Doorstep daddy

by Cajio, Linda

  "What!" Richard held her at arm's length and gaped at her.

  She nodded and smiled. "Thanks for the hug. I needed it."

  "This is about yesterday, isn't it?" he said. "And all the other things you've done for me that have taken you away from your job. That son of a - "

  "Watch it," Callie interrupted, pointing to Mark who was gazing intently up at both of them.

  "Your boss can't get away with this. I'll get dressed, go down there and ream him out until he gives you the job back. Who does he think he is? Simon Legree?"

  "I believe that's the picture on the wall in his office," Callie said. "But you're not going down there. I'm calling the state offices and lodging a protest against him."

  "Good." Richard grinned. "It's also good to see you get some of your spunk back. I'll come and testify on your behalf. I'll get Lester to testify. He'll be great."

  She chuckled. "A diplomat and a crank at an employee adjudication hearing. I can't wait to see that."

  "Diplomacy's going right out the window, honey." He sobered. "Seriously, what can I do to get you your job back?"

  "I don't know." More tears clogged her eye ducts and her throat. "I had no idea he disliked me so much." "The guy's an idiot." "Lester said that."

  "Was he there?" Richard laughed. "Two minutes with Lester, and the guy will be begging you to come back. Let's go into the kitchen. You can make some calls, have some coffee and decide what to do."

  She knew she probably shouldn't, but she needed this togetherness. All her life she had served up sympathy to others and their needs, and it was nice to have some come her way from a man who cared. Okay, so he'd caused a lot of this turmoil in her life, had left her confused and now jobless, but he also managed to make her feel better when she needed it most.

  "Poopies!" Mark said suddenly, running into the bathroom.

  Richard laughed. "The kid can put life in perspective, can't he?"

  "I'm more impressed that he went straight to the source," Callie said. "He's more than ready to be a big boy, Richard."

  "Me, too."

  After Mark was seen to, they went into the kitchen. Richard served up coffee and a couple of oatmeal cookies, while Callie made her necessary phone calls. When she was finished, she took a sip of coffee. The hot liquid soothed her frayed nerves. Mark sat on her lap, his head back against her chest as he sucked his thumb, content to give her comfort. He didn't even try to reach for the coffee mug - a good thing.

  "I feel badly about this," Richard said, watching her from behind the cooking island. "It's my fault, all of it. I depended on you too much, Callie, without concern for your needs."

  Callie shrugged. "It's not your fault. You couldn't help getting sick or having to escort that soccer player home or my getting sick - "

  "I gave it to you."

  "A technicality. You could have told me about the school trip, but the truth is, I would have gone, anyway, because the kids needed me. Your coming into my life and the events that took place only gave my boss the ammunition he needed to fire me, that's all. I know now he was looking for anything he could."

  "It only makes it worse that I was the one who supplied him." Richard let out his breath in a rush. "I never meant this to happen, Callie."

  "Oh, no," she said. "Don't you start blaming yourself, otherwise I'll never forgive myself"for telling you."

  "Tellin' you, Callie," Mark said, pulling his thumb from his mouth to make the pronouncement. He poked it back in again.

  Richard smiled ruefully. 'Til blame myself a little, okay? But I do have a solution. Work for me here at the import business.''

  "No," Callie said automatically.

  "No," Mark repeated.

  "Yes," Richard said.

  "Yes," Mark repeated.

  "Look," Richard added, "Fm swamped here and you know it. You've seen my life. If you took care of a lot of the work in the office, I'd be freed up to take care of the kids' needs. It's not rocket science, and you're bright. You'll catch on in a day or two. I can't pay what you're worth right now because business is way down since I haven't been able to keep up with it. But we can help each other out."

  "This is very dangerous," Callie murmured, thinking of how much time she'd be spending with him nearly alone in this house. She was confused enough about him without adding her daylight hours to the time spent in close proximity to his lovely body. And heart.

  "You don't have to worry about me firing you if you chaperon a class trip," he added by way of incentive. "You can be sick all you want, too."

