A Brighter Spark (Xcite Romance) by Mary Borsellino Read Free Book Online Page A

sighed.
    ‘I have a son and a daughter your age. You’re going to have to try so, so much harder than that to offend me, kiddo.’
    Now Suzy thought about it, she was pretty sure that Lily and Henry would get along – Lily would probably take to him simply because his messy dark hair and glasses made him look vaguely like Harry Potter, but the cranky teen attitude would be an added bonus. They could be co-presidents of the We Hate Suzy club.
    ‘Oh!’ she said to Hannah, as something suddenly made sense. ‘If you’re the baker, you’re probably the one who gave your dad those cufflinks, right? The little fork and spoon? They’re absolutely adorable. I love your sense of style. Your hair is super-cute – how do you even get it like that?’
    ‘Oh thank you!’ Hannah patted the soft curls, giving such a bright, bashful blush that she was practically glowing. ‘I guess I just like experimenting with different ways that people used to do their hair in older eras. It’s fun.’
    ‘Well, you’re awesome at it,’ Suzy told her sincerely. Hannah blushed even harder.
    ‘Time for you two to get going,’ Daniel said, herding the pair towards the front door. ‘Henry, Hannah’s in charge tonight, OK? I have to work late.’
    Henry scowled. ‘She’s always in charge.’
    ‘She’s the one with the first aid certificate and the working-with-children accreditation.’
    ‘I’m not children, though!’ Henry protested, outraged.
    ‘Of course you aren’t,’ Daniel replied blithely. ‘Now scoot.’
    ‘I really like babysitting,’ Hannah explained to Suzy as she followed her brother out onto the path to the sidewalk. ‘I like the challenge of making things run smoothly. Anyway, it was nice to meet you.’
    ‘Nice to meet you too. And you, Henry!’ Suzy called to the departing boy. He ignored her completely.
    ‘That was so sweet of you, to notice that the cufflinks were probably her doing,’ Daniel said as they navigated the rush-hour pedestrian traffic towards the train station. ‘Hannah’s never had … It’s been hard for her, I know. I don’t have any sisters, and my parents died shortly before she was born, and her mother left when she was only just barely old enough to remember her at all. So there’s never been any women in the family for her to be close to, to have … Well. It’s made her very self-sufficient, and I am incredibly proud of her. But it’s nice to see someone notice how thoughtful her gifts are, and that her hair is “super cute”.’
    Suzy laughed and laughed at that. ‘I’m sorry. I’m not laughing at what you said, I promise. It’s just that no two words have ever sounded more awkward coming from anyone. Ever. Daniel, you’re wonderful, but you aren’t someone who can sell the phrase “super cute”.
    ‘And trust me, you wouldn’t be under the misguided impression that I’m good for Hannah if you’d ever seen me with my own kids. Just because your kids are perfect angels – well, one perfect angel and one obnoxious but nevertheless somewhat charming angel – doesn’t mean I’m any good at relating to children.’
    They laughed about it together then, but later, when Suzy was at work and alone with her thoughts, it all just made her feel guilty and sad. What Daniel needed was someone who deserved him, and deserved the responsibility of being in his life and his kids’ lives. Suzy knew how incredibly lucky she was to have such a good friendship with the father of her own children. Drew had carried the weight of parenting through times when she couldn’t possibly have coped on her own. Daniel had no idea how useless she was.
    Drew dropped the kids home in the late afternoon, an hour or so before dinner. Lily retreated off into her bedroom immediately, the sound of her stereo turned up loud leaking out through the walls a few moments later. Steve attached himself to the Xbox in front of the TV, completely immersed in the intricacies of his game.
    ‘Nice to