Jameson scratched his temple and pondered hard. “I’d have to say her butter chicken was my favorite, but her blueberry pancakes were a close second.”
Amelia beamed and astonishingly gaped at her mother. “Butter chicken is my favorite, too!”
Jameson lifted his brows curiously. Of course it was her favorite.
“Were you and my mom best friends then?”
Daisy began shaking her head, but Jameson quickly replied, “Yes.”
Daisy stopped pouring the pancake mix on the griddle and scoffed. He blatantly ignored her and continued. “I was best friends with your uncle Sean as well. We grew up together, and I actually started my band in your grandparents’ garage.”
“No way!”
“Yep, your mum came to a bunch of my shows. She was—”
Daisy interrupted. “Okay, enough of memory lane. Amelia, please grab some silverware and plates for the table.”
“But, Mom…”
“Amelia, now.”
Amelia grumbled but ultimately obeyed.
“Let me help you,” Jameson said, as he stood from the kitchen island. He and Amelia set the table while Daisy finished off a batch of pancakes. She loaded up a plate and the three of them dug into their breakfast. The first minute of eating was filled with happy moans and smacking mouths. The pancakes were absolutely mouthwatering.
“This is amazing, Daisy.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled, with her mouth slightly full.
The pile of carbs was gone in a flash, mostly due to Jameson’s vast appetite. He was like a vacuum, sucking in every piece as he maneuvered his plate. When their bellies were full, Amelia lay back in her chair and said, “I think I’m gonna lie down for a little bit. I need to give my belly a rest. Wanna watch a movie with me, Jameson?” He simpered at her kindhearted spirit but didn’t want to overstay his welcome, especially on the first go-around.
“Thanks for the offer, kiddo, but I think I’m going to head out.”
Amelia pouted her lip a little and then stood from her seat and threw her arms around him. “Thanks for an awesome day.”
Jameson paused for a brief moment and uttered, “Anytime.”
Amelia pulled back from his embrace and wagged her finger in his face. “Don’t be a stranger now.”
He snorted at her drollery. “I most certainly will not be.”
She quickly hugged him again and then skipped off to her room.
Jameson watched as she rounded the corner and continued to smile even after she was out of sight.
Daisy’s insides fluttered with a feeling that she was not familiar with. If she had to describe it as anything, she’d say it was the closest thing to hope. The hope that Amelia would one day have a relationship with the man whom she thought was just one of her mother’s childhood friends.
“Let me help you with these,” Jameson offered as he cleared the table of plates.
“You don’t need to…”
“Just let me help, then I’ll get out of your hair.”
The pair cleaned the kitchen in silence until the very last dish was put away. When her kitchen was back to normal, Jameson made his way to the front door and Daisy escorted him out. He had taken one step out the front when he slightly pivoted and asked, “What does she think happened to her father?”
Daisy had expected this question from the first moment he had reentered their lives. She wasn’t shaken by the inquiry, so she answered it honestly. “I told her that her real dad was young and had a bright future ahead of him, so the thought of having a baby was really scary.”
She bit down on her lip and continued, “I told her that he loved her but… but that he was in no position to be a dad.”