  Callie chuckled. She couldn't help herself.

  "And I'll pay for your school."

  "What!"

  Richard came around the cooking island and bent down, his fingers playing with her hair. "I'll pay for you to go to school. Lots of businesses do it now for employees. You can even take day classes if you want. I consider it an investment."

  Callie closed her eyes. He was offering heaven to her, and it was wrapped up in a sexy body and knowledgeable mind she couldn't resist. "No. It's not right."

  He stroked her hair more. "Yes, it is. It feels right to me.

  "I barely know you. You barely know me."

  "We know each other well enough, Callie. Very well where it counts. Time is relative."

  She was very tempted to take up his offer. But would it solve her problems? Yet, it was a skewed version of her goals. She was determined to recapture her missing youth, to do for herself at last, to have that college degree, to cater to no one but herself. Now someone, a wonderful someone, was offering to give her what she wanted.

  "It wouldn't work, Richard. Knights don't ride in on white chargers to rescue maidens in distress. That's fiction."

  "Actually it's love, honey. That's why I want to do it."

  "Oh, God." Tears sprang up into her eyes again. Callie wiped them away with her fingertips. "I can't accept. I...I'm confused. I don't know how I feel. I don't know how I want to feel or how I will feel in the future about you, about us. I'm being so unfair to you. I'm sorry. I hate myself for it."

  Richard chuckled. "You do guilt well, girl."

  Callie couldn't suppress a laugh.

  "You're always telling me I'm ten steps ahead of you," he said, "and I realize I've done it again. How about if we table the college deal and stick with the job offer for now? When you catch up, we can move on. Callie, just so you know, I really do need the help here. In fact, you should know it better than anyone else."

  She smiled. This felt better to her sensibilities than the other. "It's strictly a business offer. I work for you from nine until five and you pay me...how much?"

  He named a figure close to what she'd been earning. Callie snorted in disgust. "Who are you kidding? They didn't pay Iacocca that much when he ran Chrysler."

  "That's what an assistant's worth to me. But if I know you, you'll be too stubborn to accept it." He pursed his lips. "Okay, I'll pay you two-thirds of that, but give you a two percent commission on everything we import and sell. That means you'll have to hustle to get a decent salary."

  Callie grinned. "Deal. But just until I get my old job back."

  Richard kissed her soundly on the hps. "Deal."

  "And it's pure business," Callie added, lest there be no mistake in their relationship.

  "Purely." He kissed her again.

  His mouth was hot and she yielded to it, instinctively needing to taste him. Their tongues melded. Callie forgot everything about pure business. Caught up in the kiss, she plain forgot everything.

  Mark began to shift in her lap, finally bringing her back to consciousness and common sense. Her lips felt bruised - and the rest of her felt wanton. "This isn't going to work, Richard."

  He grinned. "Sure it will. Just watch."

  "All the billing is done, and I've gotten those replies out that have been sitting around since the time I did them when you were sick. And your e-mail is caught up, too. Oh, I've also talked to Singapore. That was cool."

  Richard grinned a
t Callie's happy expression. She'd been on the job for two days, and she was clearly having fun. Better, his business was running up to speed - and moving forward. Even better, he felt more rested and able to deal with the kids now that he had help with the workload. But best of all, Callie was here for hours at a time. He loved that.

  "I wish Fd had you when I was in Center City," he said. ' 'You would have had the business on the Fortune 1000 list. You look good behind my desk, too. Can I kiss you now?"

  ' 'No. I have to go to the airport for that flower shipment from Malaysia and handle the quarantine papers." She rose from the chair, setting a few envelopes aside as she did.

  He came around the desk and kissed her, anyway, taking her by surprise. Callie really did stick to a pure-business attitude. This was the first time he'd been able to kiss her since she'd begun the job.

  "Mark's asleep," he said. "Let's go upstairs and take a nap, too. You've got a few minutes."

  Callie leaned back in his embrace. "This is sexual harassment."

  Richard let her go. "I don't even want to mess with that."

  She smiled. "I'm being flip and I shouldn't. This is sexual confusion."

