The Dad Next Door

The sofa in the display window invited customers to come inside and get comfortable. Blankets and pillows had been artfully arranged around a tray holding a pretty teapot and two china mugs.

As she’d done in her own home, in this window Allison had created a heartwarming sense of “home.” The exact kind of home he intended to design himself, now that he was starting his own business.

The exact kind of home he wanted to live in, as well.

“Can we go inside, Daddy?”

He was curious to see more, too.

A bell chimed as he opened the door. A well-dressed woman in her forties stood at a table in the back, flipping through a book of fabric samples. Though he couldn’t see Allison, he could hear her speaking. “I think I’ve got just the thing. Hang on a minute.”

Tory spotted a cabinet filled with miniature figurines of people, animals and birds. She squealed with pleasure. “Can I look, Daddy?”

He went to the cabinet with her, noting the ones she seemed to like the most. Her birthday was in October. The miniatures would make a terrific gift.

“These are more expensive,” Allison said, “but just feel them. Pure raw silk. Scrumptious.” She stepped into his line of vision as she set another heavy book of samples before her customer. “If you want to take these home to see them in your bedroom, you can sign them out.”

She glanced up and the moment she spotted him her spine stiffened and her cheeks turned pink.

He smiled. “My daughter is fascinated by your miniatures.”

“Is Tory here?” She went over to the cabinet. “Hi, Tory. Let me unlock this for you.”

Allison’s customer in the back decided she wanted to borrow both fabric books and so Allison left Tory with the figurines as she made a note of the woman’s name and the books she’d taken. When she came back to Tory, she removed a figurine of a woman in Victorian dress from the cabinet.

“This one’s my favorite. Isn’t she beautiful?”

Gavin left the two of them to talk and wandered farther into the shop, drawn by the unique merchandise and the clever displays. Every time he doubled back, he discovered something new.

Several things here would look great at home, he thought. That mirror. The blue-and-red rug. A leather ottoman. At least he thought they would look great. He didn’t entirely trust his own instincts on this. Though he had a good eye for design, soft furnishings had never held much interest for him.

As he browsed, he could hear the murmur of Allison and Tory’s conversation. He was astonished by how much his daughter had to say. She’d barely looked at Allison when they’d met on moving day, and it usually took her a long time to warm up to strangers.

Finally, he had to interrupt. “We should be getting home, Tory.” Allison looked up at him. She had cat’s eyes, green and curious. “I hope we didn’t take up too much of your time.”

“Absolutely not. It’s been fun.” Allison locked the cabinet with an old-fashioned brass key. He focused on her hands, small and delicate, with long fingers and nicely kept nails. The real kind, not the shiny fake ones with white tips that the women in his office back in Hartford had favored.

Tory said goodbye and thanks, without any prompting from her father. It was only as they were walking along the sidewalk toward home that one little detail struck him.

Allison hadn’t been wearing an engagement ring.

CHAPTER THREE

THE WEEK FELT LONG to Allison. She thought about her new neighbors often, but she hadn’t seen them since their impromptu visit to her shop on Monday. Twice, she had had dinner with her father, and then she spent a couple of evenings sorting out her fall inventory, and finally it was Friday.

She closed her shop at six o’clock sharp. It had been a slow day, and she told herself to be thankful for that. In a couple of weeks, when the leaves started changing, tourists would flock to the area and she’d be busy enough. Just as she was about to head for home, her friend Sandy called.

“So, how are things going?”

Allison knew that Sandy meant well, but the sympathy in her tone was annoying. She purposefully made her voice upbeat and happy. “Fine. Everything’s great.”

“Got plans for tonight?”

Though she’d been looking forward to her evening alone, Allison hated to admit it. “No.”

“I could arrange a last-minute potluck at our place. Daniel has this friend I’ve been wanting to introduce to you.”

“Friend?”

“A guy, actually. Barry. He just split with his wife and…”

“No, thanks.” The matchmaking had begun. Allison had known it would be only a matter of time. “I’m not ready to start meeting new guys.”

“Are you sure?”

There was something in Sandy’s voice that hinted at facts that remained unspoken. “Why?”

“Tyler’s already met someone. They’re going out tonight. Gosh, Allison, I didn’t want to be the one to tell you.”

“It’s okay. Really.” And it was. “I hope he has a good time.”

“You could come for dinner, anyway. I don’t have to invite Barry.”

“Thanks, Sandy, but it’s been a busy week at work.” Sort of. “And I have a lot of catching up to do at home.”

Once Sandy had accepted that she really was okay, that she wouldn’t be going home and crying her eyes out, Allison was able to leave the shop.

She wasn’t sure why she’d declined the invitation, when actually she was ready to start dating. It was just that the guy had to be someone special. He had to be…

“Oh, sorry!” As she rounded the corner to Robin Crescent, she almost tripped over Tory on her tricycle. Her father, hovering a foot or two behind her, apologized on his daughter’s behalf.

“We shouldn’t have been going so fast.”

“You weren’t,” she assured him. “It was the hedge. It blocked my view.”

He’d put a hand on Tory’s handlebars and now he steered her to the far side of the walk. He was a protective dad, Gavin Gray.

Also…kind of sexy.

He was wearing jeans and a white T-shirt that showed off nice broad shoulders and a flat stomach. And why was she noticing?

She transferred her attention to his smiling daughter. Since showing her the miniatures, the little girl had warmed up considerably.

“Hi, Tory. It’s a great night for a bike ride. Having fun?”

“Yes.”

“How was the first week of school?” She knew she’d asked the wrong question when Tory’s smile faded instantly.