Daddy Next Door by Judy Christenberry Read Free Book Online

stared at her. “My other mommy used to say that word all the time.”
    “Oh, she talked about pictures a lot?” Jennifer hurriedly said, trying to cover up.
    Nick grinned. He was enjoying watching her squirm.
    “No, that dammed word. What does it mean?”
    Nick could tell by Steffi’s face that she knew the meaning. Annie just stared at her dinner plate.
    “It’s not a nice word, Missy, and none of you should use it. I lost my temper and it slipped out.”
    “You were mad at Daddy?”
    Jennifer drew a deep breath, growing more visibly exasperated by the second. “Missy, you must not call him Daddy. He—”
    But Nick saw Missy’s sad face and interrupted. “It’s okay if we just pretend, Missy. I don’t mind.”
    “Well, I do!” Jennifer returned vehemently.
    Silence fell over the room.
    “Girls, if you’ve finished eating, go wash up and I’ll put on the movie I was telling you about earlier.”
    The room cleared almost instantly.
    “That must be some movie,” he commented.
    “It’s about a circus. An old Doris Day movie that I loved as a child.”
    “I remember that one. It was good.”
    “Yes. Now, show me the picture.”
    And leave . They were words she left unspoken, but Nick heard them.
    Without wasting any more time he opened the album and showed her several pictures of him and his family, including his aunt Grace.
    Jennifer went over them with a shrewd eye. “I’m not sure that’s really her. It could just be someone who looks like her.”
    With a sigh, he said, “We could go visit her in the assisted-living facility. Would that convince you?”
    “Yes, but I can’t leave the kids.”
    “You don’t have someone who could baby-sit them?”
    “No.”
    “Not even a friend who could watch them just for an hour?”
    She closed her eyes and he gave her time to think over her friends.
    “Maybe, but not tonight. I could try to get someone to look after them tomorrow for a little while.”
    “Well, if you’ll let me stay in the apartment tonight, then we’ll go visit Grace tomorrow.”
    “I suppose so…”
    “Are you going to stay and watch the movie with us?” Missy asked Nick as she returned from washing up.
    “I’m sorry, sweetie, but I don’t think I can. I haven’t been invited.”
    As he’d known she would, Missy began pleading for his presence.
    Jennifer held up her hand to stave off her pleas. “Missy, he hasn’t had his dinner yet. We can’t—”
    “All it is is a frozen pizza,” Nick said. “If I could cook it over here, we could go ahead and start the movie. I’d love to see it.”
    Even Annie, who had wandered into the room, clapped her hands at that suggestion. Jennifer drew Annie into her arms and nodded. “Fine. Go get your pizza.”
    “I’ll be right back.” He had a suspicion that Jennifer wouldn’t let him in again, once he’d left her apartment. So he intended to hurry and get back before she could change her mind.
    He really wanted to see the old movie.
    At least that’s what he told himself.
     
    N ICK KNOCKED ON THE DOOR the next day at the appointed time. To his surprise, his knock was greeted with excited barking.
    When the door opened, Jennifer appeared ready to leave.
    “Wait a minute. I heard barking. Do you have a dog?”
    “Yes, we do,” Jennifer said with a smile.
    “I haven’t seen one before. When did you get it?”
    “This morning. Now, can we go?”
    Missy pushed the door open wider. “Daddy, look at our dog!”
    A puppy almost as big as Missy pushed its way into the doorway.
    Cries not to let the dog escape, coming from within the apartment, had Nick bending down to impede the animal’s progress. “Whoa, there, big guy. Where are you going?”
    The dog began licking his hand and trying to jump on his chest, and he petted it as he stood, moving it back into the apartment. “A yellow lab?” he asked Jennifer.
    “Yes, blond like the girls.”
    “And you.” He reached out and tugged playfully on her own blond locks. The