Page 16 of Worth Loving
“Yeah. It was just my sitter.” He never said nanny. Nor did he tell anyone about his house, where he lived, or bring a woman there. There would be too many questions for a manager of a bar.
“Oh.” Her eyes dropped to his left hand.
“I’m single. Single father. Kind of a long story. But I don’t hide it. He’ll come in here yelling my name.”
“And the smile on your face says you love every minute of that.”
“You’d be right.”
If he expected her to turn away knowing he had a kid. Or drop their conversation, it hadn’t happened.
“What’s his name? You said ‘he’ll’ come running in.”
“Jonah.”
“I like that name.”
He had too. That’s why he picked it.
It’s not like Corinda wanted any part in their child.
When it was said and done, she was nothing more than a paid surrogate. It was a damn good thing she didn’t know how much he was really worth, but he was smart enough to have it all done legally and tight.
The woman was out of his life and he hoped for good. Since he hadn’t heard a word from her since a few months after giving birth, it was a good bet.
The front door opened a minute later when he was filling an order, Carly holding it and Jonah dashing in, shouting, “Dad. I’m here.”
He moved out from behind the bar and squatted down for his son to come closer, gave him a high five, then tucked him under his arm like a football.
“So you want a burger? Didn’t you eat lunch?”
“I did but I want more. Can you eat with us?”
He turned to see Molly watching him, a soft smile on her face.
“Daddy is working,” Carly said. “I told you that. I’m sure he’ll come say hi, but he’s got things to do.”
“I do,” he said. “But I’ll come say hi. Let me get you a table.”
He nodded to Molly, brought Jonah and Carly in the back, put them in a booth, then watched as Margo moved over to get their order.
“Boy, he’s a cutie,” she said. “Looks just like his father.”
“Thanks. I think so too.” And helped him not see parts of Corinda in his kid daily either.
“I’m sure all the women love seeing you two together,” she said after a minute. As if she had to think about the right thing to say.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Very few ever last long enough for me to tell them.”
She frowned. “Why?”
“Maybe I’m not as interested in them as they think,” he said smirking, sending her a wink then walking away to get an order.
6
HOTNESS DIAL
Crazy how easy it was to slip into this role again. Who would have thought it?
