by Tia Wylder
“Do you really think it’s appropriate to bring men home while you’re watching your daughter?” He groused, receiving a snort and a roll of the woman’s eyes in response.
“I didn’t stop living just because I broke up with you, Dan. In fact, I just recently found out what it was like to live,” she sneered. Amanda gripped her father’s hand, watching the exchange with a haunted expression. Daniel hesitated, feeling how tightly his daughter was holding him. As much as he wanted to give Melody a piece of his mind, he knew it would only upset their child. Like it or not, the woman was still Amanda’s mother.
“Well, is it alright if Amanda gathers her things? I’m here to pick her up,” Daniel muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. Melody gave slight pause, glancing towards the bedroom before ushering her daughter and ex-husband inside.
“Make it quick. Mommy loves you, Mandy,” Melody murmured, patting the young girl on the head. Amanda nodded sullenly, gathering up the few toys she brought to her mother’s house. She grabbed her tablet, making a face at the greasy fingerprints all over the surface.
“Did you let Jake touch my tablet?” She whined petulantly, looking no more pleased when the older woman took the tablet and cleaned it on her robe. Melody handed the tablet back to Amanda, who offered her father a sullen look.
“Leave it. I’ll buy you a new one to keep at my house,” Daniel gave Melody a cold gaze. Seemingly satisfied, Amanda tossed the tablet to the floor and reached up to her father, eager to be picked up once more.
“Bye, momma,” Amanda called out, and Daniel considered his ex for a long moment before turning his back and stalking back to his car. Settled contently in her father’s arms, Amanda seemed at peace for what could have been the first time all day. “I really wish you didn’t have to work so much, daddy,” she mumbled, allowing the man to slip her in the backseat and fasten her in.
“We’ll figure this out, baby girl. One way or another,” he murmured. She smiled, obviously placing all her trust in her father. Though he didn’t know how yet, he knew he was going to win this custody battle. He had to.
Chapter Two
Some days later, as he pulled into the parking lot of the zoo, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and scanned his messages. He quirked a smile at the latest message from Tiffany, asking how he was doing. Amanda leaned over his shoulder, grinning toothily at the text message.
“Who’s Tiffany?” She asked in a singsong voice. He smiled sheepishly, ruffling her hair.
“Nosy little devil, aren’t you?” He retorted, gently nudging her away as he typed out a reply. He assured Tiffany that he was doing well enough, but mentioned the issues he was having with his wife. He mused it might have been a bit soon to be divulging such information, but he also couldn’t find it within him to care. He unfastened his seatbelt, opening the car door and stepping out. Amanda all but spilled out of the backseat, clapping her hands together in excitement. Going to the zoo was her favorite, and Daniel had decided she could use a bit of fun to take her mind off her mother. He grabbed her by the hand, pulling her to the ticket booth and buying one adult ticket and one child’s ticket. The young woman running the ticket booth offered him a sultry smile, and he quirked a brow good-naturedly as her touch lingered on his hand as he gave her the cash.
“You come back and see me, now,” she purred, and Daniel chuckled, shaking his head to himself as he led Amanda into the zoo. She rushed ahead as soon as he released her, squealing in excitement about wanting to see the monkeys. Daniel jogged to keep up with her, thrilled by his daughter’s exuberance. He paused as his phone vibrated, watching Amanda where she stood outside the chimpanzee exhibit. He grabbed his cell phone out of his pocket and read the new message from Tiffany. Every time he read her messages, there was a sense of satisfaction bubbling up from the bottom of his heart. He could tell he was already somewhat attracted to the woman, which was something of a rarity for him. He typed out a response, looking up after he texted about his visit to the zoo with his daughter. His eyes widened as he realized Amanda was no longer in sight. He drew in an unsteady breath, jolting forward to search the nearby exhibits. Amanda was nowhere to be seen, which was somewhat strange considering she wasn’t one to wander.
