Single Dad To The Rescue

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“What happened to Archie?” Ben chewed on his bottom lip.

Brooke explained about Archie’s stitches and his surgery.

“Archie is gonna need something special, too.” Ben pointed over Brooke’s head. “The cat section is over there. Does he like toys that squeak or ones with bells?”

“Or ones with feathers?” Ella tucked her curls behind her ears. “He probably can’t play right now. He needs something to cuddle with. Mom got me a fluffy unicorn after my last eye surgery. I still sleep with it every night.”

“I got a bear wearing a Bay Water Medical shirt the last time I went to the hospital.” Ben pulled a blue vest from the rack and handed it to Brooke. “My pancreas doesn’t work like it’s supposed to. But Dad says I’m getting really good at checking my blood like the nurses showed me how to do. The hospital isn’t bad, but I’d rather not go.”

“Have you been to the hospital?” Ella asked.

“I have, and like Ben, I’d rather not go back.” Brooke picked up a fleece dog blanket, forced herself to stay in the moment. In the sleepless hours of the night, she could sometimes still hear the machines beeping and humming from her time spent in the intensive-care unit. But she’d healed, just like Archie and Rex would. That ache in her chest pulsed as if reminding her that she still had to rebuild somewhere. “Should we head to the cat section?”

“Do you have other pets besides Archie?” Ben asked.

“Cupid is my silver cat with only three legs. Luna is my dog.” Brooke lifted up the fleece blanket covered in cat and dog paw prints. “Luna likes to sleep on couches when I’m not there. I think this might protect your dad’s couch.”

Ben touched the blanket as if testing its softness. “Can we meet them? My dad won’t let me have a pet. He says he’s allergic.”

Brooke set the vest and cat supplies on the checkout counter to cover her frown. Why would Dan lie to his own son?

Evie shook her head. “Your dad is no more allergic to animals than I am to chocolate.”

“That’s what we decided.” Ella grimaced.

“Lincoln’s mom is allergic to cats and her nose gets really red and her eyes really puffy if she touches a cat.” Ben drummed his fingers on the counter. “Dad’s eyes don’t even get red or puffy even when he cries.”

“You saw your dad cry?” Ella asked.

“His eyes got all watery, like one time when I woke up in the hospital and he was sitting next to me.” Ben shrugged. “I gave him my teddy bear.”

“Then what happened?” Ella asked. “Did tears run down his cheeks? Tears ran down my dad’s face when he married my mom. I felt them on my cheek when he hugged me real tight.”

“My dad hugged me and the bear at the same time.” Ben scratched his chin. “Then I went back to sleep.”

Evie wiped at her own eyes and busied herself rearranging the muffin container. “Well, I have reasons not to overindulge in chocolate and your dad has reasons not to have a pet even if he isn’t allergic to them.”

“Not a very good reason,” Ben muttered.

“I bet there is one very good reason.” Evie cut the tags off the dog vest, her gaze soft as she eyed Ben.

Evie’s love for the children was more than obvious. Dan’s love for his son would be just as strong. Just as protective. Ben was no doubt the reason for Dan’s white lie. Was Dan’s love only reserved for his son? Love. Where had that come from? She’d fallen in love before. The head-over-heels kind. The once-in-a-lifetime kind. She’d be too greedy to consider a second chance. Brooke reached for that invisible pause button to stop her tumbling thoughts.

A strong hand landed on Brooke’s lower back and settled as if to catch her when she fell. Brooke glanced over her shoulder. Dan stood just behind her, his smile gentle.

“Can I please meet Brooke’s pets?” Ben asked.

Dan shifted his attention to his son. “Before we disrupt Brooke’s evening, we need to make dinner and concentrate on your homework.”

“What about Archie?” Concern widened Ben’s eyes. “We can’t leave without Brooke and Archie.”

“Archie is going to spend the night here with Dr. Iain.” Brooke was going to spend the night in Dan’s rental apartment. He’d be a shout away. Only a short run would take her to his back porch.

A small shift and she’d be under his arm, within his protective embrace. A small shift and she’d be a welcome part of the pet store.

