The Daddy Project

by Lee McKenzie

  “No problem. Gemmy’s good with other dogs.”

  Jenna closed the door, and Kristi set the bag on the floor and unzipped it. A small, shaggy head emerged, followed by what just might be the scrawniest excuse for a dog Nate had ever seen. And it was wearing clothes. He fought a brief battle with his arching eyebrows, and lost.

  Martha let go of his leg and crouched on the floor. “Look, Gemmy. A puppy.”

  The poor little thing started to shiver.

  Jenna knelt next to Martha and picked up the little dog. “He’s not a puppy. This is as big as he’ll get.”

  “He’s wearing a sweather,” Molly said.

  “It’s a polo shirt,” Jenna said.

  “I yike him.” Martha gently stroked the top of his head. “Daddy, can we get a dog yike this?”

  “You just said you want a kitten.” Not that he had any intention of getting one. Or another dog for that matter, not even a rat-size one.

  “Daddy, can we get clothes for Gemmy?” Molly asked.

  “Dogs don’t—” He cut himself off before he blurted out that dogs don’t need clothes. “Dogs like Gemmy have lots of fur to keep them warm. If she needs a shirt, I guess she can wear one of mine.”

  The twins giggled.

  Gemmy, who had been staring at the newcomer as though not sure what to make of him, took a step closer, lowered her snout and gave him a sniff. Nate grabbed a towel off the closet doorknob and wiped the drool from her jowls.

  Kristi watched the dogs’ tentative nose-to-nose greeting, then smiled up at him. “It’ll take Hercules a while to get used to a new dog and different surroundings. Jenna can keep him in the carrier.”

  The Yorkie let out a single sharp bark.

  Gemmy’s ears perked up and she backed away. Nate laughed at the Saint’s reaction to the yipping, quivering Yorkie, who didn’t amount to much more than a large dust bunny. He grasped her collar and tugged.

  “Come on in,” he said to Jenna. “I’ll show you where everything is and give you a rundown of the girls’ routine.”

  They all trooped into the family room.

  “You have a tent in here,” Jenna said to the twins. “Cool.”

  “That’s where we sleep.”

  “’Cause your mom took everything out of our room.”

  Kristi tweaked their pigtails. “Just until it’s painted. Then you can move back in.”

  “Green,” the girls chorused.

  Molly held up the flap. “Come in and see. We got sleeping bags.”

  “And pillows and teddy bears.”

  “You can sleep here, too, if you want.”

  Jenna thanked them and admired the interior of the tent, agreeing that it looked very cozy.

  With the girls and Gemmy settled in the family room and Kristi chatting with them about Hercules and asking about the television show they were watching, he showed Jenna the list of numbers he’d made for her. His cell phone, his parents’ home phone number, Britt’s cell number. He had briefly considered adding his in-laws, but decided not to. Not that he anticipated an emergency, but if something came up, he didn’t want to explain why he hadn’t asked them to look after the girls, and why he had a date with his interior decorator.

  Jenna pulled a cell phone from her pocket. “I’ll put the numbers in here. I have my mom’s, too.”

  He watched Kristi’s daughter carefully program the contacts into her phone. “There,” she said. “If anything comes up, I just have to push a button.”

  Kristi got up off the sofa and joined them. “Ready to go?”

  Jenna studied him like an amoeba under a microscope, then shifted her examination to her mother. “This is so weird.”

  “What is?”

  “You…going on a date.”

  “It’s not a date,” he and Kristi said in perfect unison, their gazes locking briefly before they both looked away.

  Jenna rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I know. You’re just friends. Yada, yada. And it only took you an hour to get ready.”

  Kristi flushed. He understood why she’d be embarrassed, but it was an hour well spent. Kristi looked beautiful with her glossy blond hair curling in loose waves around her shoulders, the stunning green dress hugging her body and showing off those amazing legs. Until now he hadn’t noticed her shoes, strappy white heels that matched the small white handbag she was carrying and the shawl draped over her arm. He was glad she hadn’t changed perfumes. This one was so her, and he liked it.

  His family would approve of her, too, as long as they didn’t find out they were being duped. He needed to make sure that didn’t happen, but for tonight, he was actually looking forward to being in the company of a woman—a very beautiful woman—who was no more interested in being in a relationship than he was. He could even overlook the fact that she thought he was a deadbeat.

  “Where are you going, Daddy?”

  “To your aunt Britt’s b—” Geez, he’d almost blurted out birthday party. He’d never hear the end of it.

  Jenna saved him. “They’re going to some boring grown-up thing.” She held up a bag. “I brought a DVD for us to watch—The Parent Trap—it’s about twins. And some books I thought you might like, and some microwave popcorn. I hope that’s okay?”

  Molly grabbed for the bag and even Martha let go of her thumb. “We yike popcorn!”

  “Popcorn is fine,” he said. “Just be sure to brush your teeth before bed, okay?”

