Single Dad's Surrogate

by Annie Young

  “That's perfect,” Wyatt said, as he set Maggie back onto the floor. “I'll run up and get changed real quick.”

  He ran upstairs and got out of his suit. He put on some jeans and a black t-shirt, then headed back to the kitchen.

  “How was your day?” he asked Lily.

  She was seated at the island, holding her chin up with her hands. “It was good. Maggie and I played outside for most of the day. She can officially tread water and do the side stroke. Isn't that right, Mags?”

  Maggie nodded excitedly. “Yep! I can swim all by myself, Daddy!”

  Wyatt shook his head in awe. “That's seriously amazing, sweetheart. I'm so glad that Aunt Lily taught you how to do that. I'm so proud of you.”

  “She's a natural,” Lily said. “You might have a little Olympic swimmer on your hands one day. She figured out how to do the side stroke in a matter of minutes. Next time, I'm going to start teaching her the free style.”

  “Wow, I'm legitimately impressed.” Wyatt took a seat at the island next to Maggie. “You're something else, you know that, Lily?”

  “Awe, I don't know about that,” she said. “Just doing my job.”

  “You're doing more than your job,” Wyatt said. “I just hired you to watch Maggie and make sure she was safe while I was at work. You've gone above and beyond. I really appreciate it. I have to admit, that I'm going to be sad to see you leave on Sunday.”

  “Me too,” Lily said, with a sigh. “I've been having so much fun over the past week. It's been amazing.”

  “There's something I want to talk to you about, but tonight probably isn't the best night,” he said. “Remind me before you leave.”

  She cocked her head to the side. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, everything is great,” he said. “Just wanted to chat with you about maybe taking on a part-time job here. We can talk about it all later, but I've been tossing some ideas around about how you can spend more time here with Maggie.”

  Her eyes widened and she smiled. “Yeah, I'd love to talk about something like that. We should definitely have that talk before I head back home this weekend.”

  Wyatt had spent some of his work day racking his brain about a way to keep Lily working for him. A thought occurred to him. It was one that he had had before, but didn't pay much attention to it the first time. He realized that there was a good chance Mildred would want the weekends off. If that were the case, then he figured he might be able to talk Lily into taking Mildred's place on Saturday and Sunday.

  The timer on the oven beeped and Lily got up from her seat. She pulled the pizza out of the oven and set it onto the center island. To Wyatt's surprise, it didn't look burned or under done or anything like that at all. In fact, the cheese was perfectly browned and the pepperoni looked like it was just the right amount of crisp. It smelled amazing, too.

  “Looks great, Lily.” Wyatt got up and grabbed a few plates from the cabinet, then took his seat again. Lily served the pizza. She looked a bit nervous as Wyatt picked up his piece, bringing it close to his lips.

  He paused before taking a bite. “No matter what, I'm going to appreciate that you tried.”

  She just laughed. “Fair enough.”

  He took the bite and was pleasantly surprised. The dough was nice and soft and the cheese was perfectly done. Admittedly, it was a little bit bland, but not too bad at all.

  “I like it,” he said, after washing the bite down with a swig of water.

  “You're just saying that,” Lily said.

  “No, seriously,” he continued. “It's not bad at all. It's your best yet.”

  Maggie took a little bite from her piece and they both looked at her, waiting for her reaction. There was a dramatic pause as soon as she swallowed.

  “Well, what do you think?” Lily asked her.

  Maggie looked down at the pizza and then back up to Lily. “I like Dominoes.”

  Wyatt cringed. He knew Maggie hadn't meant to say something offensive, but it had definitely come out that way. Luckily, Lily didn't seem to mind the harsh criticism. She just started laughing.

  “Good answer,” Lily said, through her chuckles. “Maybe we should order Domino’s.”

  “No, no,” Wyatt said. “Maggie and I are happy to eat this. We're grateful you took the time to make it for us. Isn't that right, Maggie?”

  Maggie forced a smile, then took another bite.

  “See, we like it,” Wyatt continued.

