Betsy Amant - Her Family Wish

“He was…surprised.” Hannah chose her words carefully, then sighed. No more lies; that’s what got Abby into this mess in the first mess. “But yes. He seemed upset—mostly because you snuck around. He seemed to think you know better than to wear makeup without permission.”

Abby closed her eyes briefly. “I know I shouldn’t have.” Then she locked her gaze with Hannah’s, eyes shiny with pending tears. “But I’m so tired of being a baby.”

* * *

Abby’s heartfelt admission tore at Jude’s heart, and he rested his forehead against the door frame of Sophia’s classroom, allowing the cool metal plating to calm his temper. He’d hurried to meet Abby after the final bell, ready to walk her straight to the car so he could dole out a much-pondered punishment for her deception over last weekend.

Until her confession pierced his conscience.

Was he pushing her so hard in the opposite direction of her mother that she’d eventually come full circle around the other side?

Jude’s stomach clenched, and he eased away from the door. Hannah shouldn’t have warned Abby about his discovery, though he guessed in Hannah’s shoes he’d have felt guilty, too. Still, did anyone trust him to do things his way for his own daughter?

Maybe his dream of having a big family needed to die. He already struggled to be a good father to the kid he had. Still, growing up as an only child hadn’t been fun. He wanted Abby to have siblings, to be a part of a big family unit she could feel safe in, rely on. Her childhood had been sketchy enough—she deserved stability. Love. Loyalty. It was already too late for a sibling to be close enough in age for her to play with, but she could easily take on the role of protector for them one day. Teach them things, show them the ropes of life.

Assuming Jude didn’t let her fall along the way.

A student hurrying down the hall, probably hoping to catch their bus, scurried past Jude, reminding him he shouldn’t be standing in the hallway imagining things that probably would never happen. He took a step toward the door, then hesitated, Abby’s distressed voice ringing in his ears. She’d been wrong to lie, but he wouldn’t embarrass her further by openly admitting he’d overheard her private conversation with Hannah. He’d back up a few steps and clomp in that direction so they’d have warning.

But Hannah’s soft response stopped him so fast, his loafer squeaked against the linoleum.

“Looking a little different doesn’t make you a baby.” Her gentle voice carried through the quietness of the now deserted hallway. “Besides, no matter what you wear or what you paint on your face, you’re a beautiful girl.”

A warning bell dinged in the back of Jude’s mind. Abby didn’t need frequent reminders of her appearance. Jude knew—from common sense, and from the dozens of parenting books thrust his way in the aftermath of his wife’s desertion—the importance of showing his daughter her worth. But he wouldn’t do that through overly praising her outward appearance and putting ideas in her head of how to abuse that beauty. She had to already know how stunning she was, anyway. Any daughter of Miranda’s had no choice to be otherwise. She didn’t need confirmation.

“I am?” Abby’s voice sounded so tiny Jude almost missed it. A fist landed in his stomach and he sucked in a hard breath. She honestly didn’t know? Impossible. But Abby wasn’t the type to beg for compliments. Beg for attention, maybe, or beg to get her own way—never for praise. He’d made sure of that growing up.

Sudden uncertainty gnawed a hole in Jude’s heart. Had he made sure of too much?

“Of course you are!” Hannah sounded as surprised as Jude felt. “Makeup wouldn’t change that one bit. What’s important is what’s on the inside.” She paused. “And disobeying your father is pretty ugly.”

“I guess I never thought of it that way.”

Jude risked a peek around the door frame, just enough to catch Abby absently scuffing the toe of her shoe against the floor. She wasn’t making eye contact with Hannah, but she was listening.

That was a whole lot further than he’d ever gotten with her.

Why did Abby push him away, yet take the same exact advice from a near stranger? The woman factor must play a bigger part than he realized. Jude ducked back around the corner and ran one hand over his hair, the gelled strands sliding through his fingers. Abby needed an older friend, some sort of constant female presence in her life. Someone to do the girl-talk thing, someone to give a viewpoint on life and morals that wasn’t his own repeating, broken record.

She needed a mom.

The thought broke a cold sweat on the back of Jude’s neck.

He didn’t want to be alone his entire life, and he truly wanted Abby to have sisters and brothers one day.

But out of all the women he’d casually dated over the past few years, there hadn’t been a single one who’d ever come close to prompting thoughts of marriage. Or, for that matter, there’d never been one whom Abby looked at as she’d looked at Hannah—with respect. Sincerity. Admiration.

The exact same things Jude saw in Hannah, despite his lingering aggravation at her interference.

Jude rubbed a hand down his jaw. Apparently the budget stress was affecting him worse than he’d thought. Marriage and Hannah in the same sentence? He’d barely met the woman, and already they’d offended each other twice. He’d seen the look on her face when she stormed out of his office—in the week they’d known each other, he’d given her more reasons to laugh at him than accept an offer of a date. No, that was out of the question.

Jude licked his suddenly dry lips, a rare sense of panic seeping into his soul as Hannah’s soft spoken clarifications of real beauty continued. She definitely had a handle on the concept of beauty that Miranda never had. But he needed to break up the little union forming inside before things got heavier, before Abby got even more attached.

Or before he did the same.

Chapter Five

Heavy footsteps preceded Jude into the classroom. Hannah hopped off the desk as if she were a student getting busted. She knew it’d be a matter of time until he showed up, but she still couldn’t help the twinge of sympathy as Abby’s face fell. The younger girl turned slowly to face her fate, head up, gaze down.

But Jude wasn’t looking at Abby.

“How was class?” He smiled at Hannah, casually—too casually.

She narrowed her eyes. Had he been listening outside the door? She crossed her arms over her chest, immediately defensive although he had every right to hear conversations about his daughter—in his school. Would he be mad she’d warned Abby about the photo? Or had he expected it?

“Class was great.” She had to be honest, even though saying something positive at the moment felt a little like losing whatever this weird battle was she’d found herself fighting.

Jude shoved his hands in his pants pockets and nodded slowly. “Always good to…hear.” A slight smirk lit his eyes as Hannah’s gaze jerked to meet his. Her neck flushed with heat. He’d listened, all right.

Enough of the games. “I better get going. I have a photo shoot to prepare for tomorrow.” Hannah shouldered her bag and offered Abby, who’d been silent during the entire exchange, an encouraging smile. “See you later this week.”

“Who’s your client?” Jude shifted his weight, resting against the side of Abby’s desk as if he had no cares in the world, no punishments to dole out, no points to prove.

No apologies to make.

Though on second thought, Hannah owed him one for her involvement in the first place. Best to call it even and move on.

But she couldn’t tear her eyes away from his arresting blue gaze.