Tempting Prince Charming, page 9
“You already knew you loved Felicity. But Thad…well, you know he’s always been stubborn.” Angelo finished his beer and collected his coat from the chair.
Jared sighed. “Time to go already?”
“You don’t want to go home to your baby and beautiful wife?” Angelo teased.
The lawyer grinned. “Actually, I’m looking forward to it. What about you? You haven’t dated in a while. Maybe I need to make a bet with you, too.”
Angelo laughed. “Between you and my mother, I will be married in a year. No, I need to get back to the restaurant.”
“All work and no play—”
“—Is exactly what you used to do,” Angelo finished for him. “And right now, it’s all I need.”
Veronica held herself steady by leaning against the counter while she took an order from a customer. Something wasn’t right. It had started about an hour ago with a slight dizziness that she hadn’t been able to shake off, and it was only getting worse. At first, she’d assumed she just needed to eat something, so she’d nibbled on a cranberry muffin and drank half a bottle of water. But the dizzy feeling came and went over the last several hours.
Veronica finished taking the woman’s order and looked around for Zelda, who was about to introduce open mic night. Her other employee, Zach, was filling the orders she’d taken.
Breathe. You’re just tired. You’ve worked hard this week, that’s all.
On Monday, the school had called for her to pick Lyra up—the whole class had been sent home early with flu symptoms. Even the teacher had gotten sick. Tuesday, Wednesday, and all day Thursday, Veronica had pulled true double duty: wiping every surface of the apartment with sanitizers and pulling espressos in the coffee shop while a baby monitor helped her watch over a sleeping Lyra and an extra part-time employee covered the times she had to run upstairs to be more hands on. Meanwhile, the coffee shop seemed busier than usual, and she was forcing herself to palm vitamin C every few minutes to make sure she didn’t come down with the flu herself. She couldn’t afford to get sick now.
You don’t have it. You’re not sick. You’re fine…
You’re delusional.
Normally she was great at lying to herself, but not now. God, she probably did have the flu. She closed her eyes, focusing on breathing deep. She didn’t have a fever and she didn’t have a cough, but she’d keep herself slightly distant from the customers just in case. It could also just be exhaustion, which was totally possible given her schedule this week. She needed rest, that’s all. Just needed to lay her head down on the counter for a minute…
“Veronica?” Thad’s deep voice sounded like a wonderful dream. “Veronica?” A note of concern entered dream Thad’s voice, which puzzled her. She drowsily opened her eyes and saw Thad standing in front of the counter. He looked damn good in jeans and a navy blue crew neck sweater. His hair was in that same artfully messy style as before. How was it men could have such great hair and do absolutely nothing to it?
“Oh, hey.” She tried to smile but she was tired, so tired. Her limbs were as heavy as lead.
“You okay?” he asked. “You look a little pale.”
“Yeah, I’m fine. I’m just a little run down.” She put all of her energy into her smile this time and he relaxed.
“Any requests for tonight?” He leaned against the counter, a smile so sweet and seductive on his face that for a second, Veronica didn’t breathe.
“Requests?”
“What do you want me to sing?” His look of excitement gave her back a tiny bit of her own energy.
“Sing anything you want. You could sing the ABCs and it would go platinum.”
“Well, maybe not that. Hmmm… What to pick…” He chuckled; his eyes lit up with mischief. “Can we go grab a drink after?”
“Sure.” She agreed even though her body was quick to betray her the second he turned away. She suffered another wave of dizziness, this time with nausea along for the ride. Lovely. She didn’t want to miss out on a date with Thad, but she was starting to fear she couldn’t power through this.
A few people got up to sing first. Veronica watched them while she helped fill coffee orders. Zelda returned behind the counter.
“Ronnie, you look bad. Really bad.” Zelda put the back of her hand against Veronica’s forehead. “You’re burning up. You need to go rest. Zack and I can close up.”