“Amanda,” he called out, desperation washing over him. He heard a distant wail that he could recognize as his daughter’s voice, following the sound as quickly as he could. He continued to call his daughter’s name, stopping abruptly when he saw a man with Amanda scooped up in his arms. “Hey! Stop! That’s my daughter! Someone stop him,” he screamed, chasing after the man. Amanda wailed, struggling to get out of the kidnapper’s grip. The man with the child grasped in his arms was beginning to gain distance on Daniel, and Daniel could only choke back a cry as the man turned the corner out of sight. “Wait, please,” he screamed out.
“Daddy,” Amanda screamed, her voice fading into the distance. Abruptly, however, he became aware of the sound of a man screaming in pain. As he caught his breath and moved to give chase once more, Amanda came stumbling around the corner, racing towards him. “Daddy, a lady helped me,” she gasped out, clinging to her father tightly. His eyes widened as he rounded the corner, seeing a familiar figure keeping the kidnapper pinned to the ground.
“Tiffany!?” He exclaimed, stepping closer. She glanced up, eyes widening in surprise.
“Oh, jeez. I promise I’m not stalking you. I was here with Danielle and Troy. I saw this guy taking off with… oh. That’s… your daughter?” Tiffany sputtered out, giving the man beneath her another sharp nudge with his elbow as he tried to squirm loose. “The police are on their way, scumbag,” she hissed at the attempted kidnapper, who simply resigned himself to the fact that he wasn’t going to be able to get away. Daniel stepped closer, holding his daughter tightly. It was belated that he realized Amanda was struggling to get out of his grip so he set her on the ground.
“This is Tiffany? Oh my gosh, daddy, she’s great,” Amanda announced. Tiffany smiled tentatively, exchanging a look with Daniel.
“Um… There’s something I wanted to talk about with you, Daniel,” she cleared her throat, and Amanda gasped loudly, clapping her hands against her cheeks.
“Are you asking my daddy out? Oh my goodness, that would be so exciting,” the young girl announced, clapping her hands together. Daniel made as if to correct her, but something about the look in Tiffany’s eye gave him pause. Just at that moment, the security guard at the zoo came rushing forward, eyeing Tiffany and the pinned kidnapper with an odd expression.
“Ma’am, thank you for keeping the suspect in place, but the police will be here soon, so I’ll be taking him into temporary custody,” the security officer requested awkwardly. Tiffany smiled, offering the kidnapper a wry grin before rising up off him. She stepped away, and Daniel watched closely as the security guard cuffed the man’s hands.
“Daddy, you should talk to Miss Tiffany. I’ll be sure to give you two your privacy,” Amanda intoned loudly, winking at the older woman. Tiffany looked vaguely taken aback, but laughed off the girl’s silliness, approaching Daniel with a pensive expression.
“Privacy would be nice, for what I’m going to be asking,” she muttered softly, and Daniel could only quirk a brow in response. He took her by the hand, pulling her several feet away. He was certain to ensure he could keep an eye on Amanda as the two were speaking, and Tiffany had the same idea.
“So…,” Daniel prompted, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck.
“This will sound really strange, fair warning,” Tiffany frowned and glanced towards Amanda who was now making a face to the chimps.
“I’m all ears, at this point. You saved my daughter’s life. If my ex heard about this…,” he trailed off, crossing his arms over his chest.
"She won't. At least, I won't tell her. Your ex is part of the reason I wanted to talk to you," Tiffany grinned, wringing her hands awkwardly. Daniel quirked a brow but gestured for her to continue. “So, the reason you’re having trouble getti
ng custody of your daughter is that you're essentially a single parent, correct?" She blushed. He frowned but nodded his confirmation. “Well, what if you were to have a live-in fiancée?” She blurted. His eyes widened, and he struggled to bite back a laugh.
“Are you proposing?” He teased, but her expression was almost deadly serious.
“I’m proposing that we pretend to be engaged for the sake of you claiming custody of your daughter,” she gazed into his eyes. If Daniel thought his eyes could grow no wider, he was proving himself wrong that day. He looked around, to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation. Even his daughter was giving them the privacy she had promised, however, and he had no need to worry about who was listening in.
