Daddy Next Door by Judy Christenberry Page B

fourplex. Beyond that was a yard of perfectly tended grass.
    When he looked out the window, he saw a big truck pulled up along the fence. A man was arguing with Jennifer in the backyard alongside a stack of boxes.
    What had she bought now?
    The kids and the dog were dancing around, making conversation difficult, based on the number of times Jennifer turned around to quiet the noisy foursome.
    The door to the backyard was in the lobby under the stairs. He left his apartment and moseyed his way out to the deck. He didn’t want Jennifer to think he doubted her ability to deal with whatever was going on.
    He leaned on the railing, looking down about four feet at Jennifer. Missy spotted him and called up to him at once.
    “Daddy! Did you come to play with us? Have you seen how high Blondie can jump?”
    The man talking to Jennifer looked up, too. Then, before Nick could get down the stairs, he tossed some papers in her hands and strode out the gate. A fewseconds later, they all heard the big truck backing out to the highway.
    Jennifer stamped her foot in frustration.
    Nick reached her side. “What’s up, Jennifer?”
    “Nothing! It’s none of your business. I don’t mean to be rude, but I can handle it.”
    “Okay, fine.” He turned away from her rebuff to find Missy standing beside him. His initial response would’ve been to be as abrupt with her as Jennifer had been with him.
    Instead, he squatted down beside the little girl. “How are you doing, sweetheart?”
    “Fine. Did you come down to play with Blondie? She’s a lot of fun.”
    “I can tell. It was nice of your mom to get her for you.”
    “I know. And Mommy says we won’t have to be split up again, so we don’t have to divide Blondie ever!” Missy beamed at him.
    “That’s good for you and especially good for Blondie,” he said with a smile. About that time, Blondie discovered a new human to play with. She jumped on her back legs and planted her paws on Nick’s chest, trying to lick his face.
    Almost immediately, he felt rather than saw Jennifer sweep past him and climb the stairs.
    “What’s got your mother so upset?”
    Missy frowned. “I don’t know. She told us she was going to get us a swing set today, but all she got was those boxes.”
    “Ah. The man didn’t put it together.”
    “You mean that’s our swing set? I don’t think we can play with it like that.”
    “No, I don’t, either.”
    Jennifer reappeared on the deck, calling the girls to come in to dinner.
    Nick followed the girls up the stairs.
    “Hey, Jennifer, do you need some help getting the swing set put together?”
    She stared at him, her mouth falling open. Then she snapped it shut. “I don’t. The company is going to call me back in a few minutes to schedule someone to come put it together.”
    “Oh, good. But let me know if you need any help.”
    “Thank you, but I’m sure I won’t need to.” With that, she herded the three little girls inside.
    Nick was no fool. He knew a brush-off when he heard one.
    Clearly he’d upset Jennifer last time he saw her—but he couldn’t think of anything he’d done. With a sigh, he climbed the stairs. Life wasn’t as exciting without the four—make that five—blondes next door. Though apparently Blondie was being left in the backyard right now.
    He knew the feeling.
    He returned to his apartment to work. After all, that was why he was here in Dallas. Not to get attached to the family next door. No, definitely not that.
     
    N ICK HEARD THE GIRLS playing outside the next afternoon. He wandered to the window to see what they were up to. To his surprise, he discovered Jennifer trying to put together the swing set on her own. And it wasn’t going well.
    He took his toolbox out of one of the closets and went outside with it. When he reached Jennifer, she was on the verge of tears, dealing with the various parts.
    “Hey, Jen, what’s up?” he said mildly.
    At his voice, she lost her grip on the two parts she was holding and