Daddy 101 (American Romance)

by Leigh, Jo

  She turned abruptly and walked to the table. She gathered plates and silverware, all business now.

  “Dani?”

  “We should go. Let me just put these up. I need to call Mimi to come watch Chloe for a few minutes.”

  “Let me help,” he said, moving to the table. He wouldn’t press her. But he thought her reaction to his compliment was very telling. And oddly endearing. He was used to women who were so confident about their beauty it actually became a tactical weapon. In his world, beauty was a commodity, used often and well. The game was silent, but the stakes were quite real.

  He remembered seeing Dani for the first time, and he wondered how he’d ever considered her just “okay.” Probably just because she didn’t look like every female he knew—who spent more money on makeup than some third world countries spent on food. Or that she didn’t look like the models she was so convinced he dated.

  So okay, he had dated a few, but never anyone he’d really liked. He didn’t care for women that thin. He much preferred Dani’s soft curves. Her womanly shape. She would feel so good in his arms.

  She walked away from him, carrying the covered dishes. He took the liberty of eyeing her backside. It was certainly a nice one. Very touchable. Although he doubted his touch would be welcome.

  Forcing himself to get that image out of his brain, he picked up the remaining dishes and glasses from the table. By the time he had them on the counter in the kitchen, Dani was on the phone with her sitter. The conversation was brief, and then Dani was next to him at the sink.

  “She’ll be over in a second. I’ll just put these in the dishwasher and then I’ll go tell Chloe.”

  “I can do it,” he said.

  “No, it’s okay.”

  He touched her arm. Zap. Damn, it was getting ridiculous. Just an innocent touch, and he still felt the flow from her body as if it were a current. He quickly drew back. “I’d like to.”

  Dani chanced a glance at him. She wondered if he’d felt the jolt. One look at his face and she knew he had. Why? Why this man? How come he was the one to awaken such unwelcome responses?

  “Okay,” she said, figuring distance was the safest possible course. “I’ll be back in a moment.” She hurried to Chloe’s room, anxious to get away from whatever the heck was happening between her and Alex.

  Chloe proved to be a good distraction. Her daughter was sitting on her bed, reading. She glanced down at the title: Animal Farm. “Haven’t you read that one before?”

  Chloe shook her head. “You’re thinking of Brave New World.”

  “Right.” She tapped Chloe’s legs. “Skootch over.”

  Chloe moved, and Dani sat down next to her. “Mimi’s coming over. I’m taking Mr. Bradley to the clinic to see his dog.”

  “She doesn’t have to. I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself.”

  “Don’t even start with me. I’m too tired to play tonight.”

  “Mom?”

  Dani was surprised at the abrupt change in Chloe’s tone. She sounded quite like an eight-year-old. “Hmm?”

  “You were flirting with him, you know.”

  “It might have appeared that way for a second, but no, hon. Nothing like that is going on.”

  Her daughter’s gaze searched her face, and Dani knew that the lie wasn’t going to work. It never did with Chloe.

  “It’s because he’s so handsome, right? I mean, for an old guy.”

  Dani smiled. “Well, he is good-looking. I’ll concede to that.”

  “So, like, are you going to kiss him?”

  “Chloe! What kind of a question is that?”

  “Well, that program I was watching. The guy said that kissing was next. I just wondered, that’s all.”

  “Why can’t you watch ‘MTV’ like every other eight-year-old?”

  Chloe rolled her eyes. “Like I could stand that junk.”

  Dani reached over and grabbed her girl by the cheeks and brought her close for a smooch. “That’s the only kissing I’m going to be doing.”

  “I don’t know. Maybe you ought to kiss him.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve just never seen you flirt before. Desmond Morris, the guy from the show, he says it’s a natural biological function. He’s studied this stuff. He says we’re supposed to have all these urges to mate and everything. That it’s what makes us part of the cycle of life.”

