Full Force Fatherhood by Tyler Anne Snell Read Free Book Online Page B

him.
    â€œOh,” he said, opening the door wide from its original cracked position.
    â€œOh,” she repeated. Her eyes darted up and down his body. He pictured the pair of shorts and shirt on his bed that he probably should have put on before answering the door. “Sorry. Is this a bad time?” she asked, recovering. A slow pink had risen in her cheeks.
    â€œNo. I just got out of the shower.” He motioned to the towel that hung low on his hips, just in case the droplets of water across his bare skin and his wet hair weren’t enough proof to make his claim believable.
    â€œRight. Um, could I maybe talk to you for a minute? I promise it won’t take long.”
    Mark stepped back and waved her inside, cautious of how loose the towel felt as he moved. After everything they’d been through, he didn’t think flashing Kelli Crane was the best way to start a conversation.
    â€œMake yourself comfortable. Let me go get dressed.”
    Kelli nodded and took a seat on the couch, but only on the edge of it. She was uncomfortable, but why? Mark dressed in record time and sat in a chair across from the intriguing young woman, ready to find out.
    â€œSorry if coming by was too intrusive,” she started. “I may have Googled your number the other night, trying to find your address.” The blush from earlier came back, but not as strong. “I was in the neighborhood, meeting my realtor for some papers, when I realized how close your apartment is. So I decided dropping by might be better than leaving another voice mail.” She gave a little laugh. “Now I see that maybe it was just creepier.”
    Mark still wasn’t sure he could sum up how he felt at seeing Kelli again—especially in his apartment, wearing a pair of tight jeans and a form-fitting blouse—but he didn’t feel creeped out in the least. He hadn’t even thought to ask her yet how she’d gotten into the building.
    â€œIt’s not creepy,” he admitted. “But I am curious how you got in without buzzing up.”
    â€œA man asked me who I was here to see and waved me in.” Her smile was small. “Said he was worried you hadn’t shown up for the gym that morning.”
    He laughed. He really needed to learn Craig’s last name.
    â€œSo what’s up?” Mark asked when it was clear she needed a bit of prodding. “Did they catch the mugger?”
    Kelli shook her head. “They told me they’d call if they did, but so far, no call. That’s partly why I wanted to talk.” She readjusted in her seat and seemed to take a breath before looking him in the eye. “I wanted to sincerely apologize for everything. I shouldn’t have asked you to meet me after all this time just to spin a paranoid theory about a charity, of all places. I just— I guess I thought I’d accepted—to some degree—what happened to Victor. Finding his journal showed me that maybe I haven’t fully.”
    She shrugged, sudden vulnerability showing in each movement. “After I had Grace, I needed to be strong for her—for us—to make it. I suppose I might have buried some feelings rather than faced them. Though creating a conspiracy in my head was probably the wrong route to take.”
    Her gray-green eyes took on a new shade as the conversation left the past behind. The vulnerable side of Kelli disappeared with it. The corner of her lips pulled up into a smile. “To apologize for trying to rope you into my crazy, I’d like to invite you to dinner tonight at my house. And before you say yes or no, I should warn you—my best friend, Lynn, will be there, and, of course, Grace. Most of the house is boxed up. So if you’re expecting fancy, you won’t find it there.”
    Mark tightened his jaw so his mouth didn’t fall open in surprise. Once again, he hadn’t expected their conversation to go the way it had. Being invited