the table. A pizza box, its bottom heavily leached with olive oil, took up nearly half of it. There was more than half a pie left. But it was the not-quite-fading aroma of the pizza that got to him, teasing awake his salivary glands.
“Did you get the car seat?” Riley was asking.
“Yes. I’ve got it in the car.” He snapped out the answer, then told himself he had no right to lose his temper with her. Riley was doing him a favor, not the other way around. “I almost forgot it,” he admitted. “Just as I was about to go into Andrea’s apartment, thelandlady came to check me out, probably to make sure I wasn’t trying to break into the empty apartment.” And then he sighed. “Once she heard that I was Lisa’s father, she just wouldn’t stop talking.”
The corners of Riley’s mouth curved in amusement. “So you’re late because you couldn’t decide what to bring back with you and because the landlady talked too much.”
“Something like that,” he mumbled.
“And being nervous about hanging around Lisa had nothing to do with dragging your feet getting back here?” Riley questioned.
He bristled at her implication—even if it was true. “What are you, trying out for the department’s shrink now?”
“This whole thing has hit you right between the eyes. It’s okay to be nervous. That’s why I volunteered to stay with her.”
He looked around. “Where is Lisa, by the way?”
“In the guest room,” she replied. “Asleep.” She didn’t add that it took her making up two stories for the little girl before Lisa nodded off and finally fell asleep. “Poor thing’s exhausted by her ordeal.”
“That makes two of us,” Sam admitted under his breath. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he began to move restlessly about the living room. He felt as if his back was against the wall and he didn’t like it. “What am I going to do with her?” he asked helplessly, keeping his voice down as he turned to his partner.
“Love her,” Riley answered very simply. “She is yours, you know. Can’t go wrong when you give a kidlove,” she assured him, then added, “My brothers, sister and I had a very rocky childhood. But throughout it all, we knew our mother loved us with all her heart.” Their father loved them in his own way, but it wasn’t nearly enough to make up for the way he behaved both toward them and their mother. “In the end, that love saw us through an awful lot. It really helped smooth out some of the very rough patches we went through. Love is a very powerful, necessary emotion.”
He supposed she had a point. Sam sighed. “She say anything about me?” The question was hesitantly framed. He wasn’t sure if he wanted an answer.
She nodded. “She talked about you a little.”
Curiosity got the better of him. “What did she say?”
Her eyes smiled first, creating a warm glow about her and, strangely enough, within him.
“Lisa said she thought you were very good-looking and that she could see why her mother ‘fell’ for you, I believe were the words she used.” Riley laughed. “This kid of yours is pretty precocious. She’s going to keep you on your toes,” Riley predicted.
He didn’t want a kid who kept him on his toes, who provided him with a mental challenge everywhere he turned. “That’s what the cases I work on are for,” he told Riley. “When I come home, all I want is to kick back and relax.”
“Little kids can do that, too,” Riley assured him, adding, “She’s not going to require being mentally stimulated 24/7.”
He had his doubts. Feeling like a man trying to crossquicksand, he dragged his hand through his hair. “I’m going to suck at this.”
“Give yourself a little credit, Wyatt. Every new dad thinks he’s going to be a complete disaster when he starts out. This is all new for you.” Hadn’t they already been through this? She supposed that Wyatt just needed to hear it again. And maybe again after that, until it finally sank in.
“Did you get the car seat?” Riley was asking.
“Yes. I’ve got it in the car.” He snapped out the answer, then told himself he had no right to lose his temper with her. Riley was doing him a favor, not the other way around. “I almost forgot it,” he admitted. “Just as I was about to go into Andrea’s apartment, thelandlady came to check me out, probably to make sure I wasn’t trying to break into the empty apartment.” And then he sighed. “Once she heard that I was Lisa’s father, she just wouldn’t stop talking.”
The corners of Riley’s mouth curved in amusement. “So you’re late because you couldn’t decide what to bring back with you and because the landlady talked too much.”
“Something like that,” he mumbled.
“And being nervous about hanging around Lisa had nothing to do with dragging your feet getting back here?” Riley questioned.
He bristled at her implication—even if it was true. “What are you, trying out for the department’s shrink now?”
“This whole thing has hit you right between the eyes. It’s okay to be nervous. That’s why I volunteered to stay with her.”
He looked around. “Where is Lisa, by the way?”
“In the guest room,” she replied. “Asleep.” She didn’t add that it took her making up two stories for the little girl before Lisa nodded off and finally fell asleep. “Poor thing’s exhausted by her ordeal.”
“That makes two of us,” Sam admitted under his breath. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he began to move restlessly about the living room. He felt as if his back was against the wall and he didn’t like it. “What am I going to do with her?” he asked helplessly, keeping his voice down as he turned to his partner.
“Love her,” Riley answered very simply. “She is yours, you know. Can’t go wrong when you give a kidlove,” she assured him, then added, “My brothers, sister and I had a very rocky childhood. But throughout it all, we knew our mother loved us with all her heart.” Their father loved them in his own way, but it wasn’t nearly enough to make up for the way he behaved both toward them and their mother. “In the end, that love saw us through an awful lot. It really helped smooth out some of the very rough patches we went through. Love is a very powerful, necessary emotion.”
He supposed she had a point. Sam sighed. “She say anything about me?” The question was hesitantly framed. He wasn’t sure if he wanted an answer.
She nodded. “She talked about you a little.”
Curiosity got the better of him. “What did she say?”
Her eyes smiled first, creating a warm glow about her and, strangely enough, within him.
“Lisa said she thought you were very good-looking and that she could see why her mother ‘fell’ for you, I believe were the words she used.” Riley laughed. “This kid of yours is pretty precocious. She’s going to keep you on your toes,” Riley predicted.
He didn’t want a kid who kept him on his toes, who provided him with a mental challenge everywhere he turned. “That’s what the cases I work on are for,” he told Riley. “When I come home, all I want is to kick back and relax.”
“Little kids can do that, too,” Riley assured him, adding, “She’s not going to require being mentally stimulated 24/7.”
He had his doubts. Feeling like a man trying to crossquicksand, he dragged his hand through his hair. “I’m going to suck at this.”
“Give yourself a little credit, Wyatt. Every new dad thinks he’s going to be a complete disaster when he starts out. This is all new for you.” Hadn’t they already been through this? She supposed that Wyatt just needed to hear it again. And maybe again after that, until it finally sank in.
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