Father by Choice

by Amanda Berry

  As he was getting ready to knock, the door swung open.

  “Brady.” Sam moved out of the way to let him through.

  So many emotions played through Brady’s mind. Guilt, hurt, past resentment. Nothing compared to the anger for keeping Brady’s daughter a secret.

  “Sam.” Brady rolled his suitcase into the dining room and shrugged off his laptop bag. Nothing had changed in the house. Sam had kept it exactly as Mom had left it. Everything had aged, though. What was once a cream-colored paint had yellowed. From here he could see that the kitchen vinyl was worn from years of boots treading across its surface. The place was clean but far from spotless.

  “I made up your bed.” Sam moved farther into the house, going through the doorway that led to the kitchen.

  Brady closed his eyes and took a deep breath. It was as if he had only been gone for the school year and not eight years. He should have decked Sam when he answered the door, but nothing would come from a confrontation. Sam wasn’t going to change.

  From the kitchen came the sounds of a chair rubbing against the floor and a newspaper rustling. If Brady weren’t emotionally drained from meeting Amber and dealing with Maggie, he might have gone in there and started in on Sam for his lies. Instead, Brady lifted his suitcase and climbed the stairs to his old room. The doorknob was still loose in the casing and made a metallic rattle when he opened it.

  Exactly as he left it with the exception of the quilt. Brady had taken the quilt his mother had made for him when he left. Even though he’d felt compelled to leave everything behind and start a new life, he couldn’t let go of such a simple thing as a blanket.

  The double bed barely fit in the small room and left little room for the dresser. When he was fourteen, Mom had found the old bed frame at an auction.

  As always, if Mom had wanted something done, the three of them would move heaven and earth for her. They’d managed to get the bed up the narrow stairs with a few bruises and a lot of cussing. Brady ran his hand over the smooth wood footboard. Now he barely spoke to his brothers. Luke kept in touch when he could. He had always been the mediator between Brady and Sam. But their lives were all so different and without Mom and Dad to draw them together...

  Pushing the thoughts from his head, he quickly unpacked his suitcase and tucked it away under the bed. He hadn’t worked at all today but since it was Sunday, it probably didn’t matter.

  He would have to find somewhere else to work. Sam had to have a computer hidden somewhere in this house, which meant there might be a decent desk and chair for him to work on.

  Shouldering his laptop bag, Brady made his way downstairs. Anywhere he went in town, he would run into people from his past and his parents’ past. Interruptions would eat into his work time.

  He walked through the farmhouse, trying to ignore the memories floating on the edge of his mind and to concentrate on finding somewhere to work. The main difference in the living room was the fancy flat-screen TV and stereo components. Gone was the old tube TV console and rabbit ears. Their father had always complained that if you had time to sit, you had time to work. There were always chores to be done.

  Obviously, Sam didn’t feel the same way.

  The little room had a meager office with an old dial-up modem hooked to the modern computer. Brady wondered if he could even get a signal for his wireless router this far down in the valley.

  The metal folding chair and particle-board desk wouldn’t be ideal for working long hours. Back in the dining room, Brady set his laptop on the table and stretched out his shoulders. He could hear the rustle of a newspaper from the kitchen.

  If he told Sam off for keeping Amber from him, what good would it do? Sam had never listened to anyone but their father. In his mind, Sam had probably justified it with some bullshit he’d decided on when Brady had left.

  No. Sam was one demon Brady wasn’t ready to face yet. And given the silence from the kitchen, Sam wasn’t ready, either. Maybe they never would be. Two weeks and Brady would be gone again. Nothing was going to change that. And nothing would change between them.

  Chapter Nine

  Maggie sat at her desk working on some bills for the furniture store while Amber did her homework at the kitchen table. Brady had brought in his laptop and sat next to Amber. Two minutes later, he’d answered a call on his cell phone and wandered out to the front porch.

  “Alex Conrad puked in the hallway today. It was so gross.” Amber tipped back in her chair to look around the door frame at Maggie.

