Doorstep daddy (31 page)

_{He laughed. "Right." He pressed her hips closer to his. "I'm here, ready, willing and sort of able."}

_{She giggled. "Let me be the bearer of bad news. The}

_{kids are due home from school in twenty minutes. And Mark will be awake at any time. Besides, I have those faxes to type and send."}

_{"All we do is work, work, work."}

_{She reached between them and stroked him, emboldened into playfulness. "Complaints from the peanut gallery?"}

_{"Who you calling a peanut?"}

_{They were laughing when they finally got out of bed, Callie only slightly regretful about pointing out reality to him. Her body ached so sweetly, so lovingly, that she never wanted reality to intrude again.}

_{In the hallway he kissed her deeply, expressing his emotions without words. Callie melted against him. When he raised his head finally, he said, "I won't hurt you, Callie. I promise. I need you and love you just for me.}

_{She hoped so, aware of the concession she was making in her life.}

_{"Thanksgiving's in a few days," he said. "It's a time for family. Will you come be with me and the kids as part of our family?"}

_{Callie burst out laughing. "Richard, you just took ten giant steps again."}

_{"I did?" He looked genuinely puzzled before he smiled. "Oh, well, if you've got it, flaunt it. Will you come? I promise to make everything."}

_{"This I've got to see." Even though her sister Gerri had the holiday dinner at her place every year and Callie cooked the turkey, she couldn't resist Richard's invitation. In truth, she wanted to be with him and the children, a baby step for which she was ready. "Yes, I'll come."}

_"Great."

_{Gerri could cook the turkey herself for once, she thought, although she dreaded telling her sister.}

_{The business phone rang downstairs, just as she heard Mark calling from his crib in his room.}

_{Richard grimaced. "Not a moment too soon. I'll get Mark. You get to work."}

_{"No, I'll get Mark," she said. "You go talk to adults, and I'll talk to the resident toddler. You've got some other local callbacks you have to make, anyway. Better do them before the end of business today."}

_{He left her with a last kiss, after which she went in and saw another of the men in her life. Mark grinned at her.}

_{"Want potty, Callie."}

_{"Good Lord, child," she said. "You're going right into superhero territory, aren't you? You and your uncle. Come on, kid, we'll go make superhero history."}

_{As Callie helped the miniature Holiday through his paces in the bathroom, her mind held fast to the real Holiday man in the family and what he offered.}

_{She was on board a train she no longer wanted to stop.}

_{"Wow.
A
n
A on that algebra test. Way to go, Amanda!"}

_{Richard gazed at the paper his niece had proudly presented to him. Amanda had worked hard in the past few days on the math chapter after a quiz showed she had a few gaps in her knowledge. Richard had worked with her, Callie's presence in the office alleviating lack of time and business worries for him. He was proud of his niece for her accomplishment and told her so.}

_{He was also proud of Callie for loving him. He knew she was taking a chance that he and the kids wouldn't overwhelm her needs. He just had to make sure that didn't happen. Right now things were working. He wor
ried a little about how they would handle the first bump in the road, but not enough to let it diminish what they'd achieved so far. His life was on an upswing, and he'd be damned if he'd send it in the wrong direction again.}

_{"I've asked Callie to Thanksgiving dinner," he said to Amanda. They were in his office. Callie had been right. It had been good to talk to adults about business. He wondered how she was doing with the resident toddler, who was out with her for a walk. "I've done some shopping already and I'm going to make the turkey and all the trimmings, because I don't want Callie to do any more than be our guest. How about helping me with the dinner? Do a good job, and I'll let you go to one of Joey's basketball practices. If Thanksgiving goes well and you have no slipups about getting home on time from the practice, then maybe we can talk about when true parole can begin. Think of this as a good-behavior test."}

_{"Okay." Amanda frowned. "I'll do whatever you want...but I won't have to stick my hands in the dead turkey, will I? It's disgusting."}

_{Richard laughed. "No. There's plenty more to do than that. I'll be the disgusting one, no fear."}

_{"What's disgusting?" Jay asked, wandering in.}

_{"We're talking about Thanksgiving dinner. I'm making it, including stuffing the bird, which your sister finds disgusting to touch because it's dead, although she likes to eat it."}

_{"Ooh. Can I help?"}

_{Richard grinned lopsidedly. "One girl's disgust is one boy's delight. Sure - if you wash your hands thoroughly first"}

_{Jay made a face. "You guys always make me do that. What else are we having?"}

_{Richard brainstormed with the two on the rest of the meal. They split up the chores, too. Learning to make things fun for the children actually made it fun for him. He had to admit that marshaling his troops felt good. He looked forward to Thanksgiving now, having held out a carrot to Amanda to get her cooperation and with Jay just being Jay. He'd probably have to hose Jay down after they stuffed the bird just to keep the kid near the health street's straight and narrow. Callie would be in for a big surprise - and another lesson in Richard Holiday's brand of love. His cousins had been right. Just go with the flow. Helping it along didn't hurt, either.}

_{The front door slammed, drawing his attention. Amanda and Jay jumped, startled by the sudden noise.}

_{"For once it's not you, Jay," Richard said, frowning. "Don't tell me Mark's started now."}

_{"I'll go see," Jay volunteered. The boy raced from the room, then shouted, "It's Callie and Mark."}

