The Groom's Little Girls

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The emphasis her father put on the word single sent a new kind of fear through her. Was her father playing matchmaker? Seriously?

“Your father told me about your work with the guardian ad litem program. It seems we share a common interest in philanthropy. Maybe we could have dinner sometime, and see what else we have in common.”

Well, at least he didn’t beat around the bush. It was definitely a setup. Too bad the offer held as much interest as an emergency root canal. “Sounds lovely, but I’m afraid I’m a bit swamped at the moment. In fact, I’m late for a phone meeting right now. If you’ll excuse me...” She moved purposefully back toward her office, forcing him to move out of the way.

“Of course.” Mr. Charitable Trust graciously nodded and moved back to her father, who looked puzzled by her behavior, but was too polite to say anything. Meanwhile her mother had finally gotten off the phone and was watching the entire scene like it was her favorite telenovela. So much for keeping business business.

Closing the door behind her, she locked it for good measure, and then leaned heavily against the cool wood, waiting for her breathing to return to normal.

She’d definitely panicked out there, but she’d stayed in control, and she’d handled it. Her therapist would be proud.

It was strange, though, how different her reaction was to Tyler. Of course, she knew Tyler. He wasn’t a stranger. And she’d initiated the contact. That was probably why.

Thinking of the encounter with Tyler reminded her of Kevin, and the reason she’d rushed back to the office so quickly. Moving to her desk, she grabbed a fresh legal pad and picked up the phone.

“Hi, this is Dani Post. May I speak to Elaine, please? Tell her it’s about Kevin. I think I’ve found a foster home for him.”

* * *

Tyler threw his energy into unpacking the boxes of wooden blocks that he’d started to unload earlier, hoping to quiet his mind with some good old physical labor. But no matter how fast or how hard he worked, he couldn’t get Dani off of his mind. She was infuriating, that was for sure. So sure she knew what was right, and full of self-righteousness. But as annoying as she could be, that wasn’t what was bothering him. No, it wasn’t her words or her attitude haunting him; it was the way she’d felt in his arms. One impulsive hug shouldn’t have gotten under his skin, into his head. But it had.

His body had reacted immediately, which on its own wasn’t that surprising. She was a beautiful woman, sexy in a high-class, dressed-up kind of way. But it wasn’t just a moment of lust that had him still thinking about her, wondering if she’d worked things out with the social worker, wondering what she did for fun or what her favorite way to relax was. That was...interest. And he couldn’t afford to be interested in a woman.

As if to reinforce that thought, the front bell rang out, followed by twin voices calling, “Daddy!” Setting down a box of brightly colored building blocks, he scooped one girl up in each arm. They were in full-day kindergarten now, but as far as he was concerned they were still his little girls. Even if they were big enough to ride the bus and have homework.

“Hey, monsters. How was school?”

“Great!”

“Boring.”

He laughed and set them down. For twins, they sure had a hard time agreeing on anything. “All right, Adelaide first. What was great?” Maybe if he focused on the positive first, Amy would, too.

“We got to play kickball in gym class today, and I kicked the ball so hard it went a mile!”

“No, it didn’t go a mile. A mile is really, really far.” Amy frowned in annoyance. “You just kicked it to the edge of the field.”

Adelaide tossed her head, pigtails flying. “You’re just jealous because you struck out.”

“I am not. It’s a stupid game, anyway.” Amy was a bookworm who would much rather read than play sports. It wasn’t that she wasn’t as talented or athletic as her sister; she just truly didn’t see the point of sports.

“Maybe they’ll play something you like better tomorrow. In the meantime, I picked up some muffins for you at the Sandcastle Bakery. They’re in the break room if you’re hungry.”

“Yes!”

“Yes!”

Finally in agreement about something, they blew past him, their small feet echoing on the tile floor. Following at a saner pace he found them seated at the child-size table he’d made for them, all grins and crumbs. The entire space had been designed with them in mind. He’d purchased the toy store when Jennifer was pregnant, and the idea had been that the shop would be a place where the whole family was welcome. Initially that had meant high chairs and playpens, but now the room held a reading nook with beanbag chairs and a small bookshelf, a play area complete with an indoor tent and the table where they could eat, draw or do homework. There was also a couch and a kitchenette: basically all the comforts of home. After Jennifer’s death the girls had spent even more time here, preferring to be close to their father than at the house with a babysitter. Maybe it was selfish of him but in his grief he’d needed them, too. So they worked out a routine where they spent the afternoons together at the shop, and he hired someone to close up so they could go home and have dinner together.

So far it was working out well. Of course, what kid wouldn’t want to spend their days in a toy store? Not to mention, as cute as the girls were, every customer ended up spending as much time with them as they did shopping. His mascots, he called them, and they’d worked out a pretty good routine together. Which was why he wasn’t going to risk what they’d built by even thinking about adding a romance into it. These two girls were more than enough female for him. They were his whole life, and he’d make any sacrifice to make sure they grew up secure and happy.

Amy finished her muffin first, and looked up at him. “Are we going to get our kitten today?”

His heart sunk. “No, not today. I’ve got to finish unloading the rest of the new stock today, and then it will be time for dinner and bed.”