  “That sounds unpleasant. All four on the floor.” Referring to the chair legs. Maggie looked at her watch again. Brady had been outside for the past thirty minutes. She’d begun to like the guy yesterday. He’d been attentive and helpful in the airport and the car ride to Tawnee Valley. He’d focused on Amber, answering her nonstop questions like a pro. Just when she thought he was going to give it a real go and leave the workaholic in New York, the New York Brady had shown up at her door jonesing for an internet connection.

  She’d wanted to ask how it went with Sam, but he hadn’t spared her more than a couple of sentences since he’d arrived.

  “There were chunks—”

  “That’s enough, Amber Marie. Get back to your homework.” Maggie finished the last check and started putting things away. “Maybe after homework and dinner, we can go get some ice cream.”

  “Yay!” Amber bent her head over the page of math problems.

  Maggie carried the stamped envelopes out the front door. Brady stood on the far end of the porch, gesturing while he spoke intensely on the phone.

  She walked to the mailbox and dropped the bills in. At least he was passionate about his work. What would it be like if he were that passionate about Amber? Would he even give a second thought to the phone when it rang? Would it have been better if Maggie had left it alone? If he’d never found out about Amber? It’s not as if he would visit Sam and accidentally run into Amber and her. Besides, half the town thought Amber was Sam’s. The other half thought she was Luke’s.

  “Don’t let Peterson take over, Jules.” Brady turned, and Maggie could feel his frustration like a heat wave. “We’ve worked too hard to let him step in and take the credit.”

  Maggie perched on the porch railing and crossed her arms, waiting for him to be finished with his conversation. She had a thing or two to talk to him about.

  “Tell him no.” Brady lifted his gaze.

  Her body buzzed with energy as he met her eyes. Irritating attraction. It kept popping up when all she wanted to be was mad. He held up one finger to indicate one minute. She resisted the urge to hold up a different finger with a very different meaning.

  “Fine. Tell him we’re dating and that’s the reason you guys can’t go out.”

  Maggie’s heart sank like a lead balloon crashing into her gut. Dating? It made sense. The Brady she’d known had rarely been without a girlfriend in school. He was smart, sexy and a good guy. She never would have guessed the Brady she’d known would be a cheater, but New York Brady was someone entirely different. If she hadn’t stopped them, they would have had sex in New York. Thank goodness she’d come to her senses. He’d changed, and she had to remember that.

  A different rant was forming in her head, but he wasn’t here for Maggie. He was here for Amber. And right now, he was sucking at it.

  “It’ll be okay. Run the preliminary numbers again and cross-reference the new numbers. Email me the spreadsheet and I’ll see what I can do.”

  Maggie shored up her defensive wall as she prepared to launch her attack. The bubble of heat welling within had nothing to do with the fact that he was a two-timing— She stopped her thoughts and drew in a breath. For Amber.

  Brady hit a button on his phone and walked toward her.

  When he stopped within touching distance, he looked worried. “Is something wrong?”

  “Yes.” She swallowed the hurt of finding out he was dating someone as hoity-toity as he was, and the fact her crush on him wasn’t affected
by that fact. Mother first. “Amber is expecting you to pay attention to her. I’m expecting you to put away the phone for the few hours you get to spend with her.”

  The worry fell off Brady’s face. A little anger crept into its place. “This isn’t exactly a cakewalk for me. I didn’t ask for any of this and it isn’t the best time to be away from the office. I have people relying on me.”

  Like Jules? The words pressed on her tongue to get out, but she clamped her lips shut.

  “I promised I would get to know Amber, and I will.” The muscle in his jaw ticked.

  “Fine, but no more phone calls. You have all day to take them—you don’t need to take them here.” She kept her head up and ignored the heat his body stirred in her.

  “I can’t control when other people need to consult with me.” He took a step forward. “That was part of the deal, too. I need to work while I’m here.”

