The Single Dad's Proposal

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She shouldn’t be thinking of him in such a fashion but her imagination seemed to run wild where Rafael was concerned. Not only was it a conflict of interest when he was the parent of one of the children she worked alongside, but he represented everything she was afraid of in a potential partner. He had a young child she was already attached to, and they worked at the same clinic so any romantic daydreaming about him was a disaster waiting to happen.

By blurring that line she would put her job and her heart in jeopardy. She was afraid she mightn’t have any choice in the matter when she was fixating on something as innocent as touching his arm and reacting as though he’d given her a lap dance.

Rafael stared at the hand on his arm, then at her, his eyebrows raised at her audacity. She had to fight through the foggy muddle of her brain now flicking through snapshots of him in cycle shorts and sweat-drenched running gear to search for words to string a sentence together. Perhaps she really should think about getting back into the dating scene—restricted to single men she didn’t work with—if her body was so desperately craving some interaction with male company.

‘Gracie. There should be a constant in her life.’ It didn’t quite articulate everything she’d intended but it was the gist of why she’d come out here to him and sufficient for that dark scowl to slide over his face as he began walking away again.

‘I was in surgery. It couldn’t be helped. I’ll collect her now and we’ll be on our way.’

No, no, no. This wasn’t going the way she’d planned at all. She’d merely succeeded in ticking him off even more.

She spun around and was forced into a half-run to catch up with him this time.

‘Can you stop so we can talk properly?’ Okay, she was verging on the bossy side of insolence in a professional capacity but the man was infuriating at times.

He pulled on the brakes with a hiss of air through his teeth. ‘What exactly is it you want, Miss Ryan?’

Miss Ryan. Not Summer, as every other person on the island referred to her. She was sure he did it to annoy her, keeping things formal so it was impossible for her to penetrate his defences.

‘Sorry, I wasn’t criticising you. What I meant to say was that I’d like to offer some assistance with Gracie’s care. I thought I might take on sole responsibility for her nursery care where I can. I’d have to run it past my superiors but I think that continuity of care when you’re working would help her flourish. You saw yourself how stressed she gets with change.’

* * *

‘This is about us running late this morning?’ He shook his head, any possibility of him agreeing to her plans evaporating before her eyes.

‘No.’ She refused to be embarrassed about standing up for what she believed in, although her temple was throbbing with the threat of a stress headache. This was so much harder than it ought to be and he was making it that way. Or it could be her recent inability to express herself adequately. Something she’d never had trouble with previously.

If it wasn’t for their common goal of getting Gracie as settled into island life as possible she’d have given up explaining herself and gone home for date night with a tub of mint choc chip. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to help anyone and would only make her feel even more nauseous than she was for having started this conversation in the first place.

She took a deep breath and cleared her mind of everything except the little dark-haired girl who lived predominantly in a world of her own and started over. ‘As you’re aware, I have experience of dealing with children who have specific needs and I was merely suggesting we could discuss an arrangement for Gracie. I would have no objection to taking over her care, day or night, if it suited you, rather than having a variety of new faces parading through her life.’

He studied her silently for a moment too long, those dark eyes scrutinising her every word and body language as though searching for her true intentions. Well, he had nothing to fear. As far as she was concerned, it was about time someone else stood up for Gracie along with her father.

Finally, he said, ‘I don’t think so,’ and left so abruptly Summer gasped at his brusque dismissal. No discussion. No explanation. No gratitude. She was sorry she’d even approached him about the matter when she didn’t appear to be anything more than a nuisance to the busy surgeon.

Rafael didn’t stop to hear any more or break into a smile until he walked into the nursery unit where he was assaulted in the face with his daughter’s painting. Summer reached them as they were preparing to leave, no further conversation apparently warranted as he took his daughter’s hand.

‘Vámonos, Graciela.’

Let’s go. He may as well have added they needed to get away from this crazy lady by the way he was staring at her. As he swung the child up onto his shoulders and walked away, singing to her in that deep Spanish burr, Summer wondered if he had a split personality or simply a Summer Ryan aversion when he was so wonderful with his daughter and his patients.

Her sigh was full of regret for the tunnel vision he had when it came to Gracie’s guardianship but also because, no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get Rafael to like her. Although extremely rare, it was still soul-destroying when issues occurred between her and parents of the children she worked with. This was worse, when lusting after him wasn’t something they could easily work through together. The best that she could hope for was that he’d learn to tolerate her for Gracie’s sake and she’d get over this crush, soon, before it began to affect more than her concentration.

* * *

Supper. Bath. Bed. It was a routine Rafael had been able to implement with Gracie from an early age and had been working very effectively. Until now.

