Daddy Next Door. Judy Christenberry

you to have something that you’d like. And red makes me smile.”

      “Me, too. And I like living here with you and my sisters.”

      Jennifer bent over and kissed Steffi’s cheek. “I love it, too, honey. We’re going to be happy together.”

      “Me, too!” Missy called. “Will we get to see our daddy tomorrow?”

      Jennifer sighed. Why did Missy have to remind her of Nick? “That man is not your daddy, sweetie. We don’t have a daddy here. It’s just us girls.”

      “Yeah” came softly from Annie.

      Jennifer ducked down and kissed Missy’s cheek, too. Annie was on the far side, but Jennifer reached over to kiss her also.

      “Good night, Annie. Sleep tight.”

      The little girl stared at her with big brown eyes, a solemn look on her face. A look too old for a five year old.

      Jennifer gave her a smile and then tiptoed to the door, turning out the light.

      “See, the night-light keeps the room from getting dark. Is everyone okay with that?”

      Missy and Steffi assured her they were fine with the night-light. Annie said nothing.

      “Good night,” Jennifer called one last time before she walked quietly down the hall.

      After she cleaned up and made herself a cup of instant decaf coffee, she sat down and sighed. She’d made it through the first day of her new life.

      She’d picked up the three sisters this morning at ten o’clock and brought them back to her house after three days of frantic planning and shopping.

      But the change had been set in motion three weeks ago, when she’d volunteered, as a professional photographer, to take photos of foster children. The program was called the Heart Gallery and was taking place all over the country. These professional, quality photos replaced the horrible mug shots that had been all potential families had to look at.

      It had seemed a more than worthwhile project to Jennifer. When she’d drawn three sisters to photograph, she’d been enchanted to find such beautiful children as her subjects. She planned to spend the day with them, photographing them, treating them to lunch, making a good memory for them. Since she and her mother were estranged, she thought it might make a nice memory for her, too.

      Jennifer admired the bond between the sisters, even envied it. She herself had no siblings, except for a half brother whom she’d met only once. Her father, after divorcing her mother, had no intention of ever having anything to do with Jennifer or her mother. But since his death, she had thought about contacting her half brother. Spending the day with the three little girls convinced her. Jennifer’s heart broke when she recalled the photo shoot. Two of the three children smiled broadly, their personalities coming through the camera lens. It was the middle child Jennifer had trouble capturing. She’d coaxed and cajoled Annie, even taken the five-year-old in her arms. But Annie pulled away, as if in pain. That was when Jennifer discovered the bruises all over Annie’s body.

      The child wouldn’t tell her how she’d gotten her bruises. Steffi finally said that the “bad man” who lived in the foster house did that to her if she didn’t obey him fast enough.

      Jennifer had called Child Protective Services and demanded that the girls’ welfare worker come at once. Six hours later, the overworked welfare worker arrived at her door. When Jennifer showed the woman the bruises all over Annie’s body and demanded the child be removed from her home at once, the worker had said she had nowhere to put her.

      Without hesitation Jennifer had offered to take her. On a temporary basis, of course.

      The welfare worker said she would have to be approved and that could take weeks. That was when Jennifer had called her uncle and demanded he do something.

      With his help she was allowed to keep all three girls overnight, and the next morning she received approval to keep Annie. But by then she’d seen the love and need the three girls had for one another, and though it meant a huge change in her own life, she’d asked for custody of all three.

      And today her new life had begun.

      Only to be interrupted by her new neighbor, Missy’s “daddy.”

       Chapter Two

      The new apartment felt like home fairly quickly.

      He’d unpacked his two suitcases in record time and had put his toiletries in the bathroom. Aunt Grace’s personal items had been removed, so settling in was easy enough.

      He smiled warmly when he thought of his aunt. He had such fond memories of the elderly woman. Though she hadn’t wanted to leave Yellow Rose Lane, she was simply unable to live by herself any longer. The assisted-living facility was close by, so Nick could visit her often.

      Meantime she’d offered him the apartment for the remaining eleven months of her lease. It was all the time he needed. Grace had called the fourplex home for ten years, and her rent had never been raised the entire time, making his payment much less than what he was shelling out every month for a small place in Lubbock. He felt a little bad about taking advantage of the owners, but he didn’t know them. Aunt Grace had told him to talk to her neighbor across the hall.

      Jennifer.

      Truthfully, he’d like to do more than just talk to the pretty blonde. But yesterday’s meeting hadn’t gone too well.

      He fought the urge to go back to her apartment. He had things to do—like go to a grocery store and lay in some food. That was what a responsible man would do. He wouldn’t interrupt the beauty across the hall just because of his curiosity. That was the reason he gave himself.

      Of course, he wouldn’t.

      But when he opened his door, he didn’t go out to his car. He crossed the hall and knocked on her door.

      He heard the sound of little feet running and Jennifer’s voice cautioning Missy not to open the door.

      When the door opened, it was Jennifer, not Missy, who stared at him.

      “Yes?”

      “I’m sorry to bother you. I need to go buy groceries, and I wondered if you could tell me where the closest grocery store is.”

      “Yes. There are two close by.” She began giving him directions, and he sent her a bewildered look.

      “I’m afraid I don’t know the roads around here. Could you draw me a map?” he asked politely. Then he noticed little Missy peeking around the door. “Hi, there.”

      The giggle he received in response brought a smile to his lips.

      Jennifer didn’t appear amused at his greeting. “Missy, go back and finish your breakfast.”

      Little fingers curled in a wave and Missy ran back down the hall.

      With a sigh, Jennifer said, “Come in and I’ll draw a map.”

      “I really appreciate it,” he assured her. As he followed her into the kitchen, he sniffed the elixir he needed each morning.

      “You made coffee? I mean, uh, what kind of coffee do you buy? It smells good.”

      Another sigh. Okay, he hadn’t been subtle, but he hadn’t expected to smell coffee.

      “Would you like a cup?” she offered.

      “I’d kill for one,” he admitted in a low voice. Somehow, saying that even jokingly in front of such innocent ears didn’t seem right.

      “Have a seat,” she said, gesturing to the breakfast table where the three girls were eating.

      He joined them, trying not to look at the pancakes they were eating. He should’ve found a grocery store last night, but his stomach had been full. And he’d been tired.

      Jennifer brought him a cup