Protecting Her Child by Debby Giusti Read Free Book Online Page B

bottom half poking out of the open door of aminivan. Untangling herself from the car, Meredith spied him and smiled.
    â€œI made a new friend in the restaurant.” She pointed to a woman who waved from the rear seat of the van. “She was getting milk for her kids and needed some help. We took the long way around the gas station back to her car.”
    Pete peered inside and counted three kids, none of whom looked school age.
    â€œCan I help?” he asked.
    â€œYou must be the lucky father-to-be. Congratulations.” The woman hefted a toddler into his arms. “Hold Taylor while I buckle Madison into her car seat.”
    The child eyed Pete warily.
    â€œHey there, little guy.”
    Taylor blinked twice, then wrapped his chubby arms around Pete’s neck. “Da-Da?”
    The woman laughed. “No, honey. You’ll see Daddy once his plane lands.”
    â€œJanet’s husband is flying into Hunter Army Airfield after a thirteen-month deployment.” Meredith reached for the tired and cranky big sister who clutched a baby doll almost as tall as she was.
    Taylor nuzzled Pete’s neck, bringing a smile to his lips. He liked the feel of holding a child in his arms. The little tyke was a solid lump of love.
    What had Janet said? Lucky father-to-be?
    She’d jumped to the wrong conclusion.
    Not that Pete objected.
    He looked at Meredith, who was busy distracting the little girl with questions about her doll.
    A strange feeling spread through Pete that had nothing to do with the toddler and everything to do with Meredith.
    Spunky and determined, she made him laugh in spite of her problems. Plus, she was beautiful and, from what he’d seen so far, would make a good mom.
    Too bad she’d have to raise her little one without help. Every child needed a dad. But the thought of another guy moving into Meredith’s life pricked at Pete’s good mood.
    Truth be told, he wouldn’t mind taking on the job of surrogate dad himself. Although he wasn’t sure Meredith would approve.
    She tickled the little girl’s tummy, and the sound of their laughter flowed over Pete, along with the memory of his empty apartment and the nights he came home to nothing except a frozen pizza or fast-food burgers and fries.
    Once the three kids were buckled into their car seats, the woman waved goodbye and aimed the minivan toward the interstate.
    Pete was silent as he and Meredith climbed back into his Jeep.
    Something had changed. A closed door deep within his core had cracked open. A door he’d kept sealed off from the world.
    Being with Meredith and the nice family on their way to reconnect with their military dad had made him even more aware of the void in his own life.
    His career and his research were usually all that mattered to him.
    But, right now, more than anything else, Pete longed for a family of his own.
    Â 
    Tired as she was, and despite the hypnotic hum of the tires over the road as Pete drove through the night, Meredith couldn’t sleep.
    Her emotions were getting ahead of her. Probably the nesting instinct triggered by that sweet family at the gas station. At least those children had a father. But what about her baby?
    She glanced at Pete. His right hand gripped the wheel, his left lay against the armrest. He sat straight, his eyes focused on the road.
    As concerned as he’d been about her health and the safety of her baby, she had little doubt that he’d make a great dad. Watching him hold the toddler in his arms had confirmed that fact.
    Plus he’d gone out of his way to help her—a woman he’d only just met. Initially, she thought his actions were based on his relationship with Eve, but what he’d done had gone beyond helping a friend.
    For an instant, she wished she could be the woman who someday would capture his heart.
    Although as little as she knew about him, Pete could already have a special someone. If there was another woman in his life,