  Dani released her daughter’s face and stood up. “Desmond Morris has never studied my love life. So you know, Chloe, just because a woman finds a man attractive, doesn’t mean she wants him for a mate.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because there are a lot more important things that go into the process than physical attraction.”

  “Like what?”

  Dani sighed. She’d hoped to avoid this sort of conversation—at least for a few years. It wasn’t always easy having a daughter who was eight going on thirty. “Personality, mostly. Common interest and goals. Values. Honesty. Kindness. And many more.”

  Chloe nodded slowly. “He likes Monet.”

  Dani smiled. “That’s not enough, kiddo. Now if I’m not back by eight-thirty, I don’t want you to give Mimi any trouble about going to bed. All right?”

  Chloe nodded again. Dani leaned down and kissed her once more, then walked toward the door.

  “Mom?”

  She stopped. “Yes?”

  “I think he’s nice.”

  “He is nice. But he’s just going to be here a day or so.”

  “Okay.”

  “I’ll try to get back to tuck you in.”

  Dani closed the door behind her. She didn’t rush right to the kitchen, though. Her thoughts were on Desmond Morris and biology. She’d already determined that the thing that was happening to her was simple chemistry. Pheromones at work. What she didn’t know was just how strong this chemistry business was. It wouldn’t do to underestimate this kind of thing. She’d done that once, and she didn’t want to be a fool again.

  The best course of action was to stay as far away from Alex as she could. Scent distance away.

  She heard a loud crash and the splintering of broken glass. Now she hurried.

  Alex was standing in the middle of the kitchen, staring at the broken water glass on the floor. When he saw her, he looked up. “Oops.”

  She smiled. He sounded so young, so embarrassed. It was tempting to tease him, but she held back. “It’s okay. No harm done.”

  “I’ll be happy to replace it.”

  “I don’t think that’s going to be possible.”

  “Is it a family heirloom or something?”

  “No. But I don’t think Kmart is giving these away anymore.”

  He looked at her quizzically. Damn, he probably didn’t even know what Kmart was. “It’s a chain of discount stores. Sometimes they give premiums, like glasses, or free boxes of detergents.”

  His mouth formed a thin line, and his face turned just the slightest shade of pink. “I’ve heard of Kmart.”

  “But you’ve never been to one, right?”

  “Snob,” he said.

  “Me?”

  He nodded. “Yeah, you. Now where’s the dustpan?”

  She walked to the utility closet and got out the broom. “You know, maybe it wouldn’t do you any harm to stop by our local Kmart tomorrow. It just might broaden your horizons.”

  She went to sweep up the glass, but he took the broom and dustpan from her hand. When he bent, she caught a glimpse of his back, the muscles bunching beneath his white shirt. Wow.

  “I’m not so terrible,” he said as he swept. “It’s not like I don’t know any poor people.”

  “Some of your best friends are poor, right?”

  He stood, and she pointed him to the trash. Once he’d dumped the mess, he turned to her again. “I like to think that I value people for who they are, not their gross income.”

  She took in a deep breath. “Okay, uncle. I’m not being fair, am I?”

&nb
sp; He shook his head. “Not all rich folks are slime. Some of us are even pretty decent.”

  “I know. I’m sorry.”

  “Okay then.”

  She could tell he wasn’t really upset, although she was. It wasn’t like her to stereotype people. But with Alex it was difficult. He just exemplified so much of what she’d learned to distrust and dislike. But she didn’t dislike him, did she? He was much nicer than she’d ever anticipated. Which didn’t mean she was going to let down her guard. Randy had been nice at first, too.

  She remembered the scent distance edict, and moved toward the open dishwasher. Alex had loaded the dishes in somewhat proper order, but he’d also put them in just as they’d come off the tables. He hadn’t rinsed them at all. There were even two napkins in the lower shelf. “Do many dishes at your place, Alex?”

  “Why? Did I do something wrong?”

  “Well, yes and no. You got everything in the right place, but you left the food on them.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “You have to rinse the dishes, first,” she said, turning on the water in the sink.

