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“Now, Daddy.” Shannon planted her hands on her slim hips, her lower lip thrust forward.
He was not going to the park until he had something to eat and had showered. If they ran into Jillian, he didn't want to look like something dragged through the mud. “Shannon.” He used his stern father’s warning tone so she would understand he was serious. “We are going to eat breakfast, first. Do you want cereal or eggs?”
His daughter’s gaze narrowed into a mutinous glare and he was struck by how much she reminded him of himself at her age. Swallowing another sigh, he realized his parents were true saints for raising six kids, most of them boys. For all the trouble he'd gotten into as a kid, he could appreciate how fortunate it was that he’d grown up in a large family.
And for the first time, he realized he wanted the same thing for his kids.
When his daughter didn't respond, he made the decision for her by going to the fridge for eggs. After a few minutes Shannon flopped into a chair, her chin practically dragging on her chest as he whipped up a batch of scrambled eggs and toast.
Her attitude had mellowed by the time he set a plate in front of her. She dug into the meal with enthusiasm. When she'd finished, in record time, her expression was hopeful. “Now can we go to the park?”
“As soon as I wash the dishes and shower,” he promised, carrying his dirty dishes to the sink. “And don't say it,” he warned, lifting his hand to stop her when she opened her mouth. “You need to learn to be patient. It only takes me five minutes to do the dishes and another fifteen to shower and shave. Surely you can wait that long.”
“I guess,” she said with a long-suffering sigh, as if he'd asked her to wait fifteen hours instead. “But will you at least hurry?”
He rolled his eyes and turned to wash the dishes, leaving them in the sink to air dry. Then he headed for the bathroom. He really did hurry, which was ridiculous considering he'd just lectured his daughter on the merits of patience. Yet he couldn't deny he was anxious to see Jillian again. He’d planned to call her, but chatting in person would be better.
Shannon was waiting outside, Daisy already clipped to her leash by the time he emerged from his room, dressed in soft denim jeans and a blue and gray striped polo shirt. The barbecue at his parents didn't start until two o’clock that afternoon, so they had plenty of time. He and Shannon walked Daisy all around the park, laughing when the dog tried to chase the birds.
It was close to ten-thirty in the morning before they'd made their way to the other side of the park closest to Jillian's house. Even though Alec knew he'd see Jillian later, he walked up to the front door and knocked.
He frowned when no one came to the door. He knocked again, louder, in case she hadn't heard him, but after a few minutes he swallowed his disappointment and drew Shannon away.
“She's probably still sleeping—we'll see her later,” Alex said in a cheerful voice. Jillian’s shift had probably gone later than planned. And she was no doubt tired. “Come on, I'll race you and Daisy home.”
Shannon let out a shriek and took off at a run, Daisy’s short legs galloping madly to keep up. He slowed his pace to let Shannon win the race as they neared home.
He waited until noon to call Jillian. When she didn't answer, he left a quick message, asking her to return his call. After another thirty minutes had passed, he paged her.
Pacing the length of the kitchen, he battled frustration when she didn't immediately return his call. What had happened? Was she still sleeping? Or had she changed her mind? It wasn't as if this was the first time she'd meet his family—the whole clan had been there for Shannon’s birthday.
When his cell phone rang he was so startled he almost dropped it. Quickly he answered. “Hi Jillian.”
“Hi back.” Her voice sounded nasal, stuffed up as if she had a bad cold. “I'm sorry but I'm not feeling well. I think it's better if I stay home rather than pass my germs along to your family.”
He ignored the sharp stab of disappointment. “You sound awful. What can I do? Shannon and I can bring over some chicken soup,” he offered.
She sniffled loudly and for a moment it sounded as if she were crying. “No, I don't want either of you to get sick, but thanks for the offer. I'm sorry. Hopefully I'll feel better in a few days.”
“I hope so, too. Take care of yourself.” He forced cheerfulness into his tone to mask his mood. There were a lot of summer bugs going around. First Shannon had come down with the flu now Jillian had a cold. He should be grateful he was feeling fine, but knew if it were only him, he'd take the risk and go visit Jillian. Dejected, he set his cell phone aside and looked at his daughter. “Jillian is sick, so you and I are on our own for the barbecue.”
“Oh, that’s not good.” She looked as disappointed as he felt. “But it’s okay, Daddy. We'll have fun anyway, right? I'll keep you company so you're not lonely.”
Her comment stunned him. Did Shannon realize how important Jillian was to him? He wouldn't be surprised if she did. His young daughter was amazingly astute, especially when it came to reading other people's feelings. He drew her in for a quick hug.
“I love you, Shannon,” he said in a husky tone. “And don't worry about me. I'm not lonely now that I have you. You and I will be just fine together.”
“Yep,” Shannon readily agreed. “Because we're a team, right Daddy? We are part of the A-Team.”
“Right.” He smiled and kissed the top of her head.
But later that day, while he was truly enjoying himself at his parent’s barbecue, he couldn't help the pang of regret when Amber asked about Jillian.
Because even though he loved his daughter, there was a tiny part of him that longed for something more than just being a parent.
Shannon was important, his daughter meant the world to him, but so did Jillian.
Now that he'd had a taste of what it would be like to have a family, a true partnership like his parents, he wouldn't be satisfied with anything less.
