plopped down in her chair.
“Me, too,” Steffi agreed.
Annie just smiled at Jennifer.
“Aren’t you hungry, too, Annie?” Jennifer asked.
Annie nodded.
After everyone was served, Missy said, “I think there’s enough left over for Daddy. Do you want me to go see if he’s hungry, too?”
“No, Missy, I do not!” Jennifer exclaimed before she calmed herself. “Nick is not your daddy. And he does not have to take every meal with us. He has his own kitchen.”
“But—” Missy began.
“Eat your lunch, Missy!”
Diane waited until she thought the girls were occupied before she asked softly, “What does Nick do for a living?”
“He’s a teacher.”
“And he can afford that apartment on a teacher’s salary? They must be getting more than I thought.”
“He’s getting it at Grace’s rate, which is affordable for anyone. When the lease expires in eleven months, I imagine he’ll be moving out.”
“Oh, I see. Where does he teach?”
“I don’t think he’s gotten a job here yet. He moved here from Lubbock, I believe he said.”
“That’s a long way to move without having a job lined up.”
“Yes, it is, but I’m sure he’ll find something.” She refused to worry about Nick Barry. He was a grown man, not some little boy that needed to hang on to her hand.
“Um, why does Missy think—”
Diane’s cautious question caught Jennifer’s attention. “She seems to think that there’s a daddy in every family. Since we didn’t have one, she thought she’d snag the first man she found. It was Nick. She wrapped herself around his leg and screamed that she’d found the daddy.”
Diane stared at her before bursting into giggles. “And he still speaks to you?”
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Jennifer let a smile play about her lips as she remembered the night she first met Nick. “He not only speaks to me, he seems to be involved in this family all the time. He even watched a movie with us last night after I accused him of not being Grace’s nephew.”
She didn’t need to verbalize all his good qualities to realize Nick was quite a man. She’d come to that conclusion a few hours ago. He was kind and considerate, easygoing and attentive. And he had a great sense of humor. Come to think of it, all the attributes she wanted in a man.
But she didn’t want a man. Not now. Her life was the girls and being their mother. There was simply no room left for a man. No matter how amazing he was.
“Maybe he’s just lonesome,” Diane said softly.
“Maybe you should ask him out,” Jennifer suggested. She did her best to ignore the protest that rose in her throat.
Chapter Five
Several days passed without any contact between Nick and the little family next door. He listened for them going in and out, but he heard nothing.
The only thing to break the monotony of his days was Diane knocking on his door one evening, offering to show him a restaurant or two in the area, if he liked to eat out in the evenings.
Diane seemed very nice and very smart and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so they went out that night to a nice barbecue place that he enjoyed. He tried to make conversation with her, but mostly he asked questions about Jennifer. Unfortunately Diane wasn’t forthcoming.
They parted company at the bottom of the stairs, but there was nothing romantic there. Not like with Jennifer. He hadn’t been able to get her out of his head all evening. For days.
Was he crazy? The woman was telling him no as many ways as she could. But he couldn’t keep histhoughts away from her. Every movement she made seemed poetic, a thought he’d never had about any other woman. Her smile was like sunshine on a cold day. And she kept him from doing his work too often.
A loud noise out back stopped him from working one afternoon. He got up and went to the bedroom window that looked out on the spacious backyard. Built on a knoll, the house was flanked by a wide deck that covered the entire back of the
“Me, too,” Steffi agreed.
Annie just smiled at Jennifer.
“Aren’t you hungry, too, Annie?” Jennifer asked.
Annie nodded.
After everyone was served, Missy said, “I think there’s enough left over for Daddy. Do you want me to go see if he’s hungry, too?”
“No, Missy, I do not!” Jennifer exclaimed before she calmed herself. “Nick is not your daddy. And he does not have to take every meal with us. He has his own kitchen.”
“But—” Missy began.
“Eat your lunch, Missy!”
Diane waited until she thought the girls were occupied before she asked softly, “What does Nick do for a living?”
“He’s a teacher.”
“And he can afford that apartment on a teacher’s salary? They must be getting more than I thought.”
“He’s getting it at Grace’s rate, which is affordable for anyone. When the lease expires in eleven months, I imagine he’ll be moving out.”
“Oh, I see. Where does he teach?”
“I don’t think he’s gotten a job here yet. He moved here from Lubbock, I believe he said.”
“That’s a long way to move without having a job lined up.”
“Yes, it is, but I’m sure he’ll find something.” She refused to worry about Nick Barry. He was a grown man, not some little boy that needed to hang on to her hand.
“Um, why does Missy think—”
Diane’s cautious question caught Jennifer’s attention. “She seems to think that there’s a daddy in every family. Since we didn’t have one, she thought she’d snag the first man she found. It was Nick. She wrapped herself around his leg and screamed that she’d found the daddy.”
Diane stared at her before bursting into giggles. “And he still speaks to you?”
“Amazing, isn’t it?” Jennifer let a smile play about her lips as she remembered the night she first met Nick. “He not only speaks to me, he seems to be involved in this family all the time. He even watched a movie with us last night after I accused him of not being Grace’s nephew.”
She didn’t need to verbalize all his good qualities to realize Nick was quite a man. She’d come to that conclusion a few hours ago. He was kind and considerate, easygoing and attentive. And he had a great sense of humor. Come to think of it, all the attributes she wanted in a man.
But she didn’t want a man. Not now. Her life was the girls and being their mother. There was simply no room left for a man. No matter how amazing he was.
“Maybe he’s just lonesome,” Diane said softly.
“Maybe you should ask him out,” Jennifer suggested. She did her best to ignore the protest that rose in her throat.
Chapter Five
Several days passed without any contact between Nick and the little family next door. He listened for them going in and out, but he heard nothing.
The only thing to break the monotony of his days was Diane knocking on his door one evening, offering to show him a restaurant or two in the area, if he liked to eat out in the evenings.
Diane seemed very nice and very smart and he didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so they went out that night to a nice barbecue place that he enjoyed. He tried to make conversation with her, but mostly he asked questions about Jennifer. Unfortunately Diane wasn’t forthcoming.
They parted company at the bottom of the stairs, but there was nothing romantic there. Not like with Jennifer. He hadn’t been able to get her out of his head all evening. For days.
Was he crazy? The woman was telling him no as many ways as she could. But he couldn’t keep histhoughts away from her. Every movement she made seemed poetic, a thought he’d never had about any other woman. Her smile was like sunshine on a cold day. And she kept him from doing his work too often.
A loud noise out back stopped him from working one afternoon. He got up and went to the bedroom window that looked out on the spacious backyard. Built on a knoll, the house was flanked by a wide deck that covered the entire back of the
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