Perhaps in another lifetime she’d risk again.

“Well, Brooke needs a ride home,” Ben argued.

“I can take a cab,” Brooke said. She worked better alone. She was safe alone. “I want to see Archie before I leave.”

“Ben can start his homework with me upstairs,” Ella suggested.

“Then Brooke can sit with Rex until Dr. Iain lets her see Archie.” Ben touched his dad’s arm to keep his focus on him. “Rex is really scared, Dad.”

“Fine. We’ll stay until Brooke has visited Archie.” Dan ruffled Ben’s hair. “But then we’re going home.”

Ben nodded and guided Ella out of the storefront, as if the pair wanted to avoid his dad offering another suggestion.

Dan shook his head. “They are quick when they want to be.”

Brooke had to be quick, too. Otherwise she might find herself discovering even more to like about Dan.

CHAPTER SEVEN (#u317858f7-1d8d-5407-b1f1-3c4c43bd59f4)

SOMETHING CHIMED THROUGH the house and interrupted Dan’s carb-guesstimate tally for Ben’s day. The sound chimed again. Not shrill enough for a fire alarm. Not piercing like a siren.

“That’s the doorbell,” Ben yelled. His feet smacked against the hardwood floor. “I’ll see who’s here.”

Dan sliced Ben’s sandwich in two, dropped the knife in the sink and rushed to intercept Ben. Dan hadn’t recognized the doorbell—no surprise. No one ever used it. Their visitors consisted of Ava, who already had a key, and the postman, who left any packages hidden behind the chairs on the front porch. Their neighbors were friendly but distant. With a big extended family spread over several blocks, folks never walked over to borrow an egg or cup of sugar.

And no one came over at 7:30 a.m. Ten minutes before Dan had to leave to drop Ben off at school.

Ben peered through the window beside the front door and jumped up and down. “It’s Brooke and Luna.”

Brooke. Dan yanked open the door. His gaze tracked from her head—her hair neatly in place, her cheeks flushed pink, her eyes lively and bright—to her purple Pampered Pooch shirt, which was wrinkle- and stain-free. Same for her black yoga pants and worn tennis shoes. A quick scan of Luna—the dog’s tongue lolled from the side of her mouth as usual—signaled all was well.

If his breath came easier, it had nothing to do with Brooke’s well-being. He searched deep inside himself, trying to force his frustration to the front. He should be irritated at her unexpected arrival. He should tell Brooke that they were leaving. And then he should leave. Without her.

Instead, something almost cheerful filled his greeting, as if her visit was the highlight of his day.

Brooke skipped over her reply. “Sorry to bother you guys so early.”

This wasn’t a morning conversation or invitation to coffee. Not that he wanted to have coffee and conversations with Brooke. He wanted to get on with his day, as he’d planned it. Without Brooke. “We’re about to leave for school.”

Brooke twisted Luna’s dog leash. “I’ll be quick.”

Dan narrowed his eyes. Nothing, in his experience, was ever quick. Not doctor’s appointments. Or short lines at the grocery store. Or school projects.

The school-committee chairs liked to call and ask for Dan’s assistance on quick projects. Those projects turned into an entire day building the backdrop for the school play or a dunking booth for a school fund-raiser. Still, he had to admit the dunking booth had been fun to construct and raised quite a bit of money at the Spring Festival, and the students already begged to use it again at the Fall Festival at the end of the month.

Ben looked up from where he was kneeling beside Luna. “We have time. Dad drops me off really, really early.”

“Punctuality is a life skill.” Dan lifted his eyebrows and he stared at his son. “You don’t want to make a habit of being late. You’ll miss too much of your life.”

Ben buried his head in Luna’s neck, but not before Dan caught his drawn-out eye roll. Dan smoothed out his smile and concentrated on Brooke. Her purple headband held the dark strands away from her face and emphasized her round deep brown eyes. Eyes he could fall into if he wasn’t careful and alert.

Brooke spoke, her voice hesitant. “Sophie called this morning.”

Dan pulled back. “Is Archie okay?”

Brooke blinked and focused on him. “He’s stable but Dr. Porter needs to keep Archie at least another night. Sophie called about Rex.”

Dan stumbled over his relief for a cat. Who was Rex? He had an image of a dog curled in the back of the kennel, more eyes than body.

Ben jumped up, worry flashing across his face. “What happened to Rex?”

“He isn’t doing well.” Brooke touched Ben’s shoulder. “Sophie had several more arrivals last night. Dr. Porter and Sophie think Rex needs to be someplace quieter, where he’ll feel safe.”

“He’ll feel safe here.” Confidence puffed Ben’s chest out.

Ben’s absolute certainty softened Dan. That was all he’d ever wanted to give Ben: a safe home. One without chaos. One with stability and love.

Brooke shifted to look at Dan.

Again, her dark brown gaze pulled him in. Her wide soulful eyes called to him. Made him want to learn everything about her. Made him want...

But he already knew her flaw: she was a rescuer. She’d take in more and more pets. Turn his rental unit into its own boardinghouse. And Dan would let her. It was her eyes that would convince him.

Yet Brooke was not a complication he wanted in their lives. She’d distract him. And that could put Ben in danger. Like now, he should be guesstimating Ben’s carb intake for the day, not falling under her spell.

“Sophie wanted to know if Rex could stay with me.”

“Rex isn’t afraid with you.” Ben poked Dan’s side. “Rex only came out of his kennel for Brooke. She had to feed him with her hand.”

Dan wasn’t surprised. Brooke had a quietness about her that soothed everyone around. He’d seen that yesterday at the pet store and only after a few hours with her. Still he said, “Won’t Luna scare him?”

“We’re hoping just the opposite will happen.” Brooke unwound the leash from her palm and set her hand on Luna’s head. “But we won’t know until we introduce the two dogs. We won’t do that unless you give the okay for one more evacuee to stay here.”

“You have to say yes, Dad.” Ben latched onto Dan’s arm, his fingers digging in. “You always tell me that we have to help whenever we can.”

Dan had meant people. Brooke was qualified. But was Dan prepared to handle the disruption?

“We have to help Rex, Dad,” Ben insisted.

“I’ll keep Rex in the apartment with me.” Brooke’s words bounced over each other as if she sensed Dan might say no. “There’s nothing you’ll need to do. I promise.”

How he hated that word. Empty and meaningless unless backed up with actions. That’s where most people failed. No one wanted to put in the work to keep their promises.

“But we can help, if you need us,” Ben offered.

“I appreciate that.” Brooke shifted her full smile on Dan. “You won’t even know Rex is here.”

But he knew Brooke was there. That was the most unsettling part. That smile and her expressive gaze had lingered in his mind last night for far too long. No, the dogs didn’t concern him. But Brooke—she did. “Let’s drop off Ben and introduce the dogs.”

Ben jumped up and pumped his arms over his head. “We’re getting another dog.”

And Dan was getting a headache. He grabbed his keys from the hook on the wall. If he kept his eyes open and his focus on the truth—Brooke was as temporary in his life as an ice cube in the sun—then nothing would go wrong.

One minute out of the driveway, Ben cuddled with Luna in the back seat of the truck. And Dan wanted to wrap his arm around Brooke.

Dan really had to figure out a way to help Brooke get back to her old life quickly. His was already being turned upside down. And that said nothing about his misplaced thoughts. His current one included: believing that Brooke sitting next to him felt right. He shoved on his sunglasses. Clearly, the bright morning sun obscured his vision.

The next hour passed in a blur. Dan watched Luna and Rex bond—even he hadn’t doubted the dogs would get along. The universe seemed to be conspiring against him. Maybe it was that white lie about pet allergies that had done him in.

Dan loaded Rex and his few belongings into the back seat of the truck, promised Sophie he’d return for more dog food and waited for Brooke to come out of the pet store.

“Sorry.” Brooke buckled her seat belt and shook her head, her tone bemused. “I really need to get another shirt before I go back inside The Pampered Pooch. A customer thought I worked there and flagged me down on my way out.”

“Sophie will appreciate that,” Dan said as they drove away. “You seem to know your way around a pet store.”