“Thanks, but I need to stay.” She nodded toward Thad, who sat quietly at the table, watching the current singer finish up. He flashed her a warm smile and applauded as she stepped off the stool. The girl blushed and rushed back to a table of other college girls who were all clutching their pumpkin spice lattes. Then Thad stood and walked toward the stool.
Zelda’s brows drew together. “Damn girl, you have it bad for him, don’t you?”
Veronica watched him take a seat and pick up the guitar. “I think maybe I do.”
Thad settled the guitar in his lap and strummed a few notes. Then he looked straight at her and began to sing. It took a moment for her to recognize the song, “Let You Go” by Illenium. His smooth voice seduced her as he sang of being a fire in the cold rain and how he would hold her in the dark nights and never let go.
She was so lost in his voice she was barely aware of Zelda pushing her away from the cash register so she could take an order. As the song died away and applause filled the room, he nodded at the crowd and murmured a thank you before passing the guitar off to someone else. He didn’t go back to his table, however, but headed straight for her.
“You ready to go?”
“Sure. Just let me grab my purse.” She removed her apron, only to gasp as a sudden wave of nausea swept through her. Her apron missed the peg on the wall and fell to the floor. As she bent to retrieve it, the dizziness hit her even harder than before. She pitched forward, collapsing on her hands and knees.
“Veronica!” Thad called out.
“I’m—okay.” Her hands gripped the fabric of the blue apron as she struggled to stand. She managed to lean against the wall, catching her breath, just in time to see Thad before she collapsed again. She was too tired, far too tired to do anything but sleep.
Thad’s heart lurched. He vaulted over the counter, sending Zelda and Zach scattering as he raced to catch Veronica.
He was a second too late. She crumpled to the floor. His mind ran in frantic circles before everything went silent inside his head and fear took over. He put his fingers on her neck, checking her pulse. It was steady, but she was so pale. If anything happened to her, he’d… he stopped that train of thought before it could go any further.
“Oh my God, Ronnie!” Zelda joined Thad, kneeling next to Veronica.
“What’s the matter? Does she have any medical conditions?” Thad pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. He was hovering over 911 but Zelda stopped him.
“I think she has the flu. It’s been going around.” Zelda let out a relieved sigh as Veronica’s eyes opened, but they were glassy.
“Am I on the floor?” Veronica asked, her voice soft and confused.
“Yes,” Thad said. “You aren’t well. We need to get you home.” He turned to Zelda. “I can take her home if you and Zach can handle the store.”
“Er…” Zelda shot a furtive glance at Veronica. “I don’t think—”
“She’ll be safe with me, Zelda.”
“Oh, it’s not that. It’s just… oh hell. I’ll grab her keys.” Zelda called for Zach to handle the counter while she fetched Veronica’s purse from the storage room.
“Veronica, I’m going to help you sit up, okay?” Thad brushed her hair back from her face.
“I really don’t feel—” she suddenly rolled over and threw up on the floor, her eyes filled with tears as she lay flat on her back again and wiped at her mouth, gasping softly. “I’m sorry—”
“Hush. It’s okay. This not your fault. Everyone gets sick.” He tried to reassure her.
“Not you, Mr. Perfect.” Her exhausted reply was almost a grumble.
He would have been tempted to laugh if he wasn’t so worried about her. “Clearly you never knew me in college.”
“Shit.” Zelda grimaced. “I’ll have Zach clean that up.” She held up Veronica’s keys. “Perks of seniority.”
“I think my driver has her address,” Thad said.
“Address?” Zelda frowned. “She lives upstairs.”
Zelda’s words didn’t immediately sink in. “Pardon?”
Zelda pointed a finger straight up at the ceiling. “She lives upstairs.”
“But… I dropped her off at an apartment a few blocks away on Sunday.”
“I don’t know anything about that. Maybe she didn’t trust you yet, but she lives here. Come on, I’ll show you.” She nodded toward a door marked Restricted Access that Thad already knew led to the upstairs living space he’d toured with Mrs. Becker.
Thad lifted Veronica into his arms, cradling her against his chest.
“Thad, the room… it’s spinning.” Veronica mumbled against him.
