Single Dad's Surrogate

by Annie Young

  Wyatt smiled. “Lily, I'm sure it's fine. It's just chicken, right?”

  She exhaled and shrugged. “I'm pretty sure that's the same thing I said about eggplant the other night.”

  Wyatt just shrugged and stabbed the chicken breast with a fork. Then he began sawing at it with his knife. Lily watched carefully and it only took a few seconds to see that something was wrong. He was moving the knife back and forth across the top of the meat but had hardly broken the surface.

  Uh oh, she thought.

  Finally, he was able to cut a bite off and he popped it in his mouth.

  “Well, how is it?” Lily asked.

  He chewed and chewed, then took a sip of water, then chewed some more. When he was finally able to swallow it, he replied, “I hate to say it, but it's a tiny bit dry.”

  Lily sighed. “Seriously?”

  He nodded.

  “Let me try it,” she said, cutting off a piece of her own.

  Sure enough, the chicken was as dry as the Sahara desert. It was like eating a fibrous cotton ball, coated in seasoning. It stuck to the roof of her mouth and took about a thousand chomps in order to grind it up enough to swallow. Even then, she had a hard time getting it down her throat.

  “God, that's awful,” Lily said.

  “I want to try,” Maggie interjected. She stabbed the chicken breast on her plate with her fork and then held it up in the air. It fell back down, landing on the plate with a bang. It sounded like someone had dropped a ten-pound dumbbell onto the table.

  “No, I don't think you want to try it,” Lily said. “It's too hard to eat.”

  Lily hesitantly looked over to Wyatt to see his reaction. This was the second time she'd screwed up dinner and she couldn't have been more ashamed of herself. Luckily, Wyatt didn't seem to mind. He was busy eating the macaroni and cheese and seemed pretty happy with it.

  “I'm really sorry,” Lily said.

  “Don't be,” he replied. “This macaroni and cheese is really good. I'm fine with just that tonight. Had a big lunch.”

  Lily knew that, once again, Wyatt was just trying to be nice.

  “No, no.” She stood up from the table and walked to the kitchen to grab her cell phone. “This was my fault. How about we order from that Chinese place again? This time, it's on me. Whatever you guys want.”

  Wyatt and Maggie looked at each other. They didn't say anything, but it was as though they had a quick conversation with just their eyes. They both finally nodded and Wyatt faced Lily once again. “Alright. Chinese it is.”

  Lily smiled and dialed the number. Relief swept over her.

  At least they'll let me make up for it, she thought.

  After placing the order, she set her phone back down. “They'll be here in fifteen minutes.”

  “That's perfect,” Wyatt said, scooting his chair away from the table. “That will give me just enough time to chew another bite of the chicken.” He flashed a wink at Lily and all three of them started laughing.

  “No, I think this belongs in the trash.” Lily gathered the plates and pushed the food into the garbage can. She hated to see it go to waste, but wasn't sure who in the world would be able to eat the chicken.

  Even a raccoon or a dog would have a hard time chewing that up, she thought.

  “I promise you guys that I'll make a really, really good dinner before I leave this weekend,” Lily said, as she loaded the plates into the dishwasher. “I'm not sure what it will be, but whatever it is, I won't mess it up.”

  “You shouldn't be so hard on yourself,” Wyatt said. “Honestly. It's no big deal. The fact that you're trying is what matters to me. Besides, I lived most of my bachelor years on a strict diet of Chinese food and protein shakes. A few extra days of sesame chicken won't kill me.”

  Lily was sad about the meal, but Wyatt took most of the pressure off of her. He really didn't seem to mind. It was clear that he had much bigger worries than a burnt or over-seasoned meal.

  “Even so,” Lily said, placing her hands onto her hips. “I'm not going to go home until I make you guys a miraculous meal. It's going to be perfect. It will be so tasty that you'll talk about it for years to come.”

  It was a big promise, but Lily was a confident girl. Somehow, one way or the other, she was going to make Maggie and Wyatt a dinner that was not only edible, but amazing. Or at the very least, she hoped that it would be a dinner that would end up in their bellies and not in the trash can.

