Kate Kelly - A Deliberate Father

Best-case scenario, he’d come up with a solution before he had to fire her. He had a lot of contacts and planned to start looking for a better job for her as soon as he found out what skills she had to offer. Who could resist more money and a nicer place to live? He knew at least two people who owned newly renovated apartment buildings. One of them owed him big-time.

“Anyone home?” A quick rap of knuckles, and the outside door popped open. “Sorry to barge in. It’s started raining again.” A gorgeous redhead burst into the room, followed by a small girl who hung back in the doorway.

The leggy redhead thrust a bouquet of flowers toward him. “Welcome. I’m Melody from 2B. Close the door, Lacey. You’re letting the rain in.” She strode over to the kitchen and started going through cupboards as if she lived there. “No vase. I was afraid of that. I’ll run upstairs and get one.”

She dashed for the door. “Oh, this is Lacey. Lacey, this is…I’m sorry. I’ve forgotten your name. Jason? Justin?”

Melody from 2B smiled, and the day brightened. “I’m, ah…Jordan Tanner.” Way to go, forgetting his own name. “Nice to meet you.” He shook her hand. “And, thanks.” He held up the flowers grasped in his other hand.

“Nell didn’t mention you were so good-looking. I swear that woman needs to get…” She stopped, sparing a sideways glance at the little girl. “Lacey, entertain the gentleman. And take off that wet coat. Nell will kill me if you catch a cold. I’ll be right back.” When the redheaded vision whirled out of the room, Jordan stared at the child who looked small enough to fold up and put in his pocket. She had her mother’s big green eyes, but her curls were fair instead of Nell’s dark hair.

Lacey took off her wet raincoat and carefully hung it over the back of a chair. Looking like a little pink puff ball, topped with frothy blond curls, she smoothed her hands over her pink leotard and adjusted the feathery thing around her neck.

“Hello, Mr. Jordan. It’s nice to meet you.” Jordan couldn’t help smiling as he shook her tiny hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, too, Lacey. Are you a ballerina?”

“Yes. Would you like me to dance?”

“Maybe we should go find Melody first.” He knew squat about kids except they came with a ton of rules. What he did know was Nell had almost killed him yesterday when he’d tried to talk to Jacob. No doubt she’d go ballistic if she found him alone with her precious Lacey.

“Melody will be right back. She’s on the phone.” Lacey dropped a deep curtsy.

“How do you know that?”

When Lacey pointed at the ceiling, Jordan grimaced at the low murmur of someone talking upstairs. Another wave of wet wool, and—what was that smell, mold?—hit him. It felt as though he were light-years, not mere miles, from his condo.

“Look, I’m a kitty cat.”

Lacey hopped and twirled around the room. She didn’t remotely remind him of a cat, but she looked so earnest and serious, he smiled encouragement whenever she glanced his way. Which was often. After a few minutes of watching her twirl on one spot, Jordan started to worry. If memory served him right, kids spewed from far less agitation.

“Lacey? Maybe you better—”

Lacey came to an abrupt halt and flung herself into a heap on the floor. Her head drooped down to her chest. She didn’t make a sound.

“Um…that was an incredible dance. Thank you.” He clapped, hoping the blond curls would stir.

After waiting for a couple of minutes, he reached down to her limp body and wrapped his hand around her amazingly tiny arm. “Are you all right? Did you hurt yourself?”

Like a firecracker, she crackled and fizzed to life as she shot to her feet. “Did I scare ya?” Winding her tiny body around one of his legs, she beamed up at him. Her damp curls framed her sweet, round baby face. Her eyes were so alive with childish delight, Jordan felt a twinge. A twinge of what, he wasn’t sure. Maybe a long forgotten memory from his own childhood. Surely there had been good days before he understood his life was never going to be like the other kids. He shoved the past down, out of sight where it belonged.

He smiled at Lacey, gently tried to shake her off. She giggled and wound her arms tighter around his leg. He started to shove his hands in his jean pockets but ended up sticking them under his armpits.

“Maybe you want to let go of my leg.”

She continued to beam at him as if he’d invented the sun. “Why?”

“Well.” He cleared his throat. “We just met, and it’s not a good idea to…with people you’ve just met it’s maybe better…” He had no idea where he was going with the sentence. Lacey twinkled up at him.

“I have to go to the washroom.” Genius solution. As they grinned at each other, the door banged open.

Nell stood in the doorway, hands on her hips. “What’s going on here?”

Lacey let go of his leg and ran over to wrap herself around Nell’s legs instead. Feeling as if he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have, Jordan scowled at the twin sets of green eyes staring at him. The indomitable duo. Man, if those two sunk their hooks into some poor, clueless guy, he’d be a goner. Thank God he wasn’t susceptible to that kind of thing.

“I was dancing for Mr. Jordan,” Lacey explained.

“The bunny dance,” Jordan added. “It’s fascinating. Have you seen it?”

A smile slowly spread over Nell’s face. As he watched her body relax against Lacey, he felt as if he’d passed some kind of test. “I think you mean the kitty cat dance. Where’s Melody, Lacey?”

“Here,” Melody called from the doorway. “I got caught on the phone.” She turned to Nell. “I have a four-thirty appointment. I’ll have to take a rain check for dinner. Sorry. Nice to meet you, Jason.”

“Jordan,” he murmured.

She turned back from the door and smiled at him. “I knew that. Oh, here’s the vase. You know, if you’re really nice to these two ladies, maybe they’ll invite you to dinner. I hear their exalted dinner guest bailed.”

A bell rang in the deep recesses of the house. “That’s my four-thirty already. Damn that man, he’s always so needy. Later, all.” Melody slammed out of the room. A moment later, Jordan heard her talking to a man as they ascended the stairs.

He turned to Nell and raised his eyebrows. “Is this something I should be worried about?” If Melody was a call girl he needed to know. That was the kind of thing that could easily scare off potential buyers. He watched Nell closely, waiting for her reply. He didn’t think she’d outright lie to him, but neither would she hesitate to protect her friend by not telling the entire truth.

“Do you like curry?” Lacey had crept back to his side and slid her hand into his.

“Um…” He shot a look at Nell, but her face was blank. No help there. “Sure. What kind of curry?”

“Chicken.”

“Did someone say curry? I adore curry, especially, chicken curry.” Mrs. Trembley stumped into the room on short thick legs that, unfortunately, her bright blue-and-red-plaid shorts didn’t cover. She was followed by a frail-looking older man. Had Nell mentioned anything about Mrs. Trembley having a husband?

Nell’s shoulders drooped for a second before she pasted a smile on and turned to Mrs. Trembley.

“Rodney! You’re here, too. Jordan, this is Rodney. He’s a friend of Mrs. Trembley’s.”

“He’s staying with me for a while. Just until he’s feeling better. Isn’t that right, Rodney?” Jordan winced when Mrs. Trembley poked Rodney in his painfully thin ribs.

Rodney nodded in Jordan’s direction but avoided eye contact. He looked as though he was about to pull his forelock and bend a knee. Jordan looked around the crowded room. His crowded room. He already had tenants of every possible description. Why not throw an English servant into the mix?