  Lily looked disappointed as she sat back down. “I really am an awful cook, aren't I?”

  “No, you've done just fine,” he said. “It's not that big of a deal, Lily.”

  She shook her head. “I appreciate you saying all of that, but I also made you a promise yesterday that I would make an incredible dinner before I went home. I have one more night to do just that. One more night to show you guys that I have what it takes to cook something that isn't over-seasoned, or burnt, or bland. I'm going to do it, too. Come hell or high water, you guys are going to enjoy a meal tomorrow that will blow your mind. It will make Gordon Ramsay's food look like it came from a McDonald's happy meal.”

  Wyatt couldn't help but to smile at Lily's commitment and determination. He liked the fact that she wasn't ready to throw in the towel on making dinner. It showed a lot about her character and actually made him feel a little more attracted to her. She was a strong woman and he admired that.

  “I'm all about whatever you want to do for dinner tomorrow,” Wyatt said. “Is there anything you need specifically? I can run to the store in the morning and grab some things.”

  Lily shook her head. “No, I don't think so. The pantry and fridge are still packed from that last shopping trip. I just need to think about it for a while and figure out what I want to make.”

  “I'm excited,” Wyatt said. “Seriously. I can't wait.”

  “I guess I better make absolutely positive it's going to be good,” Lily said, laughing. “I've made it sound like such a huge deal. I really can't let you guys down now.”

  “You won't let us down,” Wyatt said.

  “Yeah, you won't let us down, Aunt Wiwee.” Maggie echoed Wyatt's sentiment.

  “See, even Maggie thinks so,” Wyatt said.

  “You guys are the best,” Lily said. “I don't know what I'd do without you.”

  “We feel the same way,” Wyatt said. “I'm starting to worry about what it's going to be like around here once you go home.”

  “I don't want Aunt Wiwee to leave,” Maggie said, pouting out her lower lip.

  Lily reached across the counter and placed her hand over Maggie's. “Honey, I still have two more days here. Plus, I don't live very far away and I'll keep coming over to visit you, just like before. Nothing will change.”

  Maggie's eyes became shrink wrapped in tears, but she did a good job of holding them back.

  “Sweetie, you'll still get to see Aunt Lily after this weekend,” Wyatt said. “She's just bringing her stuff back to the bedroom at her house. You know that she only lives five minutes from here. Plus, I'm going to talk with her about coming to take care of you on the weekends.”

  Maggie sighed and grabbed her slice of pizza, taking another bite. Wyatt looked over toward Lily. She had a concerned expression on her face.

  “She'll be okay,” Wyatt said to Lily. “Maggie is the strongest girl I know.”

  I hope she'll be okay anyway, he thought. I really can't handle seeing any more tears fall from her cheeks. It just breaks my heart.

  Chapter 17

  Lily

  It had to be perfect. Lily wasn't going to allow this meal to be messed up in anyway. Not this time. She'd already screwed up three dinners and wouldn't allow herself to do the same to another. Especially since this would be the last dinner she'd get to make for Wyatt and Maggie. One more chance to do it right. One more opportunity to show them that she wasn't a complete imbecile in the kitchen.

  Maggie was busy downstairs, playing with her Lego set. Since she was occupied, Lily h
ad the free time to take on dinner preparations. It was nearly two in the afternoon, which gave her plenty of time to get things right before Wyatt got home from work.

  Lily opened the pantry and stood in front of it. She gazed up and down the shelves, like an artist trying to choose the perfect color for a painting.

  Let's see, what are we working with here? She thought.

  Her eyes scanned the rice and the potatoes, then went upward toward the canned food and boxes of pasta.

  “Hmm,” she whispered. “Nothing catching my eye here.”

  She spun around and went to the fridge, digging through the drawers and pulling out every kind of meat that they had purchased on their shopping spree. There was salmon, steak, ground beef, pork chops and even some Italian spiced meatballs.

