father. “Thanks, Dad.”
Logan stood up. “Bill, thanks for letting me crash your poker game. It’s been a rare treat.”
“Don’t be a stranger.” He pumped Logan’s hand then left the room.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven.”
While his demeanor was perfectly civil she could have sworn a tiger lurked behind those blue eyes, waiting for the opportunity to pounce. And it was no one’s fault but her own.
“I’m not sure,” she began trying to find a way out of her dilemma.
“Seven.” He gave her an easy smile and motioned her back when she started to get up. “I’ll see myself out.” With a long-limbed, lanky gait he strode out of the room and toward the door.
Her dad grabbed the edge of the table and lowered himself into his chair. “Nice young man. Not at all what I expected. You could do a lot worse.”
“Dad, he’s my employer.”
“And your point being?”
She rolled her eyes.
He ignored it. “You’re not getting any younger, missy.”
Stung, she straightened. “I’m only twenty-eight.”
“Uh-huh, that’s just my point. Your mom and I had been married for eight years by the time she was twenty-seven.”
Kendall slumped forward in defeat but her father gave no quarter.
“Don’t you have a biological clock that’s supposed to be ticking?”
“Dad, you’ve got Caroline,” she muttered, her head in her hands.
“Wouldn’t mind having a grandson.”
“Don’t you want me, Grandpa?” Caroline stood in the doorway, clutching her ragged teddy, looking forlorn.
Kendall jumped up. “Caroline Rose, you’re supposed to be in bed.”
“I wanted a drink of water.”
Her dad held out his arms and Caroline ran into them. He stroked her hair. “Punkin, there’s no one in the whole wide world I love more than you. I just thought you might like a brother or sister to play with.”
Kendall closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, pressure building behind her eyes.
“What about Grandma?” Caroline’s voice came muffled from her grandpa’s shoulder.
“What about Grandma?”
“Do you love me as much as Grandma?”
“Well, it’s in our marriage vows that I’ve got to love your grandma the most. But you’re such a close second, the lines blur.”
“What about Mommy?”
“You and your mom are tied.”
“What about Mrs. Smith’s sugar cookies or my haystacks?”
“Oh you definitely win out over the sugar cookies, though it’s a tossup with your haystacks.”
She grinned then turned serious again. “So how would I go about getting a brother or sister?”
The pressure in Kendall’s head began to hammer at her skull. No doubt about it, she was going to have the mother of all headaches.
“You’d have to put in a request with your mom.”
“That’s it?”
“Well, yes and no.”
“Dad, you know there are no yeses and noes with Caroline,” she murmured under her breath.
“Why yes and no?” Caroline asked on cue.
“Well, you can ask that’s a yes. But only your mom can decide whether she wants to get married again.”
“She doesn’t have to be married to have a baby. She had me didn’t she?”
The child’s logic was relentless. Kendall lifted her head and smiled. “That’s right, honey bear. I don’t have to be married to have another baby.” Seeing the trap she’d just laid for herself, she added hastily. “But that’s not to say I want another child.”
“Why not?” Caroline turned to her grandpa. “And why did you say Mommy had to be married?”
“I should say I would prefer it.” Her grandpa responded, pulling her onto his knee.
“Why?”
“Because that way I’d know that both of you would be looked after when I’m gone.”
“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere for a long time, punkin. Now let’s get that glass of water and get you back in bed.” He scooted her off his knee and gave her a swat before he grabbed the table and pushed up. He winced as he straightened.
My God, he’s getting old. I’ve lost
Logan stood up. “Bill, thanks for letting me crash your poker game. It’s been a rare treat.”
“Don’t be a stranger.” He pumped Logan’s hand then left the room.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow at seven.”
While his demeanor was perfectly civil she could have sworn a tiger lurked behind those blue eyes, waiting for the opportunity to pounce. And it was no one’s fault but her own.
“I’m not sure,” she began trying to find a way out of her dilemma.
“Seven.” He gave her an easy smile and motioned her back when she started to get up. “I’ll see myself out.” With a long-limbed, lanky gait he strode out of the room and toward the door.
Her dad grabbed the edge of the table and lowered himself into his chair. “Nice young man. Not at all what I expected. You could do a lot worse.”
“Dad, he’s my employer.”
“And your point being?”
She rolled her eyes.
He ignored it. “You’re not getting any younger, missy.”
Stung, she straightened. “I’m only twenty-eight.”
“Uh-huh, that’s just my point. Your mom and I had been married for eight years by the time she was twenty-seven.”
Kendall slumped forward in defeat but her father gave no quarter.
“Don’t you have a biological clock that’s supposed to be ticking?”
“Dad, you’ve got Caroline,” she muttered, her head in her hands.
“Wouldn’t mind having a grandson.”
“Don’t you want me, Grandpa?” Caroline stood in the doorway, clutching her ragged teddy, looking forlorn.
Kendall jumped up. “Caroline Rose, you’re supposed to be in bed.”
“I wanted a drink of water.”
Her dad held out his arms and Caroline ran into them. He stroked her hair. “Punkin, there’s no one in the whole wide world I love more than you. I just thought you might like a brother or sister to play with.”
Kendall closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead, pressure building behind her eyes.
“What about Grandma?” Caroline’s voice came muffled from her grandpa’s shoulder.
“What about Grandma?”
“Do you love me as much as Grandma?”
“Well, it’s in our marriage vows that I’ve got to love your grandma the most. But you’re such a close second, the lines blur.”
“What about Mommy?”
“You and your mom are tied.”
“What about Mrs. Smith’s sugar cookies or my haystacks?”
“Oh you definitely win out over the sugar cookies, though it’s a tossup with your haystacks.”
She grinned then turned serious again. “So how would I go about getting a brother or sister?”
The pressure in Kendall’s head began to hammer at her skull. No doubt about it, she was going to have the mother of all headaches.
“You’d have to put in a request with your mom.”
“That’s it?”
“Well, yes and no.”
“Dad, you know there are no yeses and noes with Caroline,” she murmured under her breath.
“Why yes and no?” Caroline asked on cue.
“Well, you can ask that’s a yes. But only your mom can decide whether she wants to get married again.”
“She doesn’t have to be married to have a baby. She had me didn’t she?”
The child’s logic was relentless. Kendall lifted her head and smiled. “That’s right, honey bear. I don’t have to be married to have another baby.” Seeing the trap she’d just laid for herself, she added hastily. “But that’s not to say I want another child.”
“Why not?” Caroline turned to her grandpa. “And why did you say Mommy had to be married?”
“I should say I would prefer it.” Her grandpa responded, pulling her onto his knee.
“Why?”
“Because that way I’d know that both of you would be looked after when I’m gone.”
“Where are you going?”
“Nowhere for a long time, punkin. Now let’s get that glass of water and get you back in bed.” He scooted her off his knee and gave her a swat before he grabbed the table and pushed up. He winced as he straightened.
My God, he’s getting old. I’ve lost
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