‘Come on, Gracie. We’re both tired. Why don’t you put your pyjamas on and I’ll read you a story in bed?’ He’d given up on the other two stages now when the walls were coated in the supper he’d made and he was soaked from head to toe with bath water while Gracie remained bone dry.

‘No.’ She ran off again down the hall away from all thoughts of sleep when it was all he wanted to do.

He pulled the plug out of the bath and drained away what water there was left in the tub and used a towel to mop up the rest on the floor. She’d got into the bath initially but, rather than sit down and play with her toys as usual, she’d stood screaming and kicking the water until he’d had no option but to lift her out again. Rafael couldn’t stand to see her distressed yet he didn’t know what had set her off tonight.

‘Por favor. Please, Gracie.’ The toddler pulled off her bath robe and streaked away from him, screeching at the top of her lungs.

At the lowest point of his day now, he was tempted to reconsider Summer’s proposal. If he withdrew the inference that he wasn’t being a good enough parent to manage alone, he still didn’t think it a good idea to turn over responsibility of Gracie’s care to someone else merely on their say-so.

Once the red mist had dissipated he could see Summer had meant well and he should’ve been more appreciative of her interest, more gracious in his refusal of the offer. After all she had nothing to gain in making herself available for Gracie except, in his mind, the possibility of undermining his position in his daughter’s life and taking the moral high ground. He knew it was a ridiculous notion but he was so unaccustomed to having people help it made him wary.

The last time he’d felt backed into a corner, forced to ask someone else to share the responsibility, he’d almost lost his daughter and had had his commitment to her questioned. It wasn’t easy for him to swallow his pride and his fears and accept genuine support when it was being given freely.

If Summer could see the two of them now she’d be entitled to wag a finger and say, ‘See? You need me,’ before providing the calm voice of reason his daughter might be more inclined to listen to than her father. He’d worked alongside Summer enough in the clinic with the twins to have experienced that patience she had with the children and the rapport she was able to build with them individually. It was the same with Gracie.

If he was honest about why he didn’t want her involved in his life beyond the clinic, it was that building panic at the thought of letting her get too close to his daughter, or him, on a personal level. She had a sweet smile to match her easygoing nature around the kids and it was impossible not to be impressed by her dedication as well as her beauty, but he hadn’t moved to an island to find himself in exactly the same situation he’d left in Boston.

He couldn’t afford to start relying on her being there for him in case the time came when she decided she’d had enough too. Then he’d end up back at square one, having to fight through his own grief to support Gracie on his own. It had taken this long to get where they were and now they were happy he had no desire to get knocked back down.

They’d been through too much to have to face that kind of devastation again. Unless he was guaranteed to have a partner willing to be by his side for the rest of his days it was pointless even forming an attachment. Eventually even this beautiful young woman would tire of their demands on her time and want to move on.

Too bad that self-preservation seemed to manifest in his grouchy alter ego intent on protecting him from Summer’s charms. His attempt to keep her at arm’s length simply seemed to spur her on to display a dogged determination and passion that did nothing to diminish his admiration for her, even though he couldn’t show it. He had enough on his hands trying to wrangle a three-year-old to bed without debating the pros and cons of getting into another relationship. There simply wasn’t room for another female whirlwind to wreak havoc in his life.

‘Graciela Valdez, will you please come here and put your pyjamas on now?’ It was half command, half plea. He was willing to forget the last few hours of Gracie Armageddon if she would get into bed and finally go to sleep. Then he might get an hour or two to wind down before he had to do this all over again. Obviously, he needed to retire earlier than he had last night to avoid oversleeping again, when they were still experiencing the effects of that slip-up now.

He’d known Summer’s assessment was correct about the disruption to Gracie’s routine setting her off on the subsequent trail of mayhem and chaos. Sometimes it was easy to forget this cute bundle couldn’t be railroaded into things she didn’t want to do for convenience’s sake. Logic didn’t fit into her life the way it did for most.

He heard the handle turning on Gracie’s bedroom door before she emerged, dressed, if not in the night-time attire he’d have chosen for her.

‘That’s what you’re wearing to bed?’ He was resigned to letting her wear the colourful mismatched socks, the princess dress he’d bought for her birthday—complete with sparkly tiara—and fairy wings, regardless of how uncomfortable he imagined they’d be to sleep in. If he could get her to sleep there was a chance he could slip the tiara and wings off at some point without causing too much of a fuss. At this point in time he’d agree to wearing a matching outfit if they could just bring this day to an end.