  “Hey, I wanted to ask you girls something.” Wyatt stood up from his chair and walked toward the kitchen counter. “I saw an ad in the paper today about an event they're having just outside of town. It's a little ways away, but looks like it could be fun.”

  Lily's eyes widened and she glanced toward Maggie to see that hers had done the same.

  “An event?” Lily asked. “Sounds vague, but interesting.”

  Wyatt laughed, grabbing the local newspaper from the counter. He flipped a few pages and then turned it around so that Maggie and Lily could see. “How would you guys feel about checking out the Renaissance Fair tomorrow?”

  Without skipping a beat, Maggie shouted, “Yes!!”

  The picture on the ad was of a man dressed like a knight. He was covered in silver armor and on a horse. He was holding a giant sword as he rode his trusty steed through the grass.

  “Oh, my God,” Lily said, smiling. “I've heard of those fairs, but I've never actually been to one.”

  “Me either,” Wyatt said. “Looks like fun, though. I'm sure Maggie would have a blast anyway.”

  “So you were thinking about doing it tomorrow?” Lily asked.

  “Yeah.” Wyatt closed the newspaper and plopped it back down onto the kitchen counter. “I'm pretty swamped at work, but I'm thinking that I'll just get an early start in the morning and tie up some loose ends by lunch time. I should be able to get back here in the afternoon, then we can head to the fair right away.”

  “I think that sounds like a blast,” Lily said, feeling genuinely excited about going. “I'm totally up for it. Do people dress up for these things?”

  Wyatt shrugged. “I think the kids do for sure. Maggie has her pirate costume from Halloween last year. What do you think, Maggie? Do you want to dress up as a pirate for the fair tomorrow?”

  Her response was priceless. She curled her index finger into the shape of a hook and growled, “Arrrrr, Matey!”

  Both Wyatt and Lily started laughing.

  “I'll take that as a 'yes',” Lily said.

  “Alright, well I'm looking forward to it.” Wyatt made his way back to his seat at the table.

  Lily stood by the counter, gazing at Maggie and Wyatt for a moment. In just a few seconds, Wyatt had managed to make Maggie the happiest girl in the world. Her face was beaming. She was so excited about the fair and getting to dress up as a pirate. It was so clear that Wyatt knew what would make Maggie happy. Lily was certain that before he had even mentioned going to the fair, he had known that it was a great idea and that his daughter would be excited about it.

  There's one thing for sure that I admire about Wyatt, Lily thought. He's definitely the best father in the world. I don't think I've ever seen anybody love their kid as much as he does.

  The thought came into her mind and right after, she had the strangest sensation ever. There was a tightening in her belly, as though her body was speaking to her. She placed her hand down over her belly button, feeling the sensation increase. It was almost as if her uterus was cramping.

  That's weird, she thought, lifting her hand away from her body.

  She did her best to ignore the feeling and, after a few seconds, it faded away. It took her a moment to realize what had triggered it, but it wasn't like it was the most difficult mystery in the world. She had been thinking about Wyatt as a father and admiring the way he interacted with his daughter. That was all it took for her body to remind her of what she really wanted most in life.

  I've never experienced that sensation before, she thought. I mean sure
, I've often thought about becoming pregnant, but that was a legitimate, physical sensation.

  It was like her womb had called out to her, reminding her of just how badly she wanted to have a baby. It was as though her body was pointing at the clock on the wall, trying to tell her that time was passing by. The hands were turning and each minute that passed brought her closer to a time when she could no longer bear children.

  I want a baby so bad, she thought, gently bringing her hand back to her belly. The sensation didn't show up again, but she kind of wished that it would. I want to be pregnant again. God, how I want that.

  She gazed at Wyatt as she wondered what it would be like to have a child inside of her again. And, as much as she tried not to, she couldn't imagine having any other child except for his.

  Chapter 14

  Wyatt

  Wyatt sat in front of the desk at his office. He was plowing through some financial documents that needed reviewing. It was a job that would normally have taken a few days, but he had every intention of getting it done in just a few hours. He'd made the promise to Maggie and Lily that they could go to the Renaissance Fair that afternoon and he wasn't about to back out of it.