  "Oh, in that case..." He reached for her but she eluded him by ducking under his arm.

  "Richard, I have to go. One of us does. You or me, pal. Which one?"

  He groaned. "You're making it tough for a lecherous man."

  "You didn't hire me to be lecherous. You hired me to work."

  "You're no fun." He sighed. "Jason has a Cub Scout meeting, and I agreed to take a few kids who need rides. You go to the airport, I suppose.*'

  She smiled. "Life is tough, my friend."

  "I'm in the car with five boys. That's tough."

  "It could be worse. You could be in the car with Amanda and four of her friends."

  Richard shuddered. "No thank you."

  "Chicken."

  "Speaking of chickens, we have to work on you and I soon." "Mmm."

  "Noncommittal. I like that," he said. "It's a step sideways from confused."

  Callie shook her head. "You're a pain in the tush, you know that?"

  "Yes. When it comes to you. But I won't push."

  She laughed. "I'm in your house, in your life, all because you've wheedled me into it in record time. And you complain."

  Richard made a face. "I didn't wheedle. Cary Grant never wheedled. He enticed."

  "Oh, yeah. You're Cary the sequel."

  "Not with diapers up to my ears," he said ruefully. "Go to the airport before I wheedle you up the stairs."

  "Okay." As she walked out of the room, she said, "I'm expecting a call from the state employees union about that protest I filed. Be sure to get the name of an actual person I can call back."

  "Okay."

  "Don't forget that Amanda is going to Joey's first basketball practice this afternoon right after school." "Right."

  "And you said earlier to remind you that Mark has those funky diaper pants on. You better check him when he gets up."

  "Gotcha." Richard sighed as he helped her into her coat. "Cary Grant, I ain't."

  Callie chuckled and turned to him. "You have a I charm all your own."

  He smiled. "I think you're coming around."

  She kissed him lightly on the mouth. "Maybe."

  When she was gone, Richard realized that hiring her I had been the best idea he'd had. Life was so much easier with her around. The kids were happier, and he was I extremely happy. What more could he want?

  Everything, he admitted. But Callie wasn't ready to I hear that. Hell, he could barely sweet-talk a kiss out of I her. Her life had been turned upside down, so her hesi- I tation was understandable. At least, he was trying to un- I derstand it. Time was on his side now, however. With a I little more of it she would relax and realize she cared I for him. He truly believed she did.

  Unfortunately all hell broke loose while she was gone.

  "What do you mean, I have to give a talk?" Richard I demanded as Jason's fellow Cub Scouts scooted out of the car and onto the driveway of their leader's house.

  Jason turned away. "I forgot to tell you, I guess."

  "You forgot your head, Jay." Richard frowned at his I nephew. "Look at me when I'm annoyed with you, okay? You owe me that much."

  Jason turned to him, his expression contrite. "I'm j sorry, Uncle Richard."

  Well, Richard thought. A sincere apology certainly I took the wind out of his sails as far as righteous anger I went. Who was he to yell, anyway? He'd done the same thing to Callie, but on a grander scale. And the consequences had been more dire for her. In his own case,

  he'd just lose an hour. But his nephew needed to learn not to do it again. "I'll bail you out this one time, but never again commit me to doing anything that you haven't talked with me about first, Jason. It's irresponsible." "Okay."

  Jason jumped out of the car, his body language jaunty. Richard wondered if his little lecture had sunk in at all. He unbuckled Mark from the car seat and went into the "den" to give his talk, which turned out to be about trailblazing. Richard knew nothing about trailblazing, which annoyed the den mother. Worse, Mark kept wandering around the woman's house and getting into things while Richard talked.

  At home later he discovered Callie's important call on the answering machine, but the message was garbled and naturally the most crucial parts missing. Like the name and number of the person on the line. Callie would kill him. And Amanda wasn't home yet. Richard frowned, glancing at the kitchen clock after settling Jason at the table with homework and Mark with a snack.

  "She should have been home by now," he grumbled to himself.

