A Dad of His Own Read online

  “Michigan has the no-fault ruling.”

  “That’s for cars.” Silly talk, but she enjoyed it.

  Ethan rested his hand on the back of a chair. “No men in this group, I see.”

  “The M in MOSK stands for mothers. Mothers of Special Kids.” Still, he’d made a point. She studied his face, wondering why support for men interested him. “A number of us are single mothers, and the married women haven’t asked.” But the question did arouse her curiosity. “You’re a man. Do you think—”

  “Glad you noticed.” A twinkle lit his eyes.

  His look tripped her pulse, and she worked to regained her composure. “As I was saying, do men really want to talk about their feelings?” She eyed him. “I thought men preferred to take action. We have so little we can do to make things better. It’s the emotional ups and downs that cause us problems.”

  His smile had faded. “True for many men, too.” He motioned toward the front of the room. “So, what did you think?”

  “About Dreams Come True?”

  The corners of his mouth edged upward.

  “The idea is wonderful, but…” Why had she added “but”? From his expression, she’d put a damper on his excitement about fulfilling the hopes of sick kids. “My son is not well enough. He’s being homeschooled right now. Clawson district has been great with his schoolwork, but it’s not the same. A child wants to attend school.”

  “They miss the friendships and being part of it all. It makes learning more fun.”

  “I think it does, too.” His compassion touched her. “It’s not that your foundation isn’t a lovely idea. It is. Whoever started this certainly has a generous heart.”

  His eyes searched hers.

  Perspiration dampened her palms, and she ran her free hand down her pant leg while her other clung to her shoulder bag strap.

  A faint frown darkened his face. “But it won’t work for some kids. That’s what you’re saying.”

  She closed her eyes and opened them again, releasing a ragged breath. “Yes. Some aren’t well enough to enjoy trips or days at an amusement park.”

  “But one day maybe. Illnesses go into remission. Sometimes they nearly vanish. Isn’t that true?”

  “True.” Curiosity spiked Lexie’s thoughts. “Have you had a child with—”

  “I don’t have any children.”

  From his sad expression, she feared she’d caused him to feel ill-at-ease.

  His shoulders lifted. “I’m not married, and I’ve only read up on children’s illnesses and read about remissions that cause physicians to marvel. I realize that’s nothing like living it.”

  Not married. Single as she was. She studied his face, wanting to know more about him. “It’s thoughtful that you’ve taken the time to understand what our kids go through.”

  His expression softened. “But it’s not just the children. It’s families. So many without hope.”

  He’d hit truth on the head. She’d tried to keep hope foremost in her mind.

  Lexie glanced behind her and realized they were the only ones left in the room. When she turned back, Ethan was eyeing his watch. She took a step backward. “Kelsey, our moderator, had to leave, but I want to thank you for the presentation and for reminding me that things can get better.”

  “You’re welcome.” He studied her a moment.

  Lexie’s skin prickled with his look. “I’d better be on my way. I have a sitter.”

  He took a step toward the door. “I’m heading out. I’ll walk with you.” He beckoned her forward and fell into step beside her along the hallway to the exit. Neither spoke, and though she wanted to say something meaningful, she felt tongue-tied.

  Outside the April sunshine warmed Lexie’s spirit, as did the memory of Ethan’s smile.

  “My car’s this way.” He pointed two rows over. “I wish we had time to really talk. I’d like to know more about the group, but I know you have things to do.”

  She wished the same, but it was one of those strangers-in-the-night moments, like the old song. “I need to relieve the sitter.”

  He lingered a moment before he turned toward his car.

  Something in his eyes intrigued her. A sensitivity better than compassion. Compassion mixed with sincerity. And hope. She needed uplifting. That’s why she came to the MOSK meetings. She didn’t share much, but when Cooper had good times, she listened to members who were dealing with difficult situations, and while her heart broke for them, she realized how lucky it was when things were going well for her and Cooper. Then she had clouds beneath her feet rather than the usual black muck of depression.