  The Fair was all that Maggie had been talking about, ever since he had mentioned it the night before during dinner. She'd even gone upstairs that evening and pulled out her pirate costume. She laid it out on the bed, making sure that she had all of the accessories to go with it. Lily helped her, too, by locating an eye patch and some gold-colored costume jewelry.

  This should be great, he thought, taking another sip of coffee to help energize him through the morning. An entire afternoon with Maggie and Lily. It's just what I need. Maybe it will help me to relax a little bit.

  A knocking came on his office door and he glanced up to see a silhouette standing on the opposite side of the frosted glass. He sighed and looked back down at his work. Whoever was on the other side, knocked again, this time a little louder.

  “Goddammit,” Wyatt muttered.

  Cindy is supposed to let me know if someone wants to see me, he thought. This is exactly why I want her to do that for me. I'm being interrupted right now and I don't have the time to handle anything else.

  The knocking came again, though, and Wyatt decided it would just be easier to deal with whoever was on the other side. That way, he could hopefully get back to work quickly and get on with his day.

  “Come in,” he called out.

  The door opened a crack and David popped his head in. “Hey, buddy. Whatcha doin'?”

  Wyatt raised his eyebrows. “I'm working.”

  “Am I interrupting?” he asked, as though the answer wasn't completely obvious.

  “Yes,” Wyatt said, pushing the papers away and finally looking up toward David. “I've got a busy day. I need to get out of here by lunch time.”

  “A date?” David asked, stepping the rest of the way into Wyatt's office and taking a seat in the extra chair.

  “Maybe,” Wyatt said. “What's up? You look extra happy today. It's kind of making me nervous. Did something happen?”

  David smiled wide and leaned back in the chair, putting his hands behind his head to stare dreamily at the ceiling. “Yes, Wyatt, something did happen. Something so beautiful and amazing that I almost wonder if you'll believe me when I tell you.”

  “Hold on, let me guess,” Wyatt said, with a dramatic pause afterward. “You got laid by someone your own age?”

  David brought his gaze down to meet Wyatt's. “Very funny, but you know I only date women between the ages of twenty-one and twenty-seven. Give or take a year or two.”

  Wyatt laughed and shook his head. “Oh yeah, my bad. I forgot about that rule.”

  “No, what I have is much better than getting laid,” he said, standing up from the chair.

  He approached Wyatt and pulled two tickets out of the front pocket of his slacks, slapping them down onto the desk.

  “I got playoff tickets,” he said proudly.

  Wyatt's eyes widened. “Holy shit. You weren't kidding the other day, were you?”

  “Nope,” David said. “Two court-side tickets to the first playoff game of the year. It's going to be epic and you're coming with.”

  “That's in a few weeks, right?” Wyatt asked.

  David nodded. “Yep. So mark your calendar.”

  I guess I might be able to go, Wyatt thought to himself. Mildred will be back in town then and I'm sure she wouldn't mind watching Maggie that night.

  “Alright,” Wyatt said. “I think I'll be able to make it happen.”

  “You think?” David asked. “You better be able to make it work. Do you have any idea how much it cost me to get these?”

  Wyatt smiled. “I'm guessing less than you spent at the bar last night.”

  David parted his lips to respond, then paused for a moment. “You might be right about that. It doesn't matter, though. I want you to come with, because it's going to be a ton of fun. Won't be the same without you.”

  “Alright, fair enough. I'll go,” Wyatt said. “For what it's worth, I really do appreciate you getting the tickets. As much as I hate to admit it, you were right the other day when you said I need to try to get out more.”

  “I'm always right.” David picked up the tickets and put them back in his pocket, then turned to leave. On his way toward the door, he glanced over his shoulder. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go hit on your secretary.”

  Wyatt flashed a wink. “Good luck with that. She's married and she can be pretty mean. Trust me. She runs this joint. Although, she did let you in here, so I'm starting to question how mean she really is.”

