One Daddy Too Many

by Debra Salonen

  She didn’t blame her mother for letting Maya out of her sight. Ian could have weaseled his way past even the most vigilant babysitter.

  But even if this situation hadn’t happened, Kate knew it was time to leave. She’d taken advantage of her mother’s generosity long enough. Grace would loan her the money if Kate asked. She just hoped her mother would understand.

  “Mom?” she called, walking into the kitchen.

  No one answered. She dropped her purse on the table and dashed down the hall to the bedrooms.

  Yetta was sitting on Maya’s bed, reading a book.

  “Hi, Mommy. I got a new book from Daddy.”

  “Really? You had time to go shopping while you were off on your adventure?” Kate asked, tilting her chin to read the cover. The title had the word jokes in it.

  “We bought it when we got gas.”

  “Oh.”

  “Zeke brought it by, along with Maya’s sweater,” her mother said. “I guess they’d gotten overlooked in my car. Enzo is making arrangements to return that to me later.”

  “Wanna hear a joke, Mommy?”

  “Sure, but then Grandma and I have to talk.”

  “What’s a three-letter word for mousetrap?”

  Kate’s mind was too numb to think. “I don’t know. What’s a three-letter word for mousetrap?”

  Her daughter’s brown eyes twinkled with mischief. “C-a-t.”

  Kate laughed, but her emotions surged. She had to blink fast to keep her tears inside. Her little girl—the child she and Ian had produced—was growing up so fast. She was smart and funny and kind and wonderful. And Kate knew she would do whatever it took to make sure nobody hurt her or crushed her amazing spirit.

  “That’s great. I love it. We can read some more later. I’m not going to work tonight. I figured we’d just hang out and watch movies. Does that sound good?”

  Maya nodded, but she also looked at her grandmother, as if needing Yetta’s okay.

  “I’ll go make a fresh pot of coffee,” Yetta said. “Why don’t you introduce your mother to your new fish, Maya? The ones Rob gave you.”

  “Rob? When was he here?”

  “About an hour ago. Maya was asleep. He had to run home and get dressed for some fancy dinner his bosses were dragging him to. He didn’t seem very happy about it.”

  Once Yetta had left the room, Kate sat down at the foot of the bed. Her gaze was drawn to the fish swimming in the bright clear water of the aquarium.

  There were a couple of pretty ones she didn’t recognize.

  “Grandma said this black one’s name is Molly, only I think he’s a he not a she because he’s so mean to the other fish.”

  “Not all males are mean, Maya.”

  Maya moved to the far side of the aquarium so Kate couldn’t see her clearly.

  “You know some very nice men, like Gregor and Great-uncle Claude and Zeke and…Rob.”

  Maya tapped on the glass, sending the fish toward the safety of an artificial rock formation. She didn’t say anything.

  “Maya, I need to be sure that you understand that what happened today wasn’t your fault. Your daddy made a mistake today but he didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  “He said you won’t let him live with us, Mommy. Why?”

  “Because it just wouldn’t work out. I’ve changed.”

  “Can’t you change back?”

  Kate shook her head sadly. “No. I’m sorry, honey. I can’t.”

  “Why not?”

  “Well…you like being four, right?”

  Maya nodded.

  “Would you ever want to be two again?”

  “No. I’m not a baby anymore.”

  You’re my baby. “There you go. You’ve moved on and that’s how I feel about your dad. I can’t ever live with him again.”

  “Does that mean we’ll always live with Grandma?”

  “No. In fact, you and I are going to start planning for the day we move into our own place. Probably an apartment to start out, but eventually, we’ll have a house.”

  “Will it have a swimming pool?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Will Rob come there and teach swimming lessons?”

  Leave it to her daughter to ask the tough questions. “I don’t know, honey. He’s a pretty busy guy.”

  “Won’t Grandma be sad if we leave?”

  “You know, I think she’s been happy to have us living with her because she was lonely after Grandpa died. But, maybe, if she doesn’t have us to worry about she’ll go out more.”