  As she watched Ethan reach his car, a white SUV, Lexie faltered. She’d never introduced herself. Too late now and probably just as well. If she ever fell in love, which she wouldn’t, it would be with a man like him. He sent her pulse skipping, gave her food for thought and, best of all, made her smile. Today, she’d found a real white knight.

  And the knight didn’t even know her name.

  Pulling herself from her ridiculous ideas, Lexie trudged down the asphalt toward her car. She hit the remote’s unlock button, and as she grasped the door handle, her gaze fell on her front tire. Flat.

  She slapped her hood. “No. No. No.” But her words didn’t change a thing. She walked to the wheel and knelt down. The tire couldn’t get flatter. She rose and dug out her wallet and cell phone. Road service. Now how long would she have to wait?

  Ethan sat behind the steering wheel watching…who? She’d never introduced herself, and he’d never asked. She hadn’t moved from where he left her, and that made him curious. Finally, she headed down the aisle and stopped at a burgundy sedan. His interest in her seemed so unlike him. When she’d indicated she was single, his interest heightened, and he realized he was in trouble. He knew many single women, but meeting this stranger today was different. He’d felt a spark.

  She was lovely. He’d been drawn first to her long brown hair with those wispy waves that looked as if she’d been caught in a breeze, but later he’d been struck by her almost straight brows and wide-set eyes, ice blue in color, yet with a warmth that drew him into their depths. But it was even more than that. Something else about her had gotten under his skin.

  As he watched, she stood outside her car as if she’d lost her keys, but he’d heard them jingle in her hand as they walked, so it wasn’t that. He eyed her car and shook his head.

  His key dangled from the ignition. He reached to turn it but stopped when the woman slapped her car hood and walked forward. He waited until she rose and dug into her handbag. He noticed she’d grasped her cell phone.

  He seized his key, then opened the door and strode from the car. “Is something wrong?”

  She didn’t respond, and he hurried between the cars toward her. “Can I help you?”

  This time, she looked up. Relief filled her face. “I have a flat.”

  “Flat?” He slipped past her and crouched. “It’s flat all right.” He rose and grinned. “Now’s a good time to pull out that wrench.”

  She eyed her purse and shrugged. “Sorry.” A grin stole to her mouth.

  Ethan’s chest tightened. “Better yet, a jack will do.”

  Her grin deepened. “I think I actually have one of those.” She motioned toward the trunk. “And thanks for noticing my predicament.” She brushed a strand of hair from her cheek with her cell phone. “I realized after you went to your car, I hadn’t introduced myself. I’m Alexandria Carlson, but everyone calls me Lexie.”

  He grasped her warm hand, feeling its slender shape, while his gaze swept over her again and tangled in the strands of brown hair with streaks of gold. He apprehended his senses. “Do you have a spare?”

  Her smooth brow wrinkled. “One of those spares that’s not a real tire.”

  “A donut.” He noticed how the purple color of her sweater made her eyes even more amazing.

  “Yes, a donut.” She gave him a quizzical gaze.

  Apparently she’d noticed him
gaping. “You can’t go far on one of those, anyway. It’s better we just take the tire in for repair.”

  “No. You don’t have to do that.” She held up her cell phone. “I’ll call for road service.”

  Her expression sent his pulse hopping. “I can’t leave you here without knowing everything’s okay.” One of the idiosyncracies his wife had always teased him about.

  Her eyes widened. “You’re a real gentleman.”

  “Thanks. I try, and who knows how long road service would take? Anyway remember, I wanted time to talk.” His ulterior motive turned to guilt. “I’ll pull your tire off, and we can have it fixed. There’s a place right up the street.”

  “Okay. I’m not silly enough to argue. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” He grinned and held out his hand. “I need to get into your trunk for the jack.”

  Lexie dropped the keys into his palm and stood back. Ethan rolled up his sleeves and went to work. Grateful that the lug nuts came off without a hacksaw, he pulled the tire from the axle and leaned it against the car. “I’ll pull my car up and throw this in my trunk.” He slid past her, brushing his arm against hers, and felt like a teen again. “Make sure your door is locked.” He strode to his SUV, telling himself to stop whatever crazy thoughts were in his mind and be the gentleman she’d said he was.