  “While in Tawnee Valley, yes, but while at my house with my daughter, no.” Maggie’s heart stuttered against her chest. She hadn’t spent the past eight years being brave to crumple under pressure now. She pulled her shoulders back and met his gaze with an uncompromising one.

  Eight years ago she would have backed down. So in love with the idea of Brady Ward that she would have done anything he asked of her. But that girl had grown up and could face down anything and anybody. Having a baby out of wedlock wasn’t as big a deal now, but with a small town, it hadn’t been a cakewalk, as Brady put it.

  She could almost feel the battle that waged between them. Will against will. She had the advantage. She had the power to stop him from seeing their daughter. His jaw was tight and he looked as if he was about to say something they might both regret.

  She tipped her chin up another notch. “Promises or not. She is my daughter.”

  “She is our daughter.” He straightened more, towering over her and inside she crumpled a little, but on the outside she remained a rock. “If I have to get a court-ordered DNA sample, I will. But since you don’t deny that she is mine, it shouldn’t come to that. As long as you don’t make unreasonable demands of me, I won’t make unreasonable demands of you.”

  She bristled. “I didn’t have to tell you about her.”

  “But you did.”

  They stood close enough to touch, but neither of them moved an inch. Neither willing to retreat. She wouldn’t give on this one. “If you want to work, stay at the farm.”

  “Fine.” The soft-spoken word caught her off guard.

  “What?” Was Brady Ward giving in to her demands? Her confusion made her anger dissipate.

  “I’m not going to fight you on this.” Brady reached out and took her hand. His whole demeanor changed. The hard businessman shut down and the country boy reemerged. The charmer she’d been half in love with. “I’m here for a short time. If I can’t be here one hundred percent for Amber, I’ll stay out at the farm. Just don’t lose faith in me yet.”

  Her pulse raced as he lightly held her hand in his. She hadn’t won the war, but she’d won this battle. Giddiness filled her. The warmth of his touch caused her breathing to become uneven. The steel look had left his blue eyes until they became warm and she felt herself softening. Swaying ever so much closer.

  He has a girlfriend! Her mind had to shout to remind her. Reluctantly, she took her hand back, resisting the urge to rub the tingles away. Just another reason to keep her distance. It would help her remember that Brady was here only for Amber.

  She nodded, not trusting her voice. Fortunately, Amber came rushing out the door at that moment, keeping both of them from making a fool out of her.

  * * *

  As they stood in line at the ice cream shop after dinner, Brady couldn’t understand why Maggie was still angry. Amber had kept up the conversation during dinner, but Maggie had been visibly upset. When Amber had asked Maggie if she was okay, Maggie had claimed to have a headache. But she’d given him a glance that made him believe he was the headache.

  He had business to do. It wasn’t as if he could take off two weeks and not do his work, regardless of what his boss thought. And with the limitations of the internet out at the farm, he could only do so much there. But she didn’t seem to understand that.

  Besides, Amber had been busy with homework. It wasn’t as though she needed his constant attention. Did Maggie expect him to help Amber with her homework? Because from what he’d seen so far, she didn’t need it.

  “I want the mint chocolate chip in a waffle cone with chocolate sprinkles and chocolate sauce.” Amber bubbled over with excitement as she pointed her fingers against the cold glass.

  “Keep your hands off the glass, please.” Maggie avoided looking at Brady.

  If that’s the way she wanted it, fine with him. He would figure out how to bridge this gap between them eventually. Her eyes had softened after he’d given in and her lips had parted slightly. Temptation in the flesh. And then she’d gone cold and rigid. Obviously, even if she desired him, she didn’t want to. Maybe he was reading her wrong. But he hadn’t read her wrong in New York. She’d been as into him as he’d been into her. He mentally shook his head as he pulled out a twenty and handed it to the cashier before Maggie had a chance to dig in her purse.

  That got a glare out of her, but he just smiled.

  Right now he had to focus on getting to know Amber in the time he had left. As much as he desired Maggie, she needed someone who would be there for her. He wasn’t ready for a full-time family.

