The child’s cry had them tumbling apart, both of them scrambling to remain upright as they put distance between them—almost as if they’d been on the verge of doing something wrong, she thought in bewilderment.
“Mia,” Alexis called out again. “Where are you? I had a bad dream.”
“I’ll go to her.” On her feet now, she turned toward the doorway. “Good night, Connor. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah. Good night, Mia.”
She thought she heard him mutter a curse as she hurried out of the room.
Because of the rainy weather, the zoo trip had to be cancelled Saturday afternoon. Hating to see the disappointment in Alexis’s eyes, Mia suggested they bake cookies instead. She’d always enjoyed baking with her grandmother when she was a little girl.
Alexis’s eyes lit up. “Okay. That sounds like fun. Can we make chocolate chip?”
Glad she’d thought to buy cookie supplies, Mia smiled and nodded. “We certainly can.”
She opened the pantry and began to take out supplies. Even though she was dressed in a casual knit top and jeans, Alexis wanted to wear an apron, so Mia wrapped her in one of her own, then set her at the counter, promising she could stir in the chocolate chips when they got to that point.
They chatted easily while they baked. Alexis talked about school, about the friends she had made there, about the differences from this school compared to the one back in Springfield. She seemed perfectly happy. Mia didn’t want to do anything to ruin that good mood, so she didn’t try to ask again about the bad dream Alexis had had last night.
Alexis had been tearful and trembling when Mia hurried to her bedside. She had burrowed into Mia’s arms, but she hadn’t wanted to talk about the dream. She’d slipped back into sleep while Mia held her and hadn’t roused again during the night, waking in her usual cheerful mood that morning.
Mia, on the other hand, hadn’t slept well at all.
She’d tried to tell herself that her uncharacteristic tossing and turning was a result of worrying about Alexis, but she was well aware that she had other things on her mind. Specifically, that way-too-intimate moment of awareness with Connor.
She had finally dropped off to sleep and had slept a bit later than she usually did on weekends. She’d found a note from Connor in the kitchen, propped against the carafe of still-hot coffee. He’d explained that he was going to the library to study, then planned to spend several hours in the anatomy lab, followed by studying with his group. He would see her later that evening, he’d added, scrawling a hasty postscript asking her to tell Alexis good morning for him.
It almost made her wonder who he was trying hardest to avoid—her or his daughter. But then she reminded herself that he’d been this busy and harried even before she and Alexis had moved in, so they probably shouldn’t take it personally.
They had just taken the last batch of cookies out of the oven and set them on a rack to cool when the doorbell rang.
Mia wiped her hands on a kitchen towel. “I’ll go see who that is, and then we’ll have some cookies and watch a Disney movie, okay?”
Alexis had already approved that schedule for the next couple of hours, so she nodded and headed for the doorway. “I’ll go get Pete. I always watch movies with Pete.”
Wondering who could be calling on a rainy Saturday afternoon, Mia brushed a smudge of flour off her long-sleeve red T-shirt as she moved through the living room. She looked out the small security window in the door, but she didn’t recognize the sixtyish man on the doorstep. Curious but cautious, she opened the door without unlocking the glass storm door between them. “May I help you?”
The broad smile and faintly dimpled chin gave her a clue to his identity just before he introduced himself. “Hello. I’m Duncan Hayes. Connor’s dad. You must be Mia.”
Quickly, she unlocked the storm door. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Hayes. Yes, I’m Mia Doyle. Please, come in.”
Leaving his dripping umbrella on the porch, he entered, running a hand through his damp, thinning gray hair in a gesture that reminded her of Connor. He held a large box wrapped in sparkly pink paper under his other arm. The paper was spotted with raindrops. “Call me Duncan. I’ve never been one to stand on formality.”
She wondered how much Connor had told his father about their arrangement. “I’m afraid Connor isn’t home. He’s studying today. I don’t expect him until much later this evening.”
Duncan shook his head in disapproval. “That’s all the boy does anymore. Study. I thought he might make a little extra time to spend with his daughter, but I guess he’s leaving that to you. He told me what a special thing you did for him—moving in to help him take care of the little girl. That’s above and beyond the call of friendship, if you ask me.”
“There are advantages for me as well,” she assured him.
“Anyway, I thought I’d come by and meet my granddaughter. And you, of course,” he added with a charming smile. He sniffed the air. “Smells like you’ve been baking.”
She already liked him. “Alexis and I made cookies. We just finished the last batch. I could put on a pot of coffee to go with them, if you’d like some.”
“You won’t have to twist my arm. It’s been a coon’s age since I’ve had homemade cookies.” He looked around the empty living room. “Where’s the girl? Alexis?”
“She’s—oh, here she is.” Mia motioned toward the doorway that led to the back of the house. “Come in, Alexis. This is your grandfather. Your daddy’s father.”
Her eyes big, Alexis gazed up at him, shyness warring with curiosity as she clutched Pete to her chest. “I never had a grandfather before.”