His Answered Prayer

“You have to understand something. I don’t need anyone, Blair. I can go on with my life the way it was, and I’ll be just fine. I could give you money, support you and Daniel, and you’d probably do a bang-up job of raising him.” He made a sad little face. “But I don’t want to do that. It would be like walking away, wimping out when I know I owe you both more than that.”

He shifted, raked a hand through his shorn hair. Clearly the words made him nervous.

“I don’t understand this family thing you’ve got going here. It’s not part of my experience. You say I’ve missed out, that I don’t understand. I’d like to. I’d like to be the kind of man your grandfather is. I’d like to have Daniel look at me the way he looks at Mac—as if the sun rises and sets on his shoulders.” His hands gripped hers.

“It’s hard to explain, but I’d like to give the boy the things a father should, even though I don’t know what those are. I want to be there to see him grow up and explore his world.” His fingers tightened. “I’m not stupid. I can learn how to be a father. Maybe Mac will even help me. Just don’t shut me out, Blair.”

She hesitated, her mind swirling with doubts. “I don’t know.” He was obviously sincere, she could see that. But for how long?

“Please, Blair, give me a chance. Just say you’ll think about getting married. I can wait, as long as you’ll let me stay and get to know him. We can sort all the rest out as we go along. I promise I won’t rush you, I won’t push you, I won’t abandon you. I just want to share Daniel with you.”

Stymied by his admission of need when he’d just insisted he didn’t need anyone, Blair sought for something to say. It was tempting, so tempting. To be able to share Willie’s medical bills with someone who could shoulder them, to have some of the burden of her money woes lifted, to know Daniel wouldn’t be short-changed because of her childish mistake—it was all there for the taking.

Maybe it could work. Maybe she could have someone to talk to, to share the problems with. Maybe Gabe could be the man she needed, the father Daniel wanted. Maybe she just had to ask.

And that was the problem. Blair didn’t ask for help. Not anymore. She was the one in charge, the person other people depended on. She couldn’t relax that guard.

What was it he’d said? Share it with you. He’d sounded so forlorn, as if he’d never been able to share with anyone. And yet Gabe had been a member of the church, always chaired, hosted and funded a horde of projects, even spoken occasionally to the men’s groups.