  “Hopefully very mean. I like those kind of girls,” David said, laughing. “They're always the best in bed.”

  Wyatt just chuckled and shook his head. David left the office and closed the door behind him as he exited. With a sigh, Wyatt went back to work.

  Wyatt parked his Lamborghini in the garage and headed inside his house. It was just a quarter past noon. He'd worked his butt off to get everything done that he needed to and he had somehow pulled it off. They still had most of the day left to enjoy the nice weather at the fair.

  “I'm home!” he called out down the hallway, but there was no reply.

  He stepped into the kitchen and peered around, but nobody was there. The smell of hot dogs and macaroni filled the air. He recognized it, because it was Maggie's favorite lunch. He assumed that she must have talked Lily into making it for her.

  “Anybody home?” he said, continuing his search.

  Wyatt made his way past the living room, but didn't see either of the girls.

  Oh well, he thought. I'm sure they're around. Maybe Lily took Maggie to the park again or something.

  He went upstairs and to his bedroom to get out of his suit and tie. He dug through his closet, finding a nice pair of white shorts and a light blue polo shirt. It wasn't exactly the kind of outfit that would make him fit in at a Renaissance Fair, but he also didn't happen to have a pirate or a knight's costume on hand. The polo shirt would have to do.

  Once dressed, he sprayed on a bit of cologne and combed his hair. He quickly gave himself a glance in the mirror before stepping back into the hallway to find Lily and Maggie.

  “Where are you guys?” he called out, peeking into Maggie's room. “Are you playing hide and seek?”

  Maggie's room was empty, but he did notice that her pirate outfit had been moved to the chair. Everything was neatly organized next to it, including the eye patch and even more costume jewelry than was there the night before. He smiled when he saw it.

  Lily must have put all of that together for her, he thought. Caroline used to do that for her, too. That's so sweet.

  Wyatt sighed and then turned around, heading toward Lily's room. The door was open just a crack, so he knocked lightly as he pushed it open the rest of the way.

  “Lily?”

  There was no sign of her at all, though.

  Hmm, he thought, with a shrug
. They're probably off doing something fun. I hope they didn't forget about the fair, though.

  Wyatt returned downstairs and made his way toward the back of the house. There were two places he hadn't checked yet where Lily and Maggie might have been. One was the basement and the other was the back yard. He decided to take a look out back first and see if they were there. He slid open the door to the patio and stepped outside. He immediately heard the sound of Maggie giggling and the splashing of water.

  When he glanced over, he saw Lily standing in the shallow end of the swimming pool. Maggie was standing on the edge, looking like she was about ready to jump in.

  “I'll catch you,” Lily said, taking a step forward and lifting her hands up.

  Oh wow, Wyatt thought, gazing at her.

  Lily was wearing a skimpy bikini. The bottoms were black and top was a bright pink. His eyes dropped down her back, focusing on her tight ass.

  Jesus Christ, he thought. He glanced away, but then immediately looked again.

  The material of the swimsuit had crawled up a bit, exposing her buns a little. Her ass looked incredible. He couldn't help but to stare.

  “Okay, you count, Maggie,” Lily said, her voice echoing throughout the backyard. “On the count of three, you jump in.”

  Maggie giggled nervously, then took a step back away from the edge. “I'm scared, Aunt Wiwee.”

  “Don't be scared, sweetheart,” Lily said. “I'm right here. I'll catch you. You just have to trust me.”

  Wyatt smiled as he watched them interact. Maggie hesitantly stepped close to the edge of the pool again, teetering as she balanced on the balls of her feet.

  “You ready?” Lily asked. “You count, okay? Jump on three.”

  Maggie nodded, then slowly began her count. “One, two, fwee!”

  To Wyatt's surprise, Maggie jumped out toward Lily on the count of three. Lily caught her as soon as she hit the water. Immediately, Maggie's eyes lit up and she squealed in laughter.

  “Again! Again!” she shouted.

  Oh, my God, Wyatt said, standing in awe. I've been trying to get Maggie to let me catch her in the water like that for months and I haven't had any luck at all. Did I really just see that happen? That's incredible.