"Are you serious?" He asked sharply, taking her by the arm and leading her further away just for his peace of mind. “Why would you offer to do that for me? I mean, you’re a great friend, but we scarcely know each other,” he continued with a scrutinizing gaze. She hesitated, curling a lock of dark hair around a finger. She seemed reluctant to divulge her reasons, and he was almost ready to burn that bridge before she spoke.
“My intentions aren’t entirely out of the pureness of my heart. I’m getting kicked out of my apartment this weekend, and I figured if I scratch your back," she trailed off, fidgeting. His first instinct was to take offense, but then it struck him that this woman had just saved his daughter. That had just been in the short term. Now she was offering him a way to save his daughter in the long term. If he got custody of his daughter, all his problems would be secondary. They would only have to maintain the charade for so long, and then they could amicably part ways; perhaps even remain friends. Amanda seemed rather taken with the woman, at the very least. Amanda… Daniel narrowed his eyes upon Tiffany, gripping her shoulder with an almost painful hold.
“I know you have the best intentions, but I have to tell you. If any harm befalls my daughter because of this, I will hold you responsible for your part. That girl is everything to me. Everything,” he shot a chilling gaze right into her eyes. Tiffany’s eyes widened, and she glanced at his hand before attempting to shrug him off.
“I would never harm your daughter,” she bit out, clearly offended. Though truthfully, there was also a hint of desire in her eyes, as if his ferocity set something inside her alight. She’d never seen a man who cared so much about his family, having been raised in a family where her father had abandoned them at an early age. “I promise you, Daniel. Even if I’m being selfish, I wouldn’t intentionally harm either of you. Your sister is my best friend, and…,” she trailed off, perking up as she realized Danielle was approaching the two of them. “Danni!” She yelled brightly, obviously trying to change the subject.
“Hey, we were wondering where you got off to. Amanda told Troy and me everything, I never expected that we had a hero in our midst," Danielle teased, looking between her best friend and brother with a glint in her eye. Daniel wrapped an arm around Tiffany’s shoulder, drawing her close to his side. She tensed at first, but soon melted into his embrace. His hand gently rubbed the shoulder he had been previously gripping so tightly.
“Well, I never expected such a thing to happen either. You can imagine how upset Melody will be if she hears about this,” he murmured, offering Danielle a meaningful look.
“Oh, please. I hate that bitch. She won’t be hearing anything from me,” Danielle smirked. “So, what’s this,” she continued, gesturing between the two of them. Tiffany smiled uncertainly, looking to Daniel for some explanation.
“I’ve decided that it’s high time I get back on the market, since the divorce with Melody finalized. I must admit, meeting your friend and seeing her heroics certainly swayed me. I hadn’t considered getting back into the dating world for a while, but...,” he hesitated, brushing his hand to Tiffany’s cheek and guiding her into meeting his gaze. “I’ve found that I’m beginning to reconsider. Tiffany Aegis, would you do me the honor of having dinner with me?” He announced. Tiffany reddened beneath his stare, and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t remotely enchanted with the woman.
“Of course, Dr. Brookes,” she grinned, fluttering her eyelashes at him.
“Yay! Daddy and Miss Tiffany are going on a date!” Amanda announced, bounding closer to them. Troy, for his part, made a face. “I’m sorry, I gave you all the privacy I could, but when I saw how you were looking at her… it’s like a princess movie! Miss Tiffany, are you a princess?” Amanda continued, excitement radiating from her entire being. Tiffany smiled, holding her arms out to the young girl. Amanda bounded forward, giggling as she was scooped up.
“I think the only princess here should rightfully be you, little one,” Tiffany smiled. Amanda beamed, pressing her hands to each of Tiffany’s cheek and pressing a kiss to the woman’s button nose.
“You’re so sweet. And you can hold me! My momma never holds me,” Amanda grinned. Tiffany glanced to Daniel, reddening at the look in his eye as he watched the two of them.
“Well your momma sounds like she’s missing out. We’ll have lots of fun when we play together,” Tiffany announced. Daniel was grateful she left out the detail that she would be moving in soon, not wanting to deal with his sister’s scrutiny and his daughter’s questions. She simply sat Amanda back on the ground, and Daniel looked at both and smiled sheepishly.
