Unexpected Daddy

I shiver, and it has nothing to do with the rain that is still splattering all around me. “It turns out my boss was more interested in what I could do for him than what I could do for the newspaper,” I admit bitterly. “When he

put the moves on me, I turned him down.”

“Wait.” Craig stops walking, staring at me intently. “He fired you for not wanting to sleep with him?”

“I was still on a six-month probationary period,” I shrug. “On paper, I was let go because I wasn’t the right fit for the job. But yes, that’s the real reason I lost my job and ended up here. No savings and no desire to move back in with my parents will do that to a person. So, Cardon Springs it is.” I try to muster up a grin, but Craig doesn’t seem to see the humor in anything I’m saying.

“Probably a good thing I don’t know who he is or have the time to make an impromptu trip to Dallas,” he mutters.

“Easy, caveman,” I chuckle. “Let’s get back on some solid ground here, shall we? Umm, hockey.” I snap my fingers, the idea coming to me. “Aunt Nancy said you play hockey. That must be fun...and a safe subject to discuss.” I nudge him playfully, finally eliciting a faint smile from him.

“I still play when I can,” Craig says, nodding. “But not nearly as much as I used to. I thought I was going to be a big NHL star. I had the scholarship and the rumors about draft picks and everything. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a damn good mechanic, but I was one hell of a hockey player.”

“Wow, no modesty there at all.”

He chuckles quietly. “I know what I’m good at, Megan.”

I blush for the umpteenth time that day. Not because of what he said, but because of how he said it and the way he looked at me when he said it. Like he was staring into me, not at me. “So, why are you fixing my crappy car when you should be shooting pucks and winning hockey games and making all the women swoon like crazy?”

Craig reaches out and wipes away a droplet of rain that I can feel streaking down the side of my face, his footsteps never faltering. “Because things change, and we don’t always know what’s going to happen next, do we?”

I feel my proverbial foot wedge back into my mouth again, realizing too late that Craig Connelly gave up his dream of being a hockey player in order to be a single dad and give his son everything he needs. “That’s true,” I reply uneasily, letting an uncomfortable silence fall between us again. Jesus, I think. Can I make things any more awkward? “So, you’re obviously one of those guys that makes skating look really easy, huh?”

Another scoff. “It’s one of those things I’m good at, yeah. You can’t skate?”

“I’ve only tried a few times, but I swear, I’m like one of those four-year-olds on the ice holding on to the back of a chair, ready to do the splits like Bambi at any moment.”

He laughs loudly, I’m presuming at the mental image, a sound that dissipates the tension between us. “Well, I guess that settles that, then.”

“Settles what?”

“We’re going skating on Wednesday night,” he advises me. “I’ll teach you.”

“You’re going to teach me how to skate.” It’s not a question. “Why?” I ask, coming up to the front door of the Chronicle office. “Maybe I already have plans,” I add with a smirk.

“You do,” he grins. “With me. Not only because it’ll be fun to have a reason to don a pair of skates again, but because I’m not going to lie, I’m interested to find out if you’re really flexible enough to do the splits like Bambi. Could be a fun night.”

The man has the audacity to wink at me.

I blush, again. Damn him! I open my mouth to retaliate with some kind of witty retort, but he just laughs. “Have a good rest of your afternoon, Megan,” he calls over his shoulder as he makes his way down the sidewalk, heading back toward his repair shop.

Chapter Six

Craig

The repair shop has been a fucking madhouse today. Six appointments, which wouldn’t have been bad if three of them hadn’t turned out to be much more involved than originally planned. It took me all damn day to diagnose the issues, fix what I could, order parts for what I couldn’t, and try desperately to keep every customer happy.

I’m completely exhausted after today, and not only am I realizing that I might have to suck it up and try to hire some help in the shop, but I’m very much aware that I am beginning to feel much older than my early twenties.

No matter how tired I am, though, I still manage to smile with the anticipation of taking Megan out to the community arena in Belltown, about fifteen minutes away, to go skating. The notion of getting to lace up my hockey skates is exciting enough, but getting to spend some one-on-one time with Cardon Spring’s newest addition only makes it better.

Megan is fun, there’s no other way to say it. Obviously, she’s carrying her own baggage, but who isn’t? She’s heard the short version of my sordid story, and she admitted what brought her to this sleepy town, so I feel as though we’ve maybe crossed a line somewhere and actually delved into the realm of being friends.

Or maybe that’s just wishful thinking.

One thing is for sure, however. When I asked my mom if she’d be able to stay with Ellis for a few hours tonight, finally admitting that I was taking Nancy’s niece out to the arena, it’s safe to say my own mother is hoping Megan and I are becoming friends, too. She told me to stay out as long as I wanted, and to have fun. Then, she winked. My own mother winked at me, like she was giving me silent permission to go out and make a move on this girl.

It was all a bit humiliating.