  “Like on a date?” Maya asked, her eyes growing wide. “With kissing and stuff?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Mommy, if we move, why can’t we take Daddy with us? He’s all alone, you know.”

  “Sweetheart, Mommy and Daddy are never going to live together again,” Kate said firmly. “I’m sorry, but that’s just the way it is.”

  Maya’s lips turned down and tears welled up in her eyes. “You’re mean. Daddy says he loves us and wants to move home but you won’t let him. You’re too busy being Rob’s girlfriend.”

  Kate knew that kind of logic didn’t come naturally to a four-year-old. Just as she’d feared, Ian had crafted a story that made him the martyr. “I know your father loves you very much. He’s missed out on watching you grow up and he probably wishes he could make for up that, but I have to do what I think is best for both us. And living with your father isn’t good for me. This has nothing to do with Rob.”

  Maya peeked around the corner of the fish tank. Her heart-shaped face looked drawn, worried. “I like this gold one Rob bought me. She’s pretty. Her fins look like feathers.”

  Kate moved to her knees and crept closer. “She’s beautiful. Does she have a name?”

  Maya pressed her nose to the glass. “I dunno. Will he come back? So I can ask him?”

  He? “Rob?”

  The little girl nodded.

  I dunno. “S…sure.” Although at the moment she wasn’t certain of anything. “But since he gave them to you, they’re yours to name. Or, maybe if you concentrate real hard, they’ll tell you their fish names. Can you do that?”

  Maya brightened noticeably. “Uh-huh. Auntie Alex says I’m good with animals. That’s why we’re going to get a doggie soon.”

  “We who?”

  Maya didn’t answer. She seemed intensely focused on her mission—to talk to the fish.

  “I…um, I’ll be in the kitchen. Grandma and I need to talk.”

  Kate watched her daughter a moment longer, then left. Surely understanding the language of fish was a no more impossible task than understanding why some men were mean.

  “ROB WANTED YOU to call him,” Yetta said, after Kate was seated a few minutes later. She’d detoured to her room to change into sweats.

  “I tried his number a little while ago and it said no service. Maybe he turned it off.”

  Kate tried to keep her tone even. She didn’t want anyone to know how hurt she’d been that he’d disappeared in her hour of need. True, she’d practically ordered him to leave, but she’d expected him to return at some point. Surely he’d known how upsetting this had been for her. His devotion to his work seemed a pretty lousy recommendation for a boyfriend.

  “He told me what happened. The big bosses came to town for a surprise meeting. They were threatening to close the whole operation, but Rob persuaded them to give the office another chance.” Yetta smiled. “According to his mother, Rob saved sixteen jobs, including his own.”

  “Really? He didn’t mention any of that in his message.”

  Yetta’s smile disappeared. “You’re mad at him, aren’t you?”

  “No.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  Kate was too tired to argue. “I could have used him around today. That’s all.”

  “Does that mean you two are officially a couple?”

  “Huh?”

  “Well, usually it takes more than one date for someone to feel comfortable hanging around in the midd
le of a family crisis. If you wanted him here the whole time, then you must be pretty sure he’s the one.”

  Kate’s cup nearly slipped from her fingers. “I…he…we haven’t really had time to talk about how we feel. I guess I was a little hurt that he went to work, but you’re right. He had every right to.”

  Her mother stepped closer and patted Kate’s shoulder. “I was just making a point, dear. People sometimes make hasty decisions in times of crisis that they later regret.”

  Kate felt a stab of guilt. Like making up my mind to move?

  “Rob is a good man, Kate. I know you see that, but you’ve been through a lot lately. No one would blame you if you were a bit gun-shy when it comes to love.”

  Love? Kate wasn’t sure she even knew what the word meant, but she didn’t have time to think about it for long. The man in question suddenly appeared at the kitchen door. Dressed in a tux.

  “Rob? My gosh, where are you going?”

  He stepped inside and took a deep breath. His hair looked slightly damp. Kate was positive she’d never seen anyone more handsome. Even the frazzled look in his eye was sexy.

