Child of Mine by Beverly Lewis

him.
    As usual, Nattie was two steps ahead of him, her face suddenly bright. “So . . . what if I called you Dad?”
    â€œThat’s what I was thinking, actually.”
    â€œDeal,” Nattie said, extending her hand for Jack to shake, which they did. Proper and legal. He kissed her cheek, and she frowned. “So now I have to go to sleep?”
    â€œYes, goof.”
    â€œAren’t we going to celebrate?”
    â€œHow?”
    She gave him a look of exasperation. “As if!”
    â€œHow ’bout a cookie instead?”
    She agreed on the condition that the cookie be accompanied by ice cream, because to Nattie nothing was truly celebratory without the cold stuff.
    When Nattie was tucked in for the second time, Jack headed back downstairs to turn off the lights.
    He had just settled into his corner of the tan sectional when his cell phone rang. It was Diane, his next-door neighbor.
    â€œDidn’t mean to call so late, but I saw your light still on.”
    He set her mind at ease. “It’s fine.” He listened as she explained the reason for her call: Craig and Diane’s upcoming anniversary.
    â€œCongratulations,” he said, happy for them, surprised at how quickly a full year had passed.
    â€œWhich is why I’m calling,” she continued. “I have a special request, but please feel free to say no.”
    She certainly had his attention.
    â€œI just bought my husband a new dirt bike!”
    â€œNo kidding,” Jack said, hard-pressed to conceal the awe in his voice.
    Diane lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “And I need to hide it.”
    Oh boy, Jack thought.
    After listening with growing fascination and, frankly, more than a little envy, they said good-bye just as he caught a flicker of movement in the hallway upstairs.
    â€œHey, Dad!” Nattie called down.
    For a moment, he was taken aback. Oh yeah, that’s me. “What’s up, sweetie?”
    â€œNothing,” she said, grinning. “Just checking to see if it worked.”

Chapter 10

    H aving gotten a miraculous five hours of sleep, Kelly was thrilled to hear from Ernie Meyers the following Wednesday afternoon. His thick gravelly voice rumbled over the phone, and she could almost smell his trademark Old Spice. She’d been up for an hour or so, twirling her hair and reading computer posts. Hearing his voice, she felt psyched. “Got something for me?”
    â€œReady to rock and roll?” He sounded a bit more hoarse than usual and admitted to struggling with a lingering case of bronchitis. “But I gotta make a livin’, so here I be, sucking on throat lozenges and popping aspirin.”
    â€œYou shouldn’t push it,” she cautioned.
    â€œIt takes more than a nasty bug to do me in.” He coughed and she heard the sound of shuffling papers.
    Kelly went to the sink for some water, her anticipation building.
    â€œSo,” Ernie began, “I forgot to mention . . . this one’s in-state.”
    Kelly nearly dropped her glass. “ How in-state?”
    â€œForty minutes to the southwest, tiny place called Wooster.”
    She knew the town well. In fact, she’d gone there with Bobby on weekends when they were first married.
    â€œYou could whisk down there in your free time. Check it out. Work your magic.” Ernie paused, then chuckled wryly. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot. We’re ditching our tool kit of tricks.”
    Kelly could only focus on one thought: Forty minutes away? How many times had she longed for . . . no, prayed for something this close? She looked at the wall clock, just above the corkboard she used for reminders. She could be in Wooster before six. Easy. Maybe even earlier.
    â€œGirl’s name is Natalie Livingston,” Ernie said.
    Natalie.
    â€œCute little thing, too,” Ernie continued. “Smart cookie. They call her Nattie for short.”
    Kelly