  When he reached her car, Ethan jumped out and opened the passenger door. She slipped in, her cell phone absent from her hand. Somehow he twisted that fact into the thought that she trusted him. Otherwise she would have had her fingers ready to call 911. He stepped back and rolled his eyes. He’d been attacked by the crazies. After he tossed her tire into his trunk, he settled back inside and shifted into gear.

  “I hope I’m not making you late for work.”

  He forced his eyes to stay focused on the road. “I kept the morning open for the meeting, so no problem. I’m a contractor for a construction firm and spend much of my day on the road. No one misses me except my clients.” He gave her a smile. “And I don’t have an appointment until this afternoon.”

  “Then I can relax, I guess.”

  “You sure can.” He pulled into the street. “I think our meeting was meant to be.”

  She faced him with a questioning look.

  “You’d be waiting for road service.” True, but he meant much more than that.

  A grin played on her mouth. “You’re right.” She leaned against the headrest. “How did you get involved in Dreams Come True?”

  “Short story. When the foundation was looking for people for the governing board from a variety of businesses in the community, I volunteered.”

  “You volunteered.” A quizzical look played on her face. “Any special reason other than you’re thoughtful?”

  A knot tightened his throat. Did he really want to get into all of that? He glanced at her and noted her apologetic expression.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  As always, he tensed when he talked about Laine. “It’s fine.” Getting it out in the open. “This is the hard part.”

  Lexie touched his arm. “No. Please. You don’t have to tell me. I prefer my privacy, too. I didn’t mean to—”

  “It’s not prying. When my wife died, I realized how lonely life had become.”

  Her face washed with sadness. “I’m sorry, Ethan.”

  He kept going, wanting to tell the story, then move to something less depressing. “We had no children, although we’d wanted them, and when my wife died, I was alone. No longer a family. Nothing. It took a while to find my identity as anything more than a contractor for Pelham Homes.” He slowed at the traffic light and stopped.

  Lexie nodded as if she understood.

  “When I learned about this organization that did great things for sick kids, I hoped it would be a way to show compassion, and on a personal level, it helped me connect with children. Sometimes I still wish we’d had a child, though I know it would have made my life even more difficult to raise one without her.”

  She shifted to face him, her eyes filled with tenderness. “How long has it been since your wife died?”

  “Four years. I’ve been functioning for about two.” He managed to smile, not wanting her to think he was still the mess that he had been. Watching the woman he loved suffer and die from ovarian cancer had been a nightmare, but he’d pulled himself together. Only his faith had gotten him through.

  “I think it’s admirable, Ethan. You volunteered and turned a negative into a positive. Everyone should do that.”

  The light in her eyes told him so much. “You’ve done the same, haven’t you?”

  “I try. It’s not easy.”

  “Nothing worthwhile is.”

  She looked thoughtful and seemed to ponder his words. “You’re right. I’ll keep that thought for times when things look dark.”

  When things look dark. Ethan had a difficult time picturing her letting things knock her down. She exuded strength. The light turned green, and he moved ahead, then past the intersection, he pulled up to the tire shop.

  Lexie had become quiet, but when he turned off the ignition, she opened the door and stepped out before he did. He met her by the trunk, and she followed him inside with her tire.

  Once the mechanic had written up their order, Ethan motioned toward the chairs. “We might as well sit.”

  She sank into one, but before joining her, he spotted a vending machine. “Want a pop?”

  “Do they have water?”

  He ambled to the machine and nodded. He dropped in the coins and pulled out a bottle of water for her and a cola for himself. Before he gave her the bottle, he unscrewed the cap.

  She grinned. “Thanks. Always the gentleman.”

  Ethan gave her a playful shrug and settled beside her. Back in the meeting room, he’d longed to get to know her better, and now he couldn’t help but grin, recalling he hadn’t even learned her name until the tire incident. Thank you, Lord, for that flat.

