Suddenly a Father. Michelle Major

voice was a tiny whimper.

      Millie could see a muscle tick in Jake’s jaw but ignored him as she unstrapped Brooke from her car seat and helped her out of the car. Brooke took her father’s hand as they walked toward the sliding doors at the front of the building. She sang a song to Bunny as she skipped along, once again content since she wasn’t being separated from her father.

      Millie came to Jake’s other side. “She’s afraid of losing you if you’re out of her sight for too long,” she whispered.

      “I could be here for a couple of hours.” He glanced at her. “Do you really want to hang out here all morning?”

      “I’m hoping that if she sees the office and maybe meets some people, that will make her feel better and we can leave.” She shrugged. “If not, we’ll stay.” She made her smile bright. “You’re paying me a lot of money to take care of your daughter. I’ll make it work, Jake.”

      He led them to the elevators and, once they reached the third floor, down the hall to the rehabilitation and physical-therapy offices. He walked forward, Brooke still glued to his side, to check in at the reception desk.

      “I have a nine-thirty appointment,” he told the woman behind the counter.

      Millie watched as the woