Read Online When Mom Meets Dad by Karen Rose Smith - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Karen Rose Smith
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daughter's temperature again and noticed that it had dropped to 101. Maybe this was just a bug and would be gone by morning. As he stood by the bed, Amanda leaned down and kissed Kristy on the forehead. The tender gesture squeezed his chest.
"I'll see you soon," she told Kristy, then left him with his daughter.
After he hugged and kissed Kristy good-night, he joined Amanda in the hall.
"You don't have to come downstairs with me. I can let myself out," Amanda said, looking as beautiful as she had all evening.
"I should have sent you home with Terry." He dug in his pocket for his keys. "Why don't you take my car--"
"Oh, Alex, don't be silly. I have less than a block to walk. I'll be fine."
"I don't like the idea of you walking home alone in the dark.
"I'm a big girl, Alex. And I've even taken a self-defense class."
"Self defense?" he asked, surprised.
She smiled. "It was my first bid for independence after I got my divorce. Seemed like a good idea, especially living in Philadelphia."
"Have you ever had to use it?"
"No. But that doesn't mean I don't remember how," she said with an amused warning look.
Laughing, he suddenly felt better about Kristy and the evening. "I wish tonight had turned out differently."
"I had a good time while we were there."
"Dancing with Ted Livingston?" he wanted to know.
"No. Having dinner with your friends and dancing with you."
Neither of them mentioned the kiss.
He suddenly wanted to make her swear she wouldn't date Ted or anyone else. But he knew he was being irrational. Still, he did want to see her again. "As soon as you get outside, call me on my cell. And stay on with me until you get home."
Her brows arched. "I'm used to taking care of myself, Alex."
It was a subtle reminder that he had no right to give her any orders. Maybe he had no right, but he wanted the right. And maybe he wanted more. He knew he wanted her in his bed, but Amanda wouldn't be a one-night stand. And he wasn't sure he was ready for anything else.
Rationalizing, he said, "You were my date tonight, and you're my responsibility until you're home safely. He decided to make a concession to keep peace. Call me when you get to your door, okay?"
When she finally nodded, he wanted to give her a good-night kiss that they'd both remember for a long time. But if he kissed her, he'd want more than a kiss and he might forget what was most important in his life--his daughter sleeping in the room next to his.
As Amanda turned to walk down the hall, he wanted to call her back. He wanted to keep her in his house. He wanted to lock her in his room and not come out until the physical need that had been building for years had been satisfied. Instead, he listened to her heels on the treads of the steps. He heard his front door open and close.
Then he went to his room to get ready for bed and to wait for her call.
***
On Monday afternoon Amanda was cleaning her living room when the phone rang. Stepping down from the stool, window cleaner and paper towels in hand, she hoped it was Alex. She'd called him after she'd gotten home Saturday night. They'd both said good-night, and the huskiness in his voice had made her wish the evening hadn't ended so abruptly, though another one of his kisses could lead her into more trouble than she was ready for.
He'd called her again Sunday to tell her Kristy was feeling better and the fever had broken. But he wasn't sure he should bring Kristy over Monday morning because he didn't want Heather to get sick. Amanda assured him that if Heather was going to catch the germ, it had already happened. Then she'd told Alex that she had called Kristy's teacher, and that the woman explained that Kristy had only started having problems with math during the last quarter of the year. Deciding there was no other apparent reason for Kristy's problems, she agreed with Alex that it must have just been a block with one particular math
"I'll see you soon," she told Kristy, then left him with his daughter.
After he hugged and kissed Kristy good-night, he joined Amanda in the hall.
"You don't have to come downstairs with me. I can let myself out," Amanda said, looking as beautiful as she had all evening.
"I should have sent you home with Terry." He dug in his pocket for his keys. "Why don't you take my car--"
"Oh, Alex, don't be silly. I have less than a block to walk. I'll be fine."
"I don't like the idea of you walking home alone in the dark.
"I'm a big girl, Alex. And I've even taken a self-defense class."
"Self defense?" he asked, surprised.
She smiled. "It was my first bid for independence after I got my divorce. Seemed like a good idea, especially living in Philadelphia."
"Have you ever had to use it?"
"No. But that doesn't mean I don't remember how," she said with an amused warning look.
Laughing, he suddenly felt better about Kristy and the evening. "I wish tonight had turned out differently."
"I had a good time while we were there."
"Dancing with Ted Livingston?" he wanted to know.
"No. Having dinner with your friends and dancing with you."
Neither of them mentioned the kiss.
He suddenly wanted to make her swear she wouldn't date Ted or anyone else. But he knew he was being irrational. Still, he did want to see her again. "As soon as you get outside, call me on my cell. And stay on with me until you get home."
Her brows arched. "I'm used to taking care of myself, Alex."
It was a subtle reminder that he had no right to give her any orders. Maybe he had no right, but he wanted the right. And maybe he wanted more. He knew he wanted her in his bed, but Amanda wouldn't be a one-night stand. And he wasn't sure he was ready for anything else.
Rationalizing, he said, "You were my date tonight, and you're my responsibility until you're home safely. He decided to make a concession to keep peace. Call me when you get to your door, okay?"
When she finally nodded, he wanted to give her a good-night kiss that they'd both remember for a long time. But if he kissed her, he'd want more than a kiss and he might forget what was most important in his life--his daughter sleeping in the room next to his.
As Amanda turned to walk down the hall, he wanted to call her back. He wanted to keep her in his house. He wanted to lock her in his room and not come out until the physical need that had been building for years had been satisfied. Instead, he listened to her heels on the treads of the steps. He heard his front door open and close.
Then he went to his room to get ready for bed and to wait for her call.
***
On Monday afternoon Amanda was cleaning her living room when the phone rang. Stepping down from the stool, window cleaner and paper towels in hand, she hoped it was Alex. She'd called him after she'd gotten home Saturday night. They'd both said good-night, and the huskiness in his voice had made her wish the evening hadn't ended so abruptly, though another one of his kisses could lead her into more trouble than she was ready for.
He'd called her again Sunday to tell her Kristy was feeling better and the fever had broken. But he wasn't sure he should bring Kristy over Monday morning because he didn't want Heather to get sick. Amanda assured him that if Heather was going to catch the germ, it had already happened. Then she'd told Alex that she had called Kristy's teacher, and that the woman explained that Kristy had only started having problems with math during the last quarter of the year. Deciding there was no other apparent reason for Kristy's problems, she agreed with Alex that it must have just been a block with one particular math
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