  “That doesn’t seem right. It’s a dishwasher. Why should you have to wash the dishes before you put them in?”

  “I don’t know why. I just know that this way, they won’t end up clean.”

  “Seems a waste of time.”

  “So much of life is.”

  “Is that another shot at me?”

  She turned to him as she started to unload the plates. “No. Just commentary. For someone like me, there’s a lot of little things to do. Make beds. Do laundry. Shop for food. Cook dinner. With the clinic, and with Chloe, it doesn’t leave much time for the rest of life.”

  “I could help. While I’m here, I mean.”

  She laughed. “I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think you’d make a very good maid.”

  “Hey, I’m a quick study. And I’m not helpless. As long as I’m here, I see no reason not to pitch in. I know this isn’t a hotel. I’d like to do my share.”

  Her first instinct was to say no. She couldn’t for the life of her imagine Alex Bradley doing a load of laundry. But she hesitated. Maybe the best thing for the Sexiest Man in the World to do was exactly that. He wanted real life? She’d give him real life.

  She turned to him and stuck out a wet hand. “Okay. I accept your offer.”

  He grasped her palm, and the jolt came back. Uh-oh. It wasn’t enough to keep scent distance apart. She must remember not to touch.

  “Just tell me what to do.”

  The doorbell rang then. “Let Mimi in for starters,” she said.

  Alex nodded, but he didn’t drop her hand just yet. He held it gently. Carefully. Then she felt his thumb move over her skin. It was a delicate move, almost imperceptible. Yet she felt herself go all goose bumps.

  She pulled away. Funny, though. It didn’t help much. She could still feel his touch even as he walked out of the room.

  Chapter Five

  Alex closed the door behind Dani, and walked with her down the path to the sidewalk. The night air felt great. Just chilly enough for the light jackets they both wore. Dani walked a little ahead of him, and he took a moment to appreciate the fact that her black jacket came only to her waist, leaving her very inviting denim-clad derrière uncovered. While he wasn’t ordinarily a butt man, he realized she might be able to swing the vote.

  Instead of heading to her car, she led him down the sidewalk. He joined her quickly and soon they were striding next to each other on the well-lit street. His hands were in his pockets, as were hers. They were just far enough apart so that a random brush of the shoulder was unlikely.

  He thought about moving closer to her, but he didn’t. His reactions to this virtual stranger were strong. Strong enough to make him concerned. He didn’t like the feeling that he wasn’t completely in control of his emotions. One thing Alex had learned from his father: It’s a fool who lets his gonads do his thinking for him.

  But damn; his gonads felt awfully determined this time. Lust was something he respected, and when appropriate, he liked to respond. With Dani, it wasn’t appropriate. End of story. Best to concentrate on his surroundings, and get his mind away from thoughts of derrières and gonads.

  “So you’ve always lived here, have you?” he said, hoping his impromptu opening line didn’t sound as lame to her as it did to him.

  “Yes.”

  They continued walking. Silently. The street itself held little out of the ordinary. Just a quiet block of family homes. Some folks had left the drapes open so he could see tiny snippets of domestic life as they walked by. A family of five at dinner. “Wheel of Fortune” playing on a couple of TVs. Some kid practicing the piano. It was ordinary, all right, and completely unfamiliar to him. He’d never spent any time in suburbia. The homes he visited usually had long driveways, butlers or maids to open the doors. Foyers big enough to fit two cars comfortably. He was a stranger here. As out of place as a bug on a cream puff. Yet he found himself interested in this world of Dani’s.

  “Have any desire to live anywhere else?” he said. This time, the question wasn’t just intended to break the silence. He wanted to know what it was about this town that kept her here. That made her work so hard to succeed in it.

  “Not really,” she said. “This is my home. It’s got its problems, but basically it’s a good place to live. A good place for Chloe.”

  “They have special programs for her?”

  “Yes, Mr. Bradley. Even here in Mayberry we’ve heard of accelerated programs for exceptional children.”

  “I got that, you know. Mayberry. Andy Griffith. Opie. Aunt Bea.”

  She slowed and looked up at him. The angle was just perfect, too. Her face was lit by a street lamp, the color of a soft tan. Her skin seemed to glow. Her teeth, when she smiled, were as white as new snow.

  “Very good. I’m surprised they let you watch what the common folks watched.”

  “Tell me something, Dani. Did a gang of rich people come and beat you up when you were a kid? Steal your dog? Take away the homestead?”

  She coughed, and looked away. She started walking again, more quickly this time.

  “Uh-uh,” he said, reaching out and grabbing her by the arm. She stopped, but she didn’t turn to him.

  “Come on, Doc. Tell me why you hate my kind so much. I’m a big boy. I can take it.”

  “I don’t hate your kind,” she said, but she didn’t try to break free of his hold.

  “So it’s me personally? Right? I said something wrong? I wore the wrong shoes?”

  She didn’t move for a long while. He wasn’t sure what she was looking at, only that she wasn’t looking at him. He wanted to prod her into her explanation, but he forced himself to wait. He didn’t want a smart-ass answer. He wanted the truth.

  Finally she did look at him again. He let her arm go, knowing she wasn’t going to run away.

  “I’m sorry. I’ve really been out of line. It’s not you. It has nothing to do with you.”

  “Who then?”

  “Someone I used to like very much.”

  “He was rich, I assume?”

  She smiled in a way that made him clench his teeth. “No, but he wanted to be. Very, very badly.”

  He waited a moment to see if she was going to say more, and when she didn’t, he began to walk again. He didn’t even look back to see if she followed, but in a few steps he felt her next to him.

  It wasn’t easy to keep his questions to himself, but he wasn’t going to press. He wasn’t even sure why he wanted to. But for some reason, he was upset by her very small revelation, and found himself wanting to fix it.

  “I’ll bet it’s made your life pretty easy,” she said quietly, as they crossed the street that bordered the commercial section of town. There were other people walking now, strolling, as they were. Funny to see no cars moving, and folks out and about. It happened in Los Angeles, of course. People still did use their legs on occasion, but the feel was
different here. The pace was what he wasn’t used to. The folks he saw might be headed somewhere specific, but then again, they might not.

  “Some things were easier, I guess,” he said. “But I think it’s all relative. There were expectations, demands. My choices were pretty limited.”

  “Limited? I would think the world would be at your feet.”

  He shook his head. “Only in the sense that I could get from here to there. No, I knew who and what I was supposed to be from the moment I was born. Everything was geared in that direction. My education, my friends, my social life.”

  “What, you’re going to tell me that you really wanted to be a circus clown or something?”

  He laughed. “No. It didn’t work that way. I just did what I was supposed to, and made myself want it.”

  They passed a brightly lit ice-cream parlor where an older couple sat at a small table sipping sodas. Alex saw that they were holding hands under the table. It was almost too much. Too Stepfon. But then he saw, right in back of the old couple, a little kid pull a wad of gum from underneath a table and stick it in his sister’s hair. As they reached the post office next door, he heard the wail of the girl, who’d clearly discovered the bit of mischief.

  “Do you still want it?” Dani asked.

  “Yes,” he said, quickly. “Well, a lot of it. Things have changed in the last couple of years, though.”

  “Like what?”

  He saw her office just down the block. He was anxious to see Pete. The old pooch usually slept in his bedroom, and he was probably wondering what the heck was going on. “I’ve met the expectations,” he said. “And I guess I’m just wondering what’s next.”

  “What new mountain to climb?”

  “Something like that. Maybe wondering if I want to climb at all. That’s why I’m out here. I’ve never driven cross-country before. Never felt I had the time. I think that’s the thing money really does for you, if you let it.”

  “What?”

  “Give you some time.”

  They were at the clinic, and Dani brought out her key to open the door. Once they were inside the dark office, he heard the sounds of the pets in the back. A little yappy dog set the pace, and then a couple of other, bigger dogs joined in. He didn’t hear Pete, though.