Carolyne Aarsen - Unexpected Father

Do what comes next? If only it was that easy.

Or that painless.

Chapter Four

“This book was too depressing.” Mia Verbeek tilted her head to one side, her dark eyes, emphasized by the pixie cut she favored, flashing as if challenging anyone else gathered in the back room of Shelf Indulgence to dispute her opinion. “I would not have read it if it wasn’t a book club book. After taking care of four kids all day, reading about this woman’s struggle to love was a downer.”

“I found it challenged my view of the romance of family life,” Angie, one of the newer members of the book club, said, slipping her green-rimmed glasses back on her face.

“I’m voting for depressing,” Jeff Deptuck said, leaning forward, his grin encompassing the entire group. With his light brown hair, high cheekbones and the faint cleft in his stubbled chin, he exuded charm and goodwill.

“Of course you would, Captain Sunny-Side-Up Deptuck,” Angie returned.

Evangeline held back a grin, watching the sparring between Jeff and Angie, the latest additions to the Hartley Creek book club that met at the bookstore.

Everyone in the book club knew that Jeff had a not-so-secret crush on Angie. Trouble was, Angie was very vocal about her resistance to any form of romance.

“I still say it was worth a read,” Renee Albertson replied, twirling a strand of her brown hair around her finger, closing the book on her lap and looking around at the other members. “It wasn’t as over the top as the police procedural Mia insisted we read last time.”

“I have to agree with Mia’s take on the book,” Sophie Brouwer spoke up, her blue eyes twinkling, her permed white hair bobbing as she nodded. “This book was dark and sad. I’m surprised you chose a story like this, Renee, given that your own life is in such a happy place right now.”

Renee just smiled as Evangeline stifled a flare of envy.

Renee’s fiancé, Zach, was the perfect hero. Kind. Considerate. Attractive in a cultured sort of way.

Just the kind of guy she would have loved to find and still hoped that she would. Someday.

A thump from the other side of the hallway caught everyone’s attention and made Evangeline sit up.

When she and Denny had returned from the grocery store, she’d seen he was at a loss for what to do. So she’d helped him feed Ella and get her sleeper and diaper on for the evening. While she’d given Ella a bottle, he’d set up the portable crib they’d bought at the hardware store. When she’d finally left, Ella was sleeping. Even so, she’d felt as if she was abandoning him, but she’d had her own schedule to keep.

And while she felt bad for Denny, he was a virtual stranger to her and on some level she wanted to keep some distance between them.

“Is that your new neighbor?” Mia asked, her eyes flashing with anticipation.

Evangeline clutched her book, her eyes riveted on the pages she had opened it to. She didn’t want to think about Denny moving into her father’s space across the hall. Two weeks ago she had told this same group, with much anticipation, how her father was coming back and soon this store would be hers.

Time to cash that reality check.

“He’s probably rearranging the furniture to make room for Ella’s crib,” she said, flipping a page of the book and looking up, ready to change the subject. “I found it interesting that it took the heroine half of the book to realize what she wanted.”

“I still can’t believe someone dumped a baby on him,” Angie said, obviously not ready to drop the topic of Denny. “Who would do that?”

“You don’t always know what a person is going through or why they make the decisions they do,” Renee said quietly, giving Angie a careful smile that spoke of tough choices Renee herself had made in her own life.

“That was kind of you to help him out with that little girl,” Sophie Brouwer said, patting Evangeline on her arm.

“I couldn’t leave him alone to figure it out.” Though she still felt bad for leaving him when she had. Trouble was, how much could she realistically do? She barely knew Denny as it was.

“Poor guy probably didn’t have a clue,” Mia said. “I have to say I’m crushed that you didn’t call to ask for my advice.”

“You’re way too busy with your shop and your four kids,” Evangeline returned.

“That’s the truth,” Mia said with a sigh. “I’m just thankful I could get Blythe to watch the kids tonight.”

“So what’s the deal with this Denny guy?” Renee queried. “I thought you said he was leasing the ranch?”

“Apparently he’s trucking and ranching. Just like my dad.” Evangeline couldn’t keep the faintly bitter note out of her voice. Her own feelings about her father were still a confusion of anger and disappointment. But simmering beneath this was a frustration that he still created this storm of mixed emotions. She’d thought, after all these years, she had insulated her heart from her father’s unmet expectations.

And he still hadn’t called her.

“What’s he like?” Mia asked, leaning forward in her chair. “Hero material?”

“He’s a trucker and a cowboy. Neither of which are my type, so have at ’im, girl,” Evangeline said with a dismissive wave of her hand.

“I’ve got a divorce behind me and four kids to raise. Not interested,” Mia said with a short laugh. “Though Kelly at Mug Shots says he’s got that rugged good-looking thing going,” Mia continued, as if trying to persuade her friend to give the guy a chance. “And apparently he has gorgeous eyes.”

“Why are you rhapsodizing over him if you’re not interested?”

“I was thinking of you. You’re always looking for a hero.”

“I’m a hero,” Jeff put in with a wink.

Evangeline laughed. “You’re a fireman. You’re everybody’s hero.”

“Only to some,” he said, cutting a quick glance Angie’s way.

But Angie was looking at her book, her long blond hair falling across her face, the corner of her lip tucked between her teeth.

The way Jeff looked at Angie created a twitch of envy. She doesn’t know what she’s missing, Evangeline thought.

“You’re looking pensive,” Emma spoke up, giving her a secret smile as if she knew what Evangeline was thinking. “Something bugging you?”

Evangeline gave her a tight smile followed by a light shake of her head. Evangeline and Emma had become good friends when Emma had moved to Hartley Creek a few years ago. Evangeline had stood up for Emma when she’d married Carter. Tyler had been her escort to the wedding.

Evangeline remembered too well how she’d felt at that wedding, dancing with Tyler. His attentiveness and good looks were the epitome of everything Evangeline had hoped for in a future husband. In fact he had made Evangeline hope that someday she might be escorted down the aisle wearing a white dress and translucent veil.

But she’d discovered Tyler liked the idea of a girlfriend more than the idea of a wife. And from the way her father was acting she doubted she could count on him to be present should that momentous day ever come.

Evangeline caught herself and gave herself a mental face palm. Enough with the gloomy thoughts. Move on. Follow your own advice to Denny. Do what comes next.

Another thump from across the hall caught her attention. Seriously, what was he doing over there? Obviously moving in was noisy work.

“So now we need to decide on a book for next time,” Sophie Brouwer was saying. “Any suggestions? Evangeline, you usually have some good ideas.”

Evangeline glanced down at the list of books she had, indeed, come to book club with. But as she looked at the titles she released a wry smile. One was about a young girl being reconciled with a father after a long separation during the California Gold Rush. The other was about a father looking for his lost daughter during the Spanish Civil War.