Free Instant Daddy by Carol Voss Page A

Peter’s deep laugh resonated along with Jake’s squeals.
    Jessie couldn’t help smiling.
    “Would you like me to take a picture of you with your lovely little family?” a small, white-haired woman sitting on a nearby park bench offered.
    Jessie should correct the woman’s mistake, but instead, she found herself handing her the camera. “That’s very kind.”
    Peter carried Jake across the grass.
    “Peter, this kind lady has offered to take a picture of us.”
    “Okay.” Giving Jessie a lopsided grin, he moved closer to her and focused on the camera.
    Jessie smiled, hanging on to the illusion of a real family as if a picture could make it true. She heard the camera click. “Thank you so much.”
    “You’re very welcome.” The smiling woman returned the camera and strolled away.
    “Run.” Jake squirmed to get down.
    “He can’t get hurt running on the soft grass, can he?” Peter asked.
    “Not unless he trips and falls.”
    He raised a dark eyebrow. “Are you kidding?”
    “Mostly. He’s very sure-footed. He’s been running on his toes ever since he took his first steps at nine months.”
    Peter set him down.
    Jake took off, his chubby legs churning across the grass.
    Jessie kept her eye on him. “I used to hold my breath every time he hurled himself across the floor. His legs didn’t always keep up with his body.”
    “I’m sorry I missed that.”
    Her heart clutched. He’d missed so many important things in his son’s life. “I’m sorry, too, Peter.”
    He met her eyes. “I appreciate that.”
    “Every father deserves to see his child’s firsts. I have tons of pictures of him. I’ll show them to you and make copies of whatever you want.”
    “I’d like that very much.” His gaze roamed her face as if he couldn’t quite size her up. “Mind if I use your camera?”
    “Be my guest.” She handed the camera to him, his fingers brushing hers.
    Warmth zinged through her.
    He met her eyes.
    Had he felt it, too? She managed to look away.
    He took a shot of Jake running. When Jake noticed Peter clicking the camera, he headed straight for it.
    “What a little ham.” Laughing, Jessie dropped to her knees to catch him, then swooped him into the air and gave his tummy a buzz.
    Jake giggled out of control.
    She lowered him to nuzzle noses and heard the camera click.
    Jake struggled to break away from her. “Jake run!”
    She set him on the ground and watched him run away.
    Camera hanging around his neck, Peter walked over to her and hung his hands on his narrow hips, his white shirt pulling across his chest. “He’s a great kid.”
    “Yes, he is.” They sounded like any parents talking about their child. Having someone to share Jake’s life with her could be a good thing, couldn’t it? And Peter seemed very different from the anxious man at the lectern yesterday. Or for that matter, the one who’d left the diner in a funk this morning. “I think fatherhood agrees with you.”
    “Yeah? Can you see me with a whole houseful of little Jakes? Maybe a few pretty little girls thrown in for good measure?” He laughed.
    Heart skidding to a standstill, she drew in a deep breath of reality. “You want a family?”
    “In my dreams.” He gave her a self-deprecating little smile. “In the real world, I have yet to figure out how I’m going to fit Jake into my life.”
    She knew all about dreams. But she could daydream they’d make a happy little family till the cows came home, and it wouldn’t change a thing. Any man who loved children would want more than one.
    He’d want a woman who could give them to him. And Jessie couldn’t.
     
    That evening, Peter followed Jessie and Jake down the narrow hall with more than a little trepidation. Sure, things had gone better than he’d expected this afternoon. And tucking Jake in for the night sounded simple enough, but who knew what pitfalls lay hidden in a small boy’s rituals?
    He didn’t want to do anything that might hinder Jake’s budding