was everything those roles embodied—and he was twenty years too late to do a thing about it.
She turned, as if she knew he was there, and she looked directly at him. At the same time, Taylor turned, saw him and wiggled to get free of her mother’s hold. Amy put her down, and the little girl in pink overalls and a yellow T-shirt, hesitated, then slowly came toward him.
“I’ll write you a new check,” Amy said as Taylor came to stand in front of Quint.
He stopped himself before he said, don’t bother, and instead said, “Whatever you want to do.”
Without a word she passed both him and Taylor, going back toward her office. He didn’t turn to watch her go. He watched her little girl instead. A two-year-old. He remembered Mike at two, and wished he hadn’t had to work, that he could have been there for every event, every advance that he’d made. Working mostly from home and occasionally using a nanny had kept him close physically, but that didn’t mean he’d had the time to really enjoy things, to relish them. That was another way both he and Mike had been shortchanged by his stupidity in marrying the wrong woman.
Taylor was right in front of him, and he automatically dropped to his haunches in front of her. “So, how’re you doing?”
She cocked her head to one side, and long, silky lashes fluttered slightly. “Got baby,” she said, and he realized she had a doll in one hand. “Yike it?” she asked, holding it up to him.
He took the doll and fingered its slightly damp dress. “Yeah, I like it,” he said, “but she’s not as pretty as you are.”
Taylor studied him with huge brown eyes, then grabbed the doll back from him, hugging it to her. “Tay’s baby.”
“Yep, it’s yours.”
He didn’t hear Amy come back, but he felt her by him and he slowly stood. She was within a few feetof him, holding out another check. “Here you go. I’ll try to get one to you every week or so.”
He hated this. He didn’t want her money. He wanted her. That stopped him dead. He took the check, folded it in half and pushed it into his pocket, but he never looked away from Amy as she crouched by Taylor, brushing at her hair.
“Sweetie, go and get your coat and we’ll go home, okay?”
“Huh,” Taylor said with an emphatic nod, then toddled off toward Amy’s office.
Amy stood and faced him. “It’s late,” she said.
“Yes, it is.” He exhaled. “You know when I told you before that I don’t play games?”
She shook her head. “It’s late. I’m leaving. And you’ve probably got a…an appointment.”
“As a matter of fact, I don’t. But I do have to say something.”
He could quite literally see her bracing herself, stiffening slightly, one hand reaching out to touch the wall close to her right side. “I don’t suppose I can get you not to say anything, can I?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll say it for you. That was a horrible mistake in there, and it won’t happen again.”
He watched her closely. “Lady, what are you, a mind reader?”
She shrugged, but it ended with a slight shudder. “No, just telling the truth.”
He’d meant to say he was too old, and she was too young, and she had a little child, and he was past that.But instead he found himself saying, “It wasn’t horrible.”
She waved her hands as if to ward off his words. “Okay, but it was wrong.”
“Absolutely. It was wrong. I don’t date, you don’t date. I’m way past being around kids. You’re just starting out with them.”
“This isn’t a joke,” she muttered.
He wished it was, but she was right, it wasn’t funny. “Damn straight it’s not a joke. And just because I’m single and you’re single, doesn’t mean we’re on the same page.” He touched her chin with the tip of his forefinger and felt her tense. “And that’s the real shame here.” He looked at her lips, softly parted and murmured, “A damn shame.”
He felt something hit his leg and looked down at Taylor hitting him with
She turned, as if she knew he was there, and she looked directly at him. At the same time, Taylor turned, saw him and wiggled to get free of her mother’s hold. Amy put her down, and the little girl in pink overalls and a yellow T-shirt, hesitated, then slowly came toward him.
“I’ll write you a new check,” Amy said as Taylor came to stand in front of Quint.
He stopped himself before he said, don’t bother, and instead said, “Whatever you want to do.”
Without a word she passed both him and Taylor, going back toward her office. He didn’t turn to watch her go. He watched her little girl instead. A two-year-old. He remembered Mike at two, and wished he hadn’t had to work, that he could have been there for every event, every advance that he’d made. Working mostly from home and occasionally using a nanny had kept him close physically, but that didn’t mean he’d had the time to really enjoy things, to relish them. That was another way both he and Mike had been shortchanged by his stupidity in marrying the wrong woman.
Taylor was right in front of him, and he automatically dropped to his haunches in front of her. “So, how’re you doing?”
She cocked her head to one side, and long, silky lashes fluttered slightly. “Got baby,” she said, and he realized she had a doll in one hand. “Yike it?” she asked, holding it up to him.
He took the doll and fingered its slightly damp dress. “Yeah, I like it,” he said, “but she’s not as pretty as you are.”
Taylor studied him with huge brown eyes, then grabbed the doll back from him, hugging it to her. “Tay’s baby.”
“Yep, it’s yours.”
He didn’t hear Amy come back, but he felt her by him and he slowly stood. She was within a few feetof him, holding out another check. “Here you go. I’ll try to get one to you every week or so.”
He hated this. He didn’t want her money. He wanted her. That stopped him dead. He took the check, folded it in half and pushed it into his pocket, but he never looked away from Amy as she crouched by Taylor, brushing at her hair.
“Sweetie, go and get your coat and we’ll go home, okay?”
“Huh,” Taylor said with an emphatic nod, then toddled off toward Amy’s office.
Amy stood and faced him. “It’s late,” she said.
“Yes, it is.” He exhaled. “You know when I told you before that I don’t play games?”
She shook her head. “It’s late. I’m leaving. And you’ve probably got a…an appointment.”
“As a matter of fact, I don’t. But I do have to say something.”
He could quite literally see her bracing herself, stiffening slightly, one hand reaching out to touch the wall close to her right side. “I don’t suppose I can get you not to say anything, can I?”
“No.”
“Then I’ll say it for you. That was a horrible mistake in there, and it won’t happen again.”
He watched her closely. “Lady, what are you, a mind reader?”
She shrugged, but it ended with a slight shudder. “No, just telling the truth.”
He’d meant to say he was too old, and she was too young, and she had a little child, and he was past that.But instead he found himself saying, “It wasn’t horrible.”
She waved her hands as if to ward off his words. “Okay, but it was wrong.”
“Absolutely. It was wrong. I don’t date, you don’t date. I’m way past being around kids. You’re just starting out with them.”
“This isn’t a joke,” she muttered.
He wished it was, but she was right, it wasn’t funny. “Damn straight it’s not a joke. And just because I’m single and you’re single, doesn’t mean we’re on the same page.” He touched her chin with the tip of his forefinger and felt her tense. “And that’s the real shame here.” He looked at her lips, softly parted and murmured, “A damn shame.”
He felt something hit his leg and looked down at Taylor hitting him with
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