  Lexie’s intense look warned him he’d been quiet too long.

  “I was just thinking. Earlier I’d said I would like to know more about…the group.” Good cover. “And here we are.”

  “The group?” She gave a shrug. “Everyone has a sick child, as you know, but I don’t know them all. I’m good friends with Kelsey. She was the moderator. Her daughter has a brain tumor, but Lucy’s doing well.” She quieted a moment. “And Ava…you remember her. Her son Brandon has Hodgkins lymphoma.”

  “Ava?”

  Lexie grinned. “She’s the one with all the questions about the foundation donor. She’s curious to a fault.”

  He chuckled at her description. “Curiosity is okay.” His own had reached fever pitch.

  “Tell me about your son.”

  Her face brightened. “Cooper.” She ran her finger around the rim of the water bottle. “He’s my joy. Cooper’s seven. A second-grader. He’ll be eight soon. He was diagnosed with leukemia a year ago.”

  Leukemia. The word hit him hard. Cancer. He managed to maintain his composure. “That’s very hard on you.”

  “It’s harder on him.” She lowered her head. “He’s a great kid. You should meet him.”

  A jolt of panic shot through him. He’d like to meet her son. He’d like to get to know her, but cancer? Again? “You sound like a proud mom.”

  “I am. He’s a brave boy. Never complains about the treatment, and he’s very optimistic.”

  The urge to flee came over him, soon usurped by shame. A little boy without a dad. Or maybe he had a dad who spent time with him. “I’m sure his dad’s proud of him, too.”

  Her face darkened, and Ethan realized he’d made a grave error.

  “Cooper doesn’t see his father.” Her jaw tightened, and she looked away. “Mrs. Carlson.”

  Lexie’s arm jerked as Ethan looked up at the mechanic.

  “I found a nail embedded in the tire. The repair will take about twenty minutes.”

  She glanced at him. “Ethan, is this o
kay with you?”

  He nodded, his mind scrambling to find a new topic to discuss. His job—anything to keep him from thinking about the little boy with cancer and no dad.

  “I should call the sitter. She might worry.” Lexie dug into her bag and pulled out her cell. “I’ll just step outside.”

  She rose and strode to the door while Ethan watched her through the window, disappointed at his sense of relief. Somewhere in his crazy mind, he’d been attracted to this woman with the amazing eyes and captivating manner, but his dream had been shot down by one word. Cancer. Laine’s face filled Ethan’s mind. They’d had such hopes and dreams. She’d looked radiant when her CA 125 test came back with good results, and she’d been so brave each time the report was bad news. He’d lived with heartbreak for over two years. He couldn’t watch it happen again. Not to a little boy.

  Chapter Two

  “Can I go to school today, Mom?” Dressed in his jungle-print pajamas, Cooper leaned his head against his mother’s arm, his thick hair only a memory. His chemo treatments had taken their toll.

  “Not today, Coop.” Lexie swallowed her dismay and ran her hand across his bald scalp. She would be overjoyed when he would greet her once again in the morning with his usual bed-tousled hair. “Maybe in a couple more weeks. We have to talk with Dr. Herman first.” She managed a bright smile even though she ached for him. “Brush your teeth and get dressed while I make you breakfast.”

  “Cinnamon buns?”

  An honest chuckle lightened her mood. Her son had the same propensity that she did for those gooey, fattening treats. “Let’s eat healthy today. How about scrambled eggs?”

  He curled up his nose. “Okay.”

  While he meandered toward his room, Lexie pulled herself from the table where she’d enjoyed her morning coffee before sitting behind her computer, her graphic design program open. She’d always been grateful that her career as a graphic designer allowed her to work from home and still make a living.

  She opened the refrigerator and tackled the eggs, and by the time Cooper reappeared, she’d prepared eggs with cheese—he liked that—and toast with jelly. The jelly offered him the sweet taste that took the place of the cinnamon buns he really wanted. The lesser of two evils. “How are you feeling today?”