Gracie nodded, her lips pursed and brow furrowed as though she was prepared to fight some more for her fashion choices. Any such notion of another battle of wills left him feeling drained. ‘Okay then.’

Except she still had no intention of going to bed as she bounced her way down the staircase to the lounge. Rafael had no option left than to leave her to tire herself out. He knew when to pick his battles with her and this wasn’t worth the fight. At least the screaming had stopped and he decided if he wasn’t permitted some time to sit back and chill, he may as well catch up on some paperwork. That was the part of his job he wasn’t enamoured with and if he completed it during working hours, he’d never have a minute to see his patients.

He let the television babysit his daughter for a few minutes to retrieve the briefcase he’d left in the hall beside his bike, thinking he wouldn’t see either again until the next morning. With Gracie sitting happily on the couch, legs swinging and humming along to whatever bright, noisy children’s show she’d found, he seated himself at the dining table. It gave him sufficient room to spread out his notes and files and the open-plan style of the villa provided an unobscured view of his daughter at the same time. Although he would have to try and block out the noise or he’d never be able to concentrate.

He set the case on the table and flicked open the catches. The picture Gracie had presented him with at day-care was laid on top and he set it to one side to stick on the fridge door later, if he could find a space alongside her other artwork. He also lifted out an uneaten orange and a banana beginning to turn brown, leftovers from the lunch he hadn’t had time to eat. His pen, his diary and various pieces of stationery lined the bottom of the bag but there were no case notes.

‘Where are they?’ he asked aloud to the now-empty elaborate lunch pail. His hand connected to his forehead in a slap of sudden realisation. The files were sitting on his desk at work. He’d intended to go back and fetch them from the office but he’d been so preoccupied with picking Gracie up from day-care he’d forgotten. The perfect day from hell.

They lived so close to the clinic it seemed silly not to simply swing by and pick them up, and another glance at Gracie, who was now jumping on the couch, confirmed there was no danger of her going to bed soon. If he could wrestle a coat on her she could accompany him and they’d be there and back in fifteen minutes, tops.

‘Hey, Gracie, do you want to come with Papa to work?’

* * *

It should’ve been a quick trip in and out but he hadn’t factored in the time spent chatting to passers-by enchanted by his daughter’s quirky sense of style.

‘Yes, she is quite a character.’

‘No, I didn’t dress her, this is all her own creation.’

An elderly woman being wheeled through towards the rehab ward hailed the porter to stop as though he was her personal chauffeur. This had to be the infamous Philomena Kerridge-Bates he’d heard was here to recuperate after a broken hip. No one other than a millionairess and a Society Grand Dame would have accessorised her hospital gown with matching priceless diamond earrings and necklace. ‘This child should be in bed,’ she decreed with a dismissive wave of her elegant hand.

‘I agree, she should.’ He didn’t bother to argue or explain and hold them all up.

Everyone always wanted to offer him parenting advice so he’d become accustomed to it. The sight of a single dad drew pity from all corners, as though he was out of his depth without the child’s mother in tow. Strangers weren’t aware he’d been her only source of stability and love since birth and they’d been doing fine on their own since Christina had left. They’d probably been better off without her. Just as he was, without parents disappointed in who he’d become because he hadn’t fitted in with their idea of how a son should behave and had wanted to earn a living in his own right. Away from family influences and the glare of the spotlight they were happy to live in.

Generally, people on Maple Island had good intentions so he didn’t let it get to him and responded to comments with a forced smile. His private life, including his daughter’s welfare and his wife’s whereabouts, was his business and as such he refused to give anyone the satisfaction of dispelling rumour with fact.

He simply wished Philomena well on her way and reckoned their other feisty resident Theodore Harrington, or Old Salty as he was better known, might have met his match. The cantankerous fisherman was still recovering after his leg had been crushed when the ferry carrying twins on their way to the clinic had broken down in last month’s storms and he’d gone to rescue them.

He’d already been discharged once, but he hadn’t looked after himself properly and had ended up badly aggravating the injury. In serious pain again, he’d reluctantly allowed himself to be persuaded to return to the clinic for a longer stretch of rehab, so they could keep an eye on him until he was fully healed.

He wasn’t an easy patient to deal with, obviously used to living on his own, but he was now the local hero so they were forced to put up with him and his pearls of wisdom as he told everyone how to do their jobs.

The main problem with the attention Gracie was drawing tonight was that she hated it. She barely tolerated people she knew but strangers were a complete no-go area for her. Anything new and unfamiliar was a source of stress and could easily increase her anxiety level but she knew the clinic and he hadn’t imagined there’d be as many people about at this time of night.