  “Dinner. At some five-star place. On the wharf.”

  Her heart thudded hard against the wall of her chest.

  “Wh…what wharf? There’s no wharf in Las Vegas.”

  He ran a hand through his hair. She recognized the gesture of frustration. “I know,” he said. “The partners are in town. They’re flying back to San Francisco tonight. The corporate jet. That’s why I wasn’t here. Had to put on the dog and pony show. Now, they’re hauling me back with them for some meeting tomorrow.”

  “Why?”

  He looked down—embarrassed or reluctant to say? “It’s not a consensus. My would-have-been father-in-law, whom I’m pretty sure orchestrated my being sent to Vegas in the first place, can’t bring himself to admit that I’m not the screw-up he wants everyone to think I am, but two of the partners want me to come back.”

  “To San Francisco?”

  “Uh-huh. They said they need my energy and grit.” He smiled. “I think that means I was so frantic to get in touch with you, I walked out of a meeting. People don’t usually do that to these guys.”

  “I called your office. Your secretary said—”

  “I know. Sorry about that. That woman was a temp. My regular admin. went home with a stomachache.”

  He reached out and touched the side of her face with his fingertips. “This really wasn’t how I saw this day happening. I wasn’t here with you, and I’m really sorry about that. At least Maya’s home safe and sound, right?”

  Kate nodded. “Pretty much. She’s a little confused and her trust in men rivals mine, but…” She tried to keep her tone light. “When will you be back?”

  “A day or two. But what’s really crazy is I got a call this morning from the Realtor who’s had my condo listed ever since Serena and I broke up. Talk about weird timing. He has a buyer. With cash. I have to give them an answer by Friday.”

  “Wow. That’s fast.”

  “I know. Yesterday, I would have jumped at the offer, but, now…well, I won’t know until I hear the partners’ terms. But I think they’re going to ask me to take over our Walnut Creek branch. This is huge. I’m a little shell-shocked. One minute I’m certain they’re here to fire me, then next I’m some kind of wunderkind.”

  Kate didn’t know what to say. “Why? I mean, you are amazing, but what changed their minds?”

  He paced a few steps away, his brows drawn. “I’m not sure exactly. The cynical side of my mind thinks it’s because of you.”

  “Me? Why me?”

  “I told them how April bungled your custody hearing and I hooked you up with another lawyer who specializes in family law. They liked the way I handled the matter. Not trying to sweep it under the table. My almost-father-in-law tried to suggest that I started dating you so you wouldn’t sue us. Which is ridiculous, of course. But that’s the kind of thing he would have done. And probably did at some point in his career. He’s as ethical as a—” He stopped mid-sentence when he looked at Kate.

  Her mouth had dropped open; her eyes expressed dismay.

  “Kate? You’re not buying that. No way.”

  “Your dad’s wedding? Was that a bribe?”

  Rob heard the words and her tone—pure hurt. “No. Of course not. I just wanted to help. My God, Kate, this is nuts. Why would you think that?”

  She gave a bitter laugh. “Historically, the men I’ve cared for the most are handsome, glib and pathetically short on principles. Why should you be any different?”

  “Because I am. I haven’t lied to you. This—us—what happened last night has nothing to do with your case. The partners might see it that way, but that’s because their lives are tweaked. You know me. I’m not like that.”

  “Do I? Rob, what I know is we have very little in common. You hate Vegas and can’t wait to leave it. My business, my family, my life is here. Despite the fact that you’re amazingly good with kids, you claim to not want children. I have one, in case you didn’t notice.”

  “Dammit, Kate, you’re twisting things to make me look like the bad guy here. Your ex ran off with Maya today, not me. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help, but I had fifteen people—and their families—counting on me to save their jobs. My bosses want to reward that. Period.”

  “You’re right. I’m overreacting. Probably because I’m emotionally shot at the moment. You need to go to San Francisco and figure out what you want to do with your life. I already know what I want to do with mine. I want to make Romantique a huge success, take care of my daughter without worrying that someone from my past is going to snatch her away from me and, last but not least, buy a place of our own because a woman my age shouldn’t be living at home with her mother.”