_{"Like I couldn't figure that out," Richard muttered, shrugging. Amanda giggled and left him to his work, sorting through another of the files Callie had updated. The woman was good. Too bad she'd filed that protest about her old job and finally talked with the person who'd called her - they'd tracked the woman down eventually. Richard wondered if he could up the business ante as Callie furthered their personal relationship. At the rate she was going, she would make his business a lot of money. Herself even more. If nothing else, he'd learned he'd gone in the wrong direction by hiring nannies, au pairs and housekeepers for the kids. He should have been hiring a business assistant, instead, while dealing with the kids himself.}

_{"Ah, the woman of the hour," he said cheerfully when she entered the office.}

_{"Tell that to my sister," she said between clenched teeth.}

_{"Now what?" Richard asked, although he could make a good guess. "She's not after you again about being here, is she?"}

_{"Are there craters on the moon?" Callie practically ripped her coat down her arms. "She stopped me on the street while I was walking with Mark to give me a lecture on propriety."}

_{"Good thing she didn't see us at nap time," he said, grinning at her.}

_{"I'd love to shove nap time under her nose." Callie shivered. "I'm sorry, Richard, that my sister is such a...prude. I don't know what's wrong with her."}

_{"Your sister's problem is hers, not mine. Or yours. Ignore her. You're here for many legitimate purposes, not the least of which is just being with me. In fact, that's the best part."}

_{Callie's brow furrowed. "I don't know. Richard, what if she's right about the neighbors' gossiping? I don't want to cause you, or especially the kids, who are innocent, any problems."}

_{"Hush." He rose from his chair and put his arms around her. "That's enough of that nonsense. Nobody gives a damn about me and you and the kids being together all day or all night. And if they did, then you can have them. We're happy and the kids are happy. I love you, Callie, and that's all that matters."}

_{"I know. But I don't want to make trouble for you," Callie said.}

_{He would have kissed the words away, but the doorbell rang. A second later Jason yelled out, "It's Joey's mom, Uncle Richard!"}

_{Callie broke away from Richard's embrace. "Now what?"}

_{"Let's find out." He took her hand and led her into the foyer.}

_{Gerri stood just inside the door. Her hair and makeup were impeccable, her casual suede jacket sinfully expensive and her expression daunting. The grim fine of her mouth said she was an angry unhappy woman. Not even the pouty peach lipstick she wore erased the impression.}

_{"Good," Gerri said crisply. "I think Callie needs to hear the truth, so I'm glad she's here. I recognize, Richard, that you are a diplomat, a man with beautiful manners. I know that you don't want to hurt my sister's feelings in what must be an increasingly intolerable situation for you. You've been very kind about this. Far too kind. But she's been here far too much, annoying you, so I'm sure - "}

_{"Callie does not annoy me," Richard broke in, his blood pressure rising swiftly. Callie stood next to him, surprisingly silent.}

_{"Maybe not." Gerri smiled archly at him. "My sister can be charming when she wants to be. But people around here are noticing her presence and saying less than acceptable things about it. It's reflecting on her. It's reflecting on me. And on you, something I'm sure you don't want. I've tried to tell her several times that she's behaving foolishly, but she won't listen. Now she's wormed her way from being a nanny for you into this job, or whatever she now claims she's doing here. I know there's a...convenience in this situation. You're a man. I understand that. A very kind man. I know Callie is not the kind of woman with whom you'd form a long-term relationship, but it seems you're far too polite to tell her that yourself. I don't want to see her hurt, but
it's become ludicrous for all of us. I think now if you just tell her the truth..."}

_{The more she spoke, the more Richard gaped. He could feel his jaw dropping farther and farther in astonishment Finally he found his voice and roared,
"Are you nuts?"}

_{Gerri's eyebrows shot up, and she backed away a step. "I...I..."}

_{"You have to be," he said, stopping her stammering. "How you can think that load of nonsense is beyond me. I love your sister.
Love.
She's here because I want her here.
Want.
I don't give a damn what you or anyone else thinks in this neighborhood. If you've got nothing else to do with your life than be jealous of Callie, then too bad, only, butt out of my business."}

_{Gerri stared at him, wide-eyed.}

_{"Your sister sacrificed herself for her family. You had it easier than she did. Far easier, but you don't give her a break. Did you know she lost her job?"}

_{"Mom said something about it - "}

_{"And did you offer her any help whatsoever?"}

_{"Well, no." Gerri looked helplessly at Callie.}

_{Callie said, "Richard, it's okay."}

_{"No, it's not okay," he said to her. "Your sister ought to be ashamed of herself, coming in here and accusing you of a bunch of crap like that. They usually shovel it out from under an elephant's backside." He hardly sounded diplomatic, but he didn't give a rat's behind. To Gerri he said, "All I've got to say to you and any of the other people around here is, get a life and stay out of mine. Got that?"}

_{Gerri nodded. Suddenly she burst into tears.}

_{"Jeez," Richard said, totally disgusted.}

_{Gerri wailed even louder, then turned and ran out the door.}

_{Richard grinned. "Good, now she knows/'}

_{"Knows what?" Callie asked, glaring at him.}

_{Richard stared at her in shock, realizing she was angry with him. "Callie, you can't tell me you were buying into those tears. Or anything else."}