been some buzz about trying to reopen the campsite on the edge of Braeden,” Cade said. “If that happened, it could indirectly benefit you. Stop by the town meeting next week, make a case for why it would be good for all of us.”
“Maybe.” Mark suspected he could get Dee to babysit, but if he was going to publicly address his fellow towns-people, he needed to come up with something convincing. I don’t want my poor kid to have to move probably wasn’t the most effective argument. Then again, thanks to her email, the general public was already aware that she was unhappy. Surely they wouldn’t want to further traumatize the motherless, dogless child.
“And you could always check out some of those SBA classes offered through the county seat,” Cade added. “Registration fees are minimal and even though you aren’t technically a small business owner, they might have some economical marketing tips you can implement. The more professionally defined your prospective partnership when you approach places like Hawk Summit, the better the chances they’ll accept.”
Mark shook his head, chuckling. “You may have the largest collection of flannel shirts in North Carolina, but I swear you wore a suit in a previous life.”
“Who, me?” Cade sipped his soda, avoiding the implied question. He’d only been in Braeden for four or five years and rarely talked about where he was from or what had brought him there. “Dude, I build cabinets in my garage. But I did date an MBA once. Maybe I picked up some pointers from her.”
As they exited the Burger Shop, automatically bracing against the biting wind, Cade suggested, “Maybe you should date an MBA. Totally solve all your problems—get some informal consulting on the store and make Vic happy. Don’t you think the kid deserves a mother figure?”
Mark ground his back teeth together. “Some of us have an ethical problem using women.”
“I don’t ‘use’ anyone!” Cade sounded legitimately offended. “I may not be looking for anything serious, but that doesn’t mean I’m not fond of the women I spend time with.”
“Sorry. But don’t you think trying to appease my six-year-old would be a pretty crappy reason to ask someone out?”
“Fair enough.” Cade unlocked his truck. “So ask someone out for you. I’ve never busted your chops about living like a monk—statistically speaking, I’m probably dating your share of ladies as well as mine—but it’s been about two years.”
“Are you suggesting there’s a statute of limitations on how long I love my wife?” Mark growled.
“Of course not. If you’re still carrying a torch, that’s your business. I’m just saying…if the problem is you’re nervous about getting back on the horse—”
Mark snorted.
“So to speak.” Cade flashed a grin. “Allowing more time to slip by isn’t going to ease your nerves. It’s like jumping in a pool. Don’t stand on the edge staring down into the deep end, just close your eyes and do it.”
Cade turned the keys in the ignition and neither man spoke as they pulled out of the parking lot. Mark couldn’t help tossing his friend’s advice around his head, though.
After a few minutes, he blurted, “I’ll always love Jess, but I think it would be possible to love someone else, too. In theory.”
“But in practice?”
“Jessica and I met in high school.” He’d only kissed three or four girls before he’d started dating his future wife. “We were together a long time. After the first year she’d been gone, I felt obligated to try again. I went on a few dates over the course of three months and they were so awful that I quit. What’s the point of trying to find room for it in my schedule when it was only making everyone involved miserable? One woman reached over during a movie and held my hand wrong.”
Cade snickered. “How can you hold hands wrong?”
“It’s like having a side of the bed, I guess, but with fingers. Shut up,” Mark said when his friend continued to laugh at him. Okay, it sounded stupid when he tried to explain it out loud, but the truth was, he and Jess had fit seamlessly after so many years together. It wasn’t just that when they held hands his thumb was always on the outside, it was everything.
On one of his ill-fated dates, he and the woman had gone by a drive-through restaurant to grab food for an outdoor concert and he’d reflexively asked the employee to leave the mayonnaise off her burger. Explaining that he was used to ordering for his late wife had done nothing to ease the first-date tension. Another time, he’d attempted a good-night kiss but they’d both leaned in on the same side, banging their noses together.
“I feel like one of those people who got the full-on amnesia, where they have to relearn everything from words to how to hold a spoon. It’s so damn frustrating.”
Cade
considered this. “Maybe it’s all in how you choose to look at it. Take me—learning all about a new woman is part of the fun. It’s exciting. No two are alike.”
That kind of “excitement” held little appeal for Mark. Besides, it wasn’t just getting to know strangers that made dating difficult. He and Jessica had grown up together; in a lot of ways, she’d shaped the adult he became. Because he’d been blessed in finding the woman he wanted to be with so young, he’d never had experience with a breakup or how different women liked to be touched, the types of relationship lessons many guys learned by the time they finished college. When he was out with someone now, it wasn’t only that Mark didn’t know her, he felt like he barely knew himself.
“I admire your confidence with women, but not all of us can be Mr. Smooth,” Mark said wryly. “Turns out, I’m more the stammering and second-guessing type.”
“You don’t know that! Jess clearly thought you were Prince Charming and I’ll bet lots of other women would agree. Three or four awkward evenings in the course of your lifetime is hardly definitive proof that you suck at dating.”
“How comforting. Look, if it will shut you up, I’ll make you a deal. Drop the subject until April, when Coleridge makes a decision about the store. After that, if I’m still here, you can set me up with every single female you know.”
“Every?” Cade laughed. “Better clear your summer calendar.”
“I was being figurative, not literal. Just give me until April.”
“Deal. But I’m not your problem. What kind of deal are you planning to make your daughter?”
Mark pinched the bridge of his nose. He definitely needed to follow Principal Morgan’s advice—get more involved with Vicki, keep her busy and happily occupied with other aspects of her life. Because left to her own devices, by April she’d probably be going through the Braeden phone book, calling women individually to ask if they would be interested in dating her daddy.
WHEN MARK WALKED THROUGH the door leading in the house from the garage, Mrs. Norris looked up quizzically from her knitting at the kitchen table and Vicki, who appeared to be doing her homework, squealed with delight.
His Valentine Surprise Page 4