  Rob didn’t know what to say.

  “This is a lot to process, Rob. My brain isn’t completely over what happened to Maya. I’ll wish you good luck, then we’ll see what happens.”

  He looked at her and frowned. “I’m coming back, Kate. I am. We’ll talk then. I promise. Okay?”

  Kate didn’t have a chance to answer. His phone rang. He looked at the number and groaned. Impulsively, she put her arms around him and squeezed tightly, hoping she didn’t mess up his tuxedo too badly. “Sure. Grace is planning a little pool party to thank all the volunteers who helped us get Maya home safely. If you get back in time, I hope you’ll come.”

  He took her face in his hands. “That I can’t promise, but I will if at all possible.” Then he kissed her, hard and fast. “I…” He paused, obviously reconsidering whatever he’d started to say. “I’ll miss you. Tell Maya I’m glad she’s okay and I hope she likes her fish.”

  “You can tell her yourself. She’s in her room…no. Forget I said that. I don’t want you to get a speeding ticket. Go.”

  Her smile wasn’t the same one he’d seen this morning when he tapped her on the shoulder at the craps table. This one said friend, not lover. But they weren’t a couple, he reminded himself. They’d made love. That didn’t automatically imply a lifelong commitment, did it?

  Rob replayed their conversation in his head as he drove to the airport. His gut told him he’d blown it. He hadn’t said any of the things he should have said. Like what last night meant to him. Or how much he adored Maya and wanted to do whatever it took to make her like him. Or the most important words of all, I love you.

  He pounded his heel on the steering wheel. His glib tongue had failed him. Why? Was it because he didn’t really want to commit to her? Before today, he had assumed he’d be living in Nevada for the next several years. Now, it seemed he had a choice.

  Or did he?

  Las Vegas meant Kate and Maya. And his mother. And a group of people who now appreciated him because he’d managed to buy them another year with the firm and saved two careers in the process. And the Dads Group. His little swimmers.

  But was any of that worth the kind of emotional risk that went with marr
iage? Serena, the woman he’d almost married, had claimed he was a screwed-up emotional mess who wouldn’t know commitment if it bit him on the ass. What if she was right? Was he really the right guy for Kate? Could he possibly be trusted to give her and Maya the life they deserved?

  He just didn’t know.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The next morning, Kate stumbled out of bed too early. She’d suffered through a restless night—one chase after another. First, she’d spent hours searching for Maya, only to find her home in bed. Then, she’d followed Rob across a bridge that kept getting narrower and shakier. She’d awoken just before she stepped into a pool of black water.

  “Good morning, dear,” Yetta said, entering the kitchen as Kate popped the top on a cola. Her mother was carrying a bouquet of cut flowers, including roses.

  “You have rose bushes?” Kate exclaimed. “Where?”

  “At the cemetery. Grace planted them on either side of your father’s headstone. Your sister and I went for a visit this morning. She’s at Alexandra’s now.”

  “Oh.”

  “How’d you sleep?” her mother asked.

  “Crummy.” She followed Yetta to the sink and watched as she clipped the stems to a uniform length. Kate picked up one dark pink bud and held it to her nose. “It doesn’t smell.”

  “Many of the newer varieties were bred for beauty only. They don’t need to attract bees because they’re not pollinated the old-fashioned way.”

  “Hmm. You and Grace didn’t happen to talk about dating, did you? As in, you and some attractive older man.”

  Her mother fumbled with the utility shears.

  “Someone like Zeke Martini?”

  Yetta sighed weightily. “I’ve raised a gaggle of gossips.”

  “We love you, Mom. We want you to be happy. None of us would be upset if you started seeing him. Or someone else. You’re too young to live the rest of your life without love.”

  “Ezekiel is an interesting man, but not my type.”

  “Oh, really. Why is that?”

  “He’s a solitary person. A loner. He wouldn’t know what to do with all my kids and their…”

  “Problems,” Kate supplied.