  Lily knew that the perfect meal would have to check all of the right boxes. It had to be something that Maggie would like and that Wyatt would enjoy as well. It needed to be seasoned just right and cooked for the correct amount of time. It had to be complex enough to be elegant, but simple enough so that she wouldn't mess it up somehow.

  “Steak,” she whispered. “Everybody loves steak.”

  Does Maggie love steak, though? She asked herself. She definitely likes meat, but I don't think I've ever seen her eat steak before.

  She knew that Wyatt would love steak, though, especially if it was cooked just right. She went back to the refrigerator and pulled out three cuts of filet mignon from the drawer. They were individually wrapped and cost twenty bucks each. She had never cooked such a fine cut of meat before, but knew that if she did it right, then they could turn out to be pretty amazing.

  So she pulled out her cell phone and went online, scouring the Internet for every recipe she could find. She finally stumbled upon a French recipe that sounded amazing. In it, it said to just quickly sear the meat in a frying pan for a minute or so, then serve it with a pad of butter on top.

  I can do that, she thought. Sounds easy enough.

  It wasn't the first time Lily had thought a meal would be easy to cook, though. In fact, she had thought the eggplant Parmesan would be simple. Same with the chicken and the pizza. However, every single one of them had turned out to be anything but simple and easy. Still, she had faith that she could cook a damn piece of steak and not over do it. She just had to watch the clock and make sure she didn't get distracted too much.

  “Alright, good,” she said, putting the other meats back into the fridge. “Steak it is.”

  Now what about sides? She thought, making her way back to the pantry.

  At first, she considered rice. Then she remembered that this meal had to be good for Maggie as well. Maggie hated rice. Lily's eyes scanned the shelves until they landed on a box of macaroni and cheese.

  No, no way, she thought, then stopped herself. Or maybe that wouldn't be so bad?

  It was unique, that was for sure. Serving a twenty dollar steak with five cents worth of macaroni and cheese. At the very least, it would get a laugh out of Wyatt. He'd find it hilarious.

  “I guess we could try it,” she whispered, hesitantly taking the box off of the shelf and setting it down onto the counter next to the steaks.

  I mean, I know for a fact I can make good mac and cheese, she thought. I've already done it once this week. It was the one thing that Wyatt and Maggie actually enjoyed eating.

  She had one side for the dinner picked out, but wanted one more.

  A vegetable would be good, she thought. Maybe a salad. Or better yet, I could grill some asparagus. My mom used to make that all the time in the summers. I could call her and ask her how she did it.

  Lily had a plan. She laid everything out on the counter. She quickly seasoned the steaks with a dry rub, then put them back in the fridge to sit. They wouldn't take long to cook.

  It took less time than she thought it would to get ready. Now, all she had to do was to wait until about six o'clock. Then she'd be able to test her cooking ability one last time.

  Chapter 18

  Lily

  Lily handed Maggie a plate.

  “Can you put this one at the end of the table?” she asked Maggie.

  Maggie marched the plate over to the far side of the dining room table and set it down.

  “This one is for Daddy,” she said.

  “Did you set out the silverware?” Lily asked.

  She nodded affirmatively. “Yep.”

  “Good,” Lily replied. “Thanks for helping me out with this, Maggie. I couldn't have done it without you. Your dad should be home any minute and we can have dinner as soon as he gets here.”

  God, I hope everything turns out okay this time, she thought. It should, though. I spent over an hour researching how to cook the perfect steak.

  Lily was pretty sure she had nailed it, too. She had seared the steaks in the frying pan, just long enough so that they had a nice, brown crust on the outside. The pad of butter on top had just finished melting. They smelled absolutely amazing, too. For the first time since she'd started working there, she felt fairly confident in the meal.

  The sides had also come together quite nicely. She had grilled the asparagus and while it was cooking, had tested it at least ten times to make sure that it was perfectly cooked. The macaroni and cheese, well, was macaroni and cheese. She didn't have to think too much for that one.

  “Hey, guys,” Wyatt said, stepping around the corner. “How's everyone tonight?”