  An elderly man in ripped khakis and a plaid shirt sidled up next to Brady. “You know it’s rude to not say hello to your elders.”

  Brady looked over and recognized Paul Morgan, a friend of his dad’s. “When I see an elder, I’ll be sure to say hi.”

  Paul took Brady’s offered hand in a hearty handshake. Paul chuckled and gestured toward Amber and Maggie getting the ice cream they’d chosen.

  “Good family you got there.”

  Brady hesitated. He almost said they’re not mine, but that wasn’t exactly true. Amber was his daughter, but Maggie wasn’t his wife or his in any way. And at the rate they were going, they wouldn’t even be friends by the end of the week.

  Brady nodded, not knowing what else to do.

  “You been over to see Sam?” Paul asked.

  Brady looked at his feet before returning Paul’s gaze. How much did he know about the blowup between the brothers? “I’m staying out at the old farm.”

  “Good that you two let bygones go. Sam’s done a great job tending the farm. His livestock is the best in the county. And the way he took over raising you and Luke, that shows real courage. Shame your parents aren’t around to see how well you boys grew up.”

  Even as the familiar burn of jealousy engulfed him from all the praise for Sam, Brady couldn’t help but think of how disappointed his parents would be that he and his brothers weren’t close like when they were young. His mother had always mended the fences between him and Sam when they fought, but she wasn’t here now. Brady wasn’t sure their relationship could be mended after what Sam did to Maggie.

  “Looks like I should get back to...” Brady gestured to Maggie and Amber, not knowing what to call them. “It was good seeing you.”

  “You should stop for a visit while you’re in town,” Paul said.

  Brady shook Paul’s hand before heading over to the table Maggie and Amber had found.

  Paul had a neighboring farm to the Wards’. Brady hadn’t even asked how Paul’s wife was doing. Or his farm or crops. Mom would have scolded him for not showing common courtesy.

  “Don’t you want ice cream?” Amber’s nose was coated with a skim layer of green ice cream. She looked at him with those adoring eyes and he melted inside. He did have one thing Sam didn’t.

  He patted his stomach as he sat. “I’m stuffed from that dinner your mom prepared. She must be the best cook in the tri-county area.”

  He glanced over at Maggie, but she didn’t seem amused by his declaration.

  He missed he
r smiles. And their absence made him try even harder to get one. Apparently, it was going to take more than complimenting her cooking.

  “How was school today?” Brady asked.

  “Alex puked all over the hallway. It was disgusting.” Amber drew out the last word and made the requisite face to go along with it.

  “That’s what you remember from school?” Brady shook his head and tried to keep a straight face. He’d been expecting something about the math homework she’d had or the spelling test she’d mentioned earlier. Not some kid puking in the hall.

  She took a bite of her cone. “It was the most exciting thing that happened all day. It almost splattered all over Jessica and Maddy. Everyone jumped out of the way while the janitor went and got kitty litter.”

  Brady smiled. “I suppose that would be exciting.”

  Amber continued to eat her green ice cream as if they’d been discussing art rather than vomit. From what Brady remembered of grade school, it probably would have been the highlight of his day, too.

  He turned to Maggie to see how she was reacting. “How was your day today?”

  Maybe she would answer a direct question.

  “Fine.” Maggie kept her gaze out the window past him.

  “Anyone puke?” Brady winked at Amber, who giggled.

  “Nope.”

  Nothing. He sighed internally. As he scanned the ice cream shop, people had a familiar look about them. But he’d been away for so long, he couldn’t tell who they were.

  He’d almost forgotten what it was like to be in a small town. To be recognized by who your parents were, where you’d gone to school and even whose pigtail you’d pulled when you were seven, and not by what you’d accomplished since then.

  The other people in the ice cream store pretended not to be looking at them, but Brady wasn’t fooled. They knew he was Brady Ward and he was with Maggie Brown and her daughter. If people hadn’t put two and two together before, their being together would leave little doubt.

  It bothered him that people would see that Maggie wasn’t talking to him.