Daddy Lessons

“Sure. Thanks a lot for the sandwich. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I didn’t mind,” Hailey said, walking to the cupboard to get her coat.

“No. You can’t go,” Natasha cried out. “You have to stay and eat with us. Daddy always says it’s important to eat together.”

Hailey gave the little girl a gentle smile as she pulled her coat on. “Your dad was talking about families eating together,” she said, pulling her hair free from the collar. “Which you are doing right now. You and your daddy are a family.”

Natasha turned to Dan, grabbing his arm and giving it a tug. “Tell her she has to stay. Tell her, Daddy.”

Conflicting emotions flitted across Dan’s features.

Hailey held up her hand, forestalling his answer and giving him an out. “No. I should go. I have some friends waiting for me I want to visit with.” Not entirely true, but there was bound to be someone she knew hanging around Mug Shots.

As she zipped up her jacket, Dan’s cell phone rang.

Dan answered it, then, as he spoke, glanced up at Hailey, frowning. “Yeah, I guess I can,” he said. He ended the call, then eased out a sigh as he held her eyes. “That was Jess Schroder. I need to meet him down at the lumberyard in twenty minutes.”

Hailey bit her lip as she checked the clock. “That doesn’t give me enough time to get to the coffee shop, eat and come back.” She hesitated a moment more, then accepted the inevitable. “I guess I better eat lunch here,” she said, unzipping her coat.

“Sorry about that,” Dan said. “I’ll make sure you get a break tomorrow.”

She just nodded, then returned to the kitchen to make a sandwich for herself. She took her time, not sure she wanted to sit down at the table with Dan and Natasha. The situation smacked of domesticity.

She brought her sandwich to the table, sat down, then bowed her head, her hair falling like a curtain around her flushed cheeks. Dear Lord, just help me get through this, she prayed. Help me act around Dan like I would around any other guy. And bless this food, please, and thanks for all the blessings I have.

She waited a moment, as if to let the prayer settle. When she looked up she caught Dan’s enigmatic expression. She knew what he was thinking. At one time church, God and praying had not figured prominently in her life.

I’m not the irresponsible and goofy girl I used to be, she wanted to say.

Though she kept her thoughts to herself, she was unable to look away, unable to stop the tender stirring in her chest of older emotions. Older attractions.

“Why were you looking at your sandwich?” Natasha asked.

Hailey broke the connection, smiling at Natasha’s confusion. “I was praying a blessing on my food.”