although back in the day, I guess I helped couples become single parents.”
He didn’t appear especially proud of that last part, and she could understand. She also understood that she had to remain silent when it came to her situation and how she managed to get to where she was now. Not only was secrecy about her escape from Phoenix with her son a necessity, but Garrett being a lawyer was a danger, not only to her but to those who had helped her.
And then she thought about what he’d just said.
“What does my being a single parent have to do with you?”
He picked up an envelope from his desk, pulled a folded paper from it and handed it to her. “This might answer your question and explain why I’m acting rather strange.”
She studied him for a moment, trying to decide if he was kidding. Unable to tell, she unfolded the letter and began skimming the handwriting. It didn’t take long before the skimming stopped and the reading began. From what she could tell, it was what people called a kiss-off letter, but it wasn’t Garrett who was getting dumped, it was the little girl. Her name was Sophie Miles, and apparently she was Garrett’s daughter.
Glancing up at him, she asked, “Were you aware of this?”
He stuffed both hands in his pockets and shook his head. “Not until Tootie gave me the letter.”
Libby looked around to make sure no one was nearby. “Are you sure you’re the father?” she asked in a whisper.
“She looks exactly like my sister at that age. Right down to the freckles across her nose.”
Libby didn’t want to make things worse for him, but even he should know that a resemblance wouldn’t stand up in court. “That’s definitely a good sign, but—”
“I intend to have a paternity test done, if that’s what you’re going to say.”
She studied him. “You really didn’t have a clue?”
“Absolutely none.”
By the set of his mouth, she knew she shouldn’t push it. Maybe he hadn’t known, but whether he had or not wasn’t the question. “I guess I should congratulate you,” she finally said, not knowing what else she could do. “It isn’t every day a man learns he’s the father of a four-year-old. And just so you know, you were lucky to miss the diaper and potty training years.”
He gripped the coffee cup tightly in his hands and stared into it. “That doesn’t convince me that this is going to be easy.”
She smiled. “It isn’t.”
He looked up with a pitiful smile of his own. “Which is why women have babies, not men.”
“You just keep thinking that,” she replied, swallowing a chuckle.
Their conversation came to a halt when Tootie returned with the little girl. “She’s hungry,” Tootie announced.
Libby looked at Garrett. “Is that the other half of your sandwich?” she asked, pointing to the sack on his desk. “You could give it to Sophie.”
“I don’t know why not. I seem to have misplaced my appetite.”
Tootie took the sack from Libby and bent down to Sophie. “The break room would be a much better place to have lunch than here in this busy office. Let’s take it in there, and I’ll get you another glass of milk. How would that be?”
The child nodded, but didn’t speak, and as Sophie followed Tootie out the door, Libby wondered why. But before giving any more thought to it, she realized how long she’d been there and that she still had the letter Garrett had given her in her hand. “I’d probably better be on my way,” she told him, giving the folded paper back to him. Turning for the door, she was almost in the hallway when she heard him speak.
“She hasn’t said anything. Not a single word.”
Libby looked back, but wasn’t sure how to answer. “She may be shy,” she tried, hoping that would ease the lines that had deepened between his gray eyes. “After all, everything here is new to her.”
He nodded, but the worry on his face remained. “Including me.”
She pressed her lips together, wondering if there was anything she could say that would cushion his shock at learning he was a father. But she didn’t feel she knew him well enough to give him advice. “You’ll both do fine,” she offered, hoping that would help at least a little.
He shook his head. “I don’t see how we can. I don’t know the first thing about raising a child.”
“Neither do most mothers with their first,” she pointed out. “But they learn.”
“No, women are endowed with maternal instincts.”
“Endowed?” she asked, laughing.
“You know what I mean. And I’m serious. I really don’t know what to do.”
“You’ll learn, Garrett, and before you know it, you’ll be a great father.” At least she hoped he would be. All he really needed was to get off to a good start. To do that he needed—”Why don’t you have your sister take a look at Sophie? Make sure she’s in good physical shape, and then go from there.”
His worry lines eased a little, and a hopeful smile appeared. “You’re right. I’ll take her to see Paige today. Thanks, Libby.”
“You would have thought of it yourself.” Before he could deny it, she hurried on. “I’d better be getting home. I’m working the night shift, too, and Noah will be home from school soon.”
He nodded. “Thanks again.”
“Any time.” But something kept her from taking that step away. Surely she could do something else for him. She wouldn’t have to get involved, just offer a little support.
“Garrett?”
When his gaze met hers, she saw that his usually bright eyes were clouded with worry. “If you need some help—you know, a question about food or clothes or whatever—let me know.”
His eyes cleared, and then his smile slowly appeared, spreading wide. “Yeah. Yeah, I’ll do that.”
Good grief! she thought as she hurried down the hallway toward the main door. Was she out of her mind? The less she was around Garrett Miles, the better. But, fool that she was, she’d just offered to help.
Chapter Two
Garrett had hoped the waiting room of the small medical clinic where his sister was the only physician would be empty. He should’ve known it wouldn’t be, but hope seemed to be the only thing he had left. He was worried. Sophie hadn’t spoken a word since Tootie had taken charge of her at the city building nearly four hours earlier. Even now, as she and Garrett stepped inside the waiting room of the clinic, she was silent, holding his hand with a grip a wrestler would admire while she clung to her teddy bear with her other hand.
Don Fulcom, the husband of one of the nurses, sat in a chair, thumbing through a magazine. He looked up as Garrett and Sophie crossed the room. Garrett nodded in greeting and guessed the man was probably there to pick up his wife.
“Hello, Garrett,” Cara Milton said from the other side of the receptionist’s window.
Garrett noticed she was trying hard not to stare at Sophie, and he tried just as hard to ignore her obvious curiosity. “Is my sister free?”
She turned to look into the hallway behind her before answering. “Not quite yet, I’m afraid, but she shouldn’t be too much longer.” She crooked a finger at him, and he leaned closer, hoping she wasn’t going to ask him about Sophie. Instead, she asked, “Would you like to wait in her office?”
He looked down at Sophie, so small and silent next to him, and he nodded.
Cara