  Molly climbed onto a stool at the counter, chattering nonstop while Jenna pressed buttons on the microwave. Martha curled up on the sofa with Hercules, who had retreated into his carrier.

  “Good night.” He planted a kiss on top of Molly’s head.

  “G’night, Daddy. We’re making the popcorn right now so we can eat it as soon as the movie starts.”

  “Good idea.” He lowered himself to the sofa and gave one of Martha’s pigtails a gentle tug. “Good night.”

  She was peering through the mesh window of the pet carrier. “Can we get a dog yike Herca— Herca—”

  “Hercules.” It was good to see Martha with both hands occupied and her thumb out of her mouth for a change.

  “Except I wanna girl dog with a purple dress.”

  Oh, geez. “I have to go, sweetie. Kristi and I don’t want to be late. We’ll talk about this later, okay?”

  They did not need another dog. Or more laundry. “Good night, girls. Have fun and be good for Jenna,” he said. “For tonight, it’s okay for them to stay up till the movie’s over.” They’d most likely be asleep before then anyway.

  “Yay!” the twins chimed.

  “Have fun on your ‘this-is-not-a-date’ date.” She gave her mother a saucy little wink.

  “Teenagers,” Kristi said, walking with him to the front door. “See what you have to look forward to?”

  “Times two.” He hadn’t spent any time around teenage girls since he’d been a teenager, and that didn’t count. “She seems very grown-up. How old did you say she is?”

  “Fourteen. Most days. She still has moments when she acts like a ten-year-old but the rest of the time she’s fourteen going on twenty-one.”

  He reached for the doorknob and hesitated, glancing back to the family room for one last look.

  “She’s great with little kids. You don’t have anything to worry about.”

  “Good to know.” He picked up a bouquet of flowers off the table in the foyer. “For my sister,” he explained.

  “Ooo, those are pretty. D
o you think I should have brought something for her?”

  “Not at all. These will be from both of us.”

  He held the door open for her, followed her out and locked up behind them.

  “If you like, we can take my van.”

  “I thought we’d take my old Beetle. I don’t get to drive it very often because it doesn’t have anchors for the girls’ car seats, but it could use a run. Do you mind?”

  “Not at all. Jenna was really excited when she saw it in your driveway. She said it’s the kind of car she wants to buy when she’s old enough to get her license. I didn’t want to burst her bubble by telling her there’s no way we can afford another car.”

  He opened the passenger door for her. “It’s a nice night. We can even put the top down if you don’t mind a little wind in your hair.”

  “Ordinarily I would say top down for sure, but since we’re going to a party and I’ll be meeting your family, I should probably arrive looking presentable.”

  “Good point.” He circled to the driver’s side and got in, thinking it would take more than a little breeze to ruin her appearance.

  “It is a cute car. How long have you had it?”

  He started the engine. “Since I graduated from high school. My aunt bought a new car, couldn’t get much for this in a trade-in, so she passed it on to me.”

  “That was lucky.”

  He backed out of the driveway. “I didn’t think so at the time. I had my eye on a Pontiac Firebird.”

  Kristi gave him a long look. “I’m having a hard time picturing a university professor and a dad driving a car like that.”

  “I did mention that I had just graduated from high school, didn’t I? I wasn’t looking for safe or sensible or economical.”

  “Let me guess. You thought a Firebird would be a chick magnet.”

  “Yeah, well, in the head of a teenage boy, it doesn’t sound so tacky.”

  “Oh, I know how it is for teenage boys.”

  It was his turn to look at her. “You know someone who has one?”

  She looked away. “I did. Jenna’s dad.”

  Okay. He hadn’t thought about it until now, but Kristi couldn’t be much over thirty and her daughter was fourteen. That meant she was just a teenager herself when she became a parent. For some reason, that got him thinking about the condom she’d had in her bag the day they met. He shouldn’t put condoms and Kristi into the same thought. Still, he gave the little white purse on her lap a quick glance, and for one fleeting moment he wondered what was in it.

  * * *

  NATE’S PARENTS LIVED in a stately two-story brick house, built in the forties, Kristi guessed, on a spacious lot with a sweeping front drive. The lawn was immaculate, the shrubs sculpted and the flower beds carefully tended.

  “What a lovely home,” she said as Nate pulled up and parked. “And such a gorgeous garden.”

  “All thanks to my mother. She’s the green thumb in the family.”

  “So that’s where you get your interest in plants?”

  “I’m afraid not. I started university with the idea of becoming a veterinarian, but the botany component of one of my biology courses changed all of that. I’m interested in the science of plants, though. That doesn’t necessarily translate to the garden.”

  Considering the state of Nate’s yard, that explained a lot.

  “Wait here,” Nate said. He stepped out of the car and quickly came around to open her door. He took the flowers she was holding and extended a hand to help her out.

  She didn’t mind opening doors for herself, but it was nice to be given some special treatment every now and then. Even nicer that he was such a gentleman, and that he seemed to do these little things without thinking about them.