  Lily turned around as Wyatt stepped into the kitchen. She couldn't have been more excited to see him. Not only because she could finally show off her meal, but also because she got a chance to look at him all dressed up in one of his suits.

  “Oh, hey, Wyatt,” she said, trying her best to not give him an obvious once over. “You got here fast. We weren't expecting you for another ten minutes or so.”

  He set his briefcase down onto the counter. “Yeah, well, when you told me that you were cooking steaks, I felt the need to rush. I wasn't about to miss out on this. It smells absolutely amazing, by the way.”

  “Daddy!” Maggie walked around the corner just in time to see her dad. She ran up and gave him a hug around his legs.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” Wyatt said. “Did you have a good day?”

  Maggie nodded and slowly released her death grip on Wyatt's thighs. “Yes. We made steaks.”

  “I know,” Wyatt said. “It smells so good. I can't wait to try it.”

  Lily's heart was pounding. “I hope it's good. I worked really hard on this one.”

  “Filet mignon?” Wyatt asked, glanced toward the cooked steaks that were sitting next to the stove.

  “How did you know?” Lily asked.

  “It's my favorite cut of meat,” he said. “One of the most difficult to cook correctly, too.”

  “I know,” Lily said. “I read about a hundred forums online that told me the same thing. Even so, I'm pretty sure that I got it right.”

  Wyatt smiled as he loosened his tie. Lily's eyes dropped down his body.

  Goddamn, he looks good when he's dressed up like that, she thought to herself.

  The tailored suit made him look like a million bucks. He was so handsome as it was, but dressed like that, made him look like a super star. Lily's panties got a little wet just gazing at him.

  “Should Maggie and I take a seat at the table?” Wyatt asked.

  She brought her eyes back up to his face. “Yeah. The food is ready. You guys take a seat. I hope you don't mind, but I went downstairs into your wine cellar to get a bottle of Cabernet. I wanted something that would pair well with the filet mignon and most people online agreed that the Cabernet was the way to go.”

  “My house is your house,” Wyatt said. “You have free reign to the wine cellar. I'm glad you picked my favorite wine.”

  Lily gathered the food, while Wyatt and Maggie took their seats at the table. She placed a steak on each plate, along with macaroni and cheese and the asparagus.

  Wyatt laughed. “I absolutely love the fact that you m
ade mac and cheese as a side.”

  “I wasn't sure what you'd think about that,” Lily said. “I just wanted to make sure that Maggie would eat at least some of this meal.”

  “Good call,” Wyatt said. “I think it's genius. Love it.”

  When everybody had a full plate in front of them, Lily sat down at the table. She poured Wyatt and herself a full glass of wine. She tried to stay calm, but was so nervous about this meal. It reminded her of the feeling she would get back in high school, when she was about to take a final exam. This was her last chance to get it right.

  “Cheers,” she said, swallowing down her nervousness. “To the good meal that I've been promising you guys.”

  “Here's to that,” Wyatt said, clinking his glass against hers.

  “Cheews,” Maggie said, giggling.

  Lily took a long sip of the Cabernet, then set her glass down. She watched as Wyatt lifted his steak knife and began to slice into the cut of meat. From where she sat, it looked perfectly done. It was medium rare and the center was just the right color of red. Wyatt seemed impressed. His eyes rose to meet hers.

  “So far so good,” he said, with a playful smirk.

  She bit her bottom lip anxiously. “Go easy on me if it's awful.”

  He went back to work and finished cutting off the piece of steak. As he lifted it to his lips, Lily felt her stomach tie up into knots.

  Please be good, please be good, she thought.

  Wyatt popped the bite into his mouth. Almost immediately, his eyes lit up. He chewed a few times and then swallowed, before turning to face Lily.

  “Oh, my God,” he said, his expression as serious as could be.

  She wasn't sure how to take it.

  “Is it bad?” she asked. “Please don't tell me I messed it up.”

  He shook his head. “No, Lily. It isn't bad at all. Are you kidding me? This is incredible! Did you really cook this? It's perfect. It's tender and seasoned just right. It melted in my mouth.”