  Callie came in first. Mark ran to her and she picked him up, giving him a hug. She looked radiant with the boy. Never had a hiring felt so right, Richard thought proudly. Now if only he could get her on board more permanently...

  "Boy, a milk-and-cookie kiss," she said. "I'm so thrilled."

  Jason laughed. "I won't kiss you!"

  "Now, I'm really thrilled." She ruffled his hair.

  "I will," Richard said, catching her at the waist and kissing her soundly. When he was finished, he couldn't tell who wore a sillier grin - Jason or Callie. 44No milk-and-cookie kiss, I know."

  4'It'll do." Callie blushed. "You're sucking me into all this. You know that."

  "My game plan." He didn't have any doubts about it. Maybe the kids were wrapped up in this somewhere, but they were a minor consideration when it came to how he felt about her. Now was the worst time to give her bad news. "Callie, that call came for you...."

  "Oh, good," she said brightly. "Where's the name and number? I'll probably have to call tomorrow, won't I? It's after five."

  4 "The message was garbled on the answering machine. I couldn't make out the name and number."

  Her face fell. "You've got to be kidding!"

  "I was out with Jason, who committed me to a talk he forgot to tell me about." Richard glared at Jay, who looked positively innocent.

  "Like uncle, like nephew," Callie said. "Jay, that] video game is going home with me today."

  "But, Callie, I didn't even play it yet!"

  "I'm sorry about that, but no video games from me for three days. You need to remember to ask people I about doing things before you say yes for them. Yourl uncle hasn't learned the lesson yet, but you still have a chance, my friend, and I intend to help you."

  "I learned today," Richard muttered. "I learned before, too."

  "Right."

  "Yes...well..." He decided they had digressed enough. "Unfortunately I wasn't here to take the call personally, but the machine should have taken care of) it. I'm sorry there was a problem."

  "I needed that call."

  "I need da call," Mark repeated. Jason smiled. Callie didn't.

  "Call back and talk to whoever it was you talked to in the first place," Richard said. "They can track down who's handling your case."

  "I guess I'll have to." Callie drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Th
is wasn't anyone's fault. Maybe God is telling me I shouldn't get my old job back."

  "I could have told you that." Richard put his arm around Callie. "I'm truly sorry."

  "I feel like Lester," she said. "I'm dead and nobody told me."

  The front door opened and closed. Amanda came into the kitchen, smiling happily. "Hi."

  "Hi, yourself," Richard said. "You're kind of late, aren't you?"

  Amanda glanced at the clock. "Only forty-five minutes. Joey's coach drove us home and treated us to dinner first."

  Richard felt his blood pressure shoot up. "You've already had dinner?"

  Amanda nodded. "Uh-huh."

  "Then that's the last practice of Joey's you'll go to."

  His niece's jaw dropped. "What!"

  Richard said sternly, "Practice was supposed to be over by four and you were supposed to be home by four-thirty. That's what time you told me. And you didn't even have the courtesy to call. You've lost the privilege of going to Joey's practices."

  "No!" Amanda shrieked.

  "Ha-ha-ha," Jason sneered.

  Amanda shrieked again, yanked off her beret and threw it at her brother. Jason shot out of the chair and went after her. Richard, feeling like a lion tamer in a cage, quickly wedged himself between the children. He caught both by the arm and sat them down at the table.

  "Stop it," he said. "I will have some order in this house, and if you don't like it, too bad. Jason, you're in trouble already, so don't make it worse for yourself. Amanda, courtesy starts at home, and you will adhere to' it. I expect you here directly after school. You will do your homework, and you will obey the rules of the house. If you show me you understand them and will abide by them, I'll change my decision about your attending things at Joey's school. You made a choice. You] screwed up. You do have the ability to be paroled early for good behavior, okay? But you do this again, and you won't see the outside of your room until you're out of college. You, too, Jay. Do you both understand?"

  The children nodded.

  "Okay," Richard said, nodding back. "Jay, finish, your homework and get ready for dinner. Amanda, go up to your room and do yours. I'll look at it after we eat."