“In the meantime, we might as well enjoy the rest of our zoo trip,” he announced, clapping his hands together. Amanda squealed, grabbing Tiffany by the hand and dragging her ahead. He strode after them at an easy pace, trusting his daughter’s safety in Tiffany’s hands. Danielle fell into step beside him, ushering Troy to run and join the others. Daniel could feel his sister’s gaze upon him, and when he glanced towards her, she was smiling brightly. “What’s got you looking so peppy?” He inquired, feeling his face grow flush.
“I knew you and Tiff would hit it off. She’s a real sweetheart. It’s a shame that she’s going to be living out of her car…,” Danielle trailed off, giving her brother a meaningful look. He rolled his eyes, giving her a slight nudge.
“As if I would allow that, Danni. It may be a bit awkward at first, but…,” he trailed off, watching as Tiffany lifted Amanda into the air to get a better look at the lion exhibit. “I have a feeling it’ll work out,” he smiled. While the relationship was a charade, he was somewhat excited about the prospect of even pretending to be back on the market. It also helped that Tiffany was rather gorgeous, and while he typically had his choice of women, he rarely found one who was so utterly appealing.
This was going to be one hell of a ride.
Chapter Three
Daniel waved out the window of his car, backing out of his sister’s driveway as Amanda, Danielle and Troy waved excitedly back at him. The plan was for him to take Tiffany on the date of a lifetime, and Danielle had volunteered to watch Amanda while the two ‘shook things up’, in her words. Tiffany had reddened at the implication, but Daniel was relatively confident that the woman didn't expect any real commitment or effort from this farcical arrangement. All the same, he wanted to treat the woman well. He didn’t see her as a charity case, but the fact that she was going out of her way to help his daughter and himself spoke volumes about her personality. He supposed he could have been bitter about the fact that she would need to move in almost immediately, but he simply took that as more incentive to make this date stand out. It was obvious that before his sister’s friendship, Tiffany had never been treated respectfully. It was a shame, considering how kind and beautiful she was.
“What are you thinking about?” Tiffany inquired, fidgeting in the passenger seat. He offered her a quirk of his lips before turning his attention back to the road.
“You. Your background. I suppose we should learn about each other, if we’re planning to be engaged,” he mused. She chuckled somewhat bitterly, crossing her arms over her chest and staring out the window.
“My background is nothing all that exciting. Just a fat girl who got fucked up emotionally by an abse
ntee father and an abusive mother,” Tiffany grumbled derisively. Daniel’s eyes widened, and he glanced towards her with concern in his gaze.
“Please, Tiffany. You’re so much more than that.”
She considered him with disbelief, and he exhaled a sigh, pulling into the parking lot of the restaurant he had chosen.
He unfastened his seat belt, slipping out of the car and waiting for her to follow suit. He lingered at his side of the car for a moment before circling to the passenger side, pulling the door open for her. He pretended not to notice the swift swipe of her hand across her eyes, though his heart ached for the obvious pain in her heart.
He had managed to get the best table in the place, being notorious in town for his good looks, ambition, and cash. He led Tiffany inside the restaurant, linking their arms together as they walked. When they reached the table, the bottle of wine and candle that adorned the table surprised her. The waiter lit the candle as they sit down, and the romance of the moment couldn’t be overlooked.
“Wow, if you go this far faking it for an unattractive girl, I can’t imagine what you’d do for a woman you were actually attracted to” Tiffany teased, and Daniel rolled his eyes.
“I don’t know why you insist upon implying you’re not attractive. Why wouldn’t I be attracted to you? You’re gorgeous, and your figure is a big part of that. Skinny women… aren’t to my tastes. I had that with my ex, and after that…,” he paused, seeming to debate if the next statement was inappropriate. “After that, I’d like a girl with curves. Objectively speaking, of course. I know this is all an act, but I won’t allow you to imply that you’re anything less than gorgeous,” he assured her with a soft but firm voice in the relative silence of the restaurant. Tiffany reddened, looking at the menu the waiter had left. She had considered simply ordering a garden salad, but went with something else.