“Close your eyes,” he whispered as he followed Zelda upstairs. His mind was still stumbling over the realization that Veronica lived in his dream apartment, the one he planned to buy. That complicated things. Or perhaps more accurately, it simplified them. There was no way he was buying this place now. As they reached the top of the stairs, a teenage girl met them.
“Mrs. Hannigan?” the girl asked in fear as she saw Thad carrying Veronica.
“She’s got the flu.” Zelda explained. “Zach and I will close up. Let me get you some money and you can go home.”
“Thanks, Zelda. Text me and let me know she’s okay.”
“Will do.”
Thad’s arms stiffened around Veronica as a tiny voice spoke up from somewhere near his knees.
“Mommy?”
He backed up a few steps and saw a tiny little girl who couldn’t have been more than four or five staring up at him. Her bright blue eyes were exactly like Veronica’s, but the golden curls were nothing like her mother’s raven colored hair.
“Mommy…” the child said again.
“Lyra, sweetie…” Veronica moaned, her eyes still closed. “Mommy is very tired, and she needs to rest awhile.”
“Mommy?” Thad’s own vision was spiraling as the entire messed up scene sank in.
Veronica was a mother. She had a kid.
Zelda motioned for Thad to follow. “Her bedroom is this way.” He was glad to move again, to have something to focus on, rather than think. Because right now he couldn’t think about much except that Veronica hadn’t told him she had a child. She’d mentioned her husband dying but hadn’t mentioned kids. Wouldn’t she have said something? Why hadn’t she?
The master bedroom he’d toured a few days ago with Mrs. Becker turned out to be Veronica’s bedroom, only now it didn’t look like a sterile and staged showroom. It was cozier with pictures on the dresser, a few bits of clothing draped over a chair, and a faint dusting of glitter where her child had clearly done something artsy on the bed. Zelda pulled back the covers of the bed and Thad laid her down, careful to cushion her head on the pillow.
“She’s too sick to leave alone,” Zelda said quietly. “I’ve got the keys; I could probably stay—”
“No, I’ll do it,” Thad said, even though he had no clue what to do about the kid.
Zelda stared at him a long moment, her eyes hardening. “If you do anything to hurt her, emotionally or otherwise…” For a cute college kid, her voice was frighteningly serious.
He raised his palms up in a surrendering gesture. “I would never hurt her in any way.”
“And Lyra?” she pressed.
“Or the kid,” he replied, his voice firm even though his heart was racing at the thought of having to take care of a child. He glanced instinctively toward the bedroom door where he saw a tiny face watching him. Her face disappeared a second later as she realized she’d been spotted.
“Okay. I’ll get Veronica into some PJs. You stay in the hall,” Zelda ordered.
Worry still gnawed at his gut as he left the bedroom. He ran smack into the little girl and caught her by her shoulders to keep her from falling.
For a long moment, they sized each other up. Her big eyes moved over him from head to toe, then suddenly looked hopeful.
“Are you my new daddy?” she asked.
“Your what?” Thad choked out.
“My new daddy. I asked Alexa for one.” She pointed to the smart speaker next to the TV in the living room.
“No shi—I mean, no kidding.” Thad stared at the device and then the child. She was cute, he couldn’t deny that, but she also kind of scared him. He didn’t know a thing about kids. Lyra continued watching him, clearly expecting an answer. He opened his mouth but closed it again. What was he supposed to say?
“Are you my new daddy?” Her face was now an open book of confusion, fear, and worry, just like her mother’s often was.
Zelda stepped in the hall, saving him from putting his foot deep into his mouth. “Veronica’s changed and under the covers. I’ll put Lyra to bed.” She waved a hand at the girl. “Come on, sweetie. Time for bed. This nice man here is Thad. He’s going to take care of you and your mom for a while. I’ll come and check on you tomorrow, okay?” She looked at Thad. “If you need me before closing, just call.”
Thad nodded. “Doesn’t she have any—?” He stopped as he remembered her parents were dead, and her stepmother did not sound like the kind of person he should call for help.
“She doesn’t have any what?” Zelda asked.
“Family,” he said. “I just remembered.”
“No, she doesn’t. Only the evil sea witch,” Zelda said.
“The who?”
“Annette Becker, the sea witch,” Zelda repeated. “It’s what we call Veronica’s evil stepmom.” Zelda murmured this to Thad as Lyra absorbed their exchange with wide, innocent eyes.
Annette Becker. The name hit him like a punch to the gut. The woman who was trying to sell him this house and the floor below…was Veronica’s stepmother.
“We can’t tell the sea witch anything,” Lyra said, thinking she was part of the conversation.
“Yes, that’s right. Now bedtime for you, kiddo.” Zelda took Lyra into the other bedroom. He let Zelda handle the child and went to check on Veronica. She lay tucked up under the covers, her face still pale, but at least she looked more relaxed. He eased himself down on the bed beside her and gently tucked her hair away from her face
Her eyes opened. “Thad?” She sounded shocked and exhausted.
“Yeah, honey?” He smiled.
“You’re still here…” She wrinkled her nose, her brows knitted in confusion.
“Yes. I’m going to look after you tonight.”
She tried to sit up. “But… Lyra…”
“Lyra, too.” Thad promised. His fingers pressed into her arm, urging her back down. He needed to ease the fear he saw in her eyes. He gently pushed her back against her pillows. “Zelda’s putting Lyra to bed right now. I’ll take care of everything the rest of the night. Don’t worry.”
Her eyes are closed again as though she’d lost the last bit of energy and collapsed into the pillows. “Do you hate me?”
“No—why would I?”
Her eyes opened slightly under her dark lashes. “For not telling you about Lyra. I thought you’d be angry.”
Thad was wondered what in her life had made her so certain he would be angry. Keeping that to herself while she got to know him was logical. If he’d been a single father—which was hard to imagine, granted—he would probably have acted the same way.
“I’m not angry, Veronica. I mean, it did shock the hell out of me; I’m not gonna lie.” He chuckled dryly. “We’ll figure it out, okay?”
“You mean you still—?”
“You think some cute four-year-old is going to scare me off?”
“You must be crazy,” Veronica said dreamily, and without another word she drifted off to sleep.
Thad pulled the covers over her and turned to leave. Zelda was in the doorway, watching him. He joined her in the hall.
“Okay, Mr. GQ. I’m going to trust you on this, but I’ll be back here first thing in the morning. Here’s my number.” She handed him a scrap of paper with a cell phone number on it.
“Thank you, Zelda.”
She gave him a hard stare. “Look, Lyra is desperate for a dad.”
“So I noticed.”
“Yeah, well, I was all for this when it was about Veronica getting her groove back. But up till now, Lyra didn’t know you existed. Try not to get her hopes up, okay?”
Before Thad could reply, Zelda exited, leaving him alone with a sick woman he cared for and a four-year-old he knew nothing about.
He felt the faint vibrations of music from the coffee shop below as he tried to figure out what he was supposed to do next.
He glanced at the little girl’s room when he heard something creak. It was exactly the kind of sound he would expect to hear if a child was moving around restlessly in her bed.
He was not ready to be anyone’s dad. He wasn’t ready to settle down. He was barely ready to take dating more seriously. What the hell was he supposed to do?
8
Thad pulled out his cell phone and walked into the kitchen where he could talk without being overheard. The walls were filled with family photos that hadn’t been there the day he’d toured the place with Annette Becker. She’d hidden this whole world from him when she’d staged the house for the showing. He paused in front of a photo of Veronica holding a baby in her arms, kissing the child’s head. He blew out a slow breath as the tightness returned to his chest before he refocused on what he needed to do.
He added Zelda’s number into his contacts, then dialed Jared.
“I’m guessing since you’re calling, the open mic night didn’t go so well?” Jared asked with concern the second he answered.
He closed his eyes and rubbed them with his thumb and forefinger hard enough to see stars. “That would be an understatement.”