  She teetered slightly when her heels hit the pavement, making her regret she’d opted for these shoes instead of the flats. Nate held her hand till she regained her balance, then she looked into his eyes and nearly lost her composure.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  Not even a little bit.

  He held her hand all the way up to the front door, probably in case someone was watching from inside, she told herself. With that thought, her nerves nearly got the best of her. She was going to meet his family, a family who thought she and Nate were dating, maybe even believed there was more to their relationship than that.

  “I just have one question before we go in,” she said.

  “What’s that?”

  “How well do your parents think we know each other?”

  He grinned down at her. “I don’t know. Whatever they think, they didn’t hear it from me.”

  “I didn’t mean that. I just wondered if you told them how long we’ve been seeing each other. Supposedly seeing each other.”

  “I didn’t say.”

  “What if someone asks? What if they want to know how we met?” She hadn’t thought of that until now. “What do we tell them?”

  “Why don’t we go with the truth? I hired your company to sell my house, the two of us hit it off. Easier to keep our stories straight that way.”

  He was right, of course. No sense making this more complicated than it needed to be. “That’s a good idea.”

  He squeezed her hand. “My mother actually throws a pretty good party. Let’s just relax and enjoy ourselves.” And then he opened the front door without ringing the bell and led her inside.

  The entryway was small but elegantly decorated with a mosaic tile floor, a walnut console table and an antique mirror flanked by wall sconces. Kristi hardly had a chance to take in her surroundings before a petite brunette in a formfitting, retro-inspired red wiggle dress threw her arms around Nate’s neck. It was a stunning dress, one Kristi was sure she could never afford, but definitely something she could replicate on her sewing machine.

  “You’re here! Oh, are these flowers for me? They’re beautiful!”

  Nate hugged her back and relinquished the flowers. “Happy birthday, sis. I hope you weren’t expecting anything extravagant.”

  “From you?” she asked, laughing. “Never. Hi, you must be Kristi. I’m Nate’s sister, Britt. The birthday girl. Happy to finally meet you. I’ve heard so much about you.”

  Kristi shot Nate a look. “You have?”

  He took her hand, squeezed it again reassuringly. “Don’t listen to her. She’s just messing with me.”

  “I am,” she said, a hint of mischief in her blue eyes. “He’s been keeping us in the dark about you. That’s brothers for you, but now that you’re here I can’t wait to get to know you. Come on, I’ll introduce you to our parents.” She passed the flowers back to Nate. “Be a sweetie and take these into the kitchen for me? And get Kristi something to drink. What would you like? A martini? Cosmopolitan? Wine? There’s also mineral water if you prefer something nonalcoholic.”

  Feeling a little breathless just listening to her, Kristi glanced over her shoulder at Nate as his sister hurried her toward the sound of conversation and laughter in the living room. “A glass of white wine would be nice.”

  “I’ll catch up with you.” He disappeared, leaving Kristi to fend for herself.

  “Mom!” Britt was waving across the sea of people who filled the living room. “Nate and Kristi are here.”

  They wound their way between groups of people and met in the middle of the room.

  “Mom, this is Nate’s girlfriend. Kristi, my mom, Helen McTavish.”

  Kristi extended her hand an
d found herself in a warm embrace instead.

  “Hello, dear. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you.” Helen McTavish had passed along her short stature to her daughter, and her captivating smile and blue, blue eyes to both of her children. She wore an expensive-looking navy pantsuit with a coral blouse that complemented her coloring. “What a beautiful dress you’re wearing. That color is perfect for you.”

  “Oh, thank you.”

  “I love it, too,” Britt said. “Where did you get it?”

  “I made it myself, actually.”

  “You sewed that?” Britt eyed her dress with renewed interest. “Okay, now I am seriously impressed, and more than a little jealous.”

  Hoping this was a sign she was making a good impression, Kristi decided not to tell them she’d whipped it up last night after going through her closet and deciding none of her options were quite right for this occasion.

  The doorbell chimed. “I’ll get that,” Britt said. “Be right back.”

  “You’re very talented,” Helen said. “That son of mine has excellent taste.”

  Flustered by the attention, Kristi decided it was time to change the subject. “I was admiring your front garden when we arrived. Nate tells me you’re an avid gardener.”

  “How sweet of you to notice.”

  Before she could respond, Nate appeared at her side with a glass in each hand. He gave her the white wine she’d requested, then slid that hand around her waist as casually as if he’d done it a dozen times. Then he touched the rim of his beer glass to her wine goblet.

  “I see you’ve met my mother.”

  Helen offered her cheek and he bent down and gave it a kiss.

  “You look beautiful, Mom.”

  “Thank you, dear. Kristi was telling me how much she likes our front yard.” Helen was still beaming. “Are you a gardener, too?” she asked.

  “I try to grow a few things in planters on my patio, but I’m afraid I don’t know much about plants.”

  “That’s okay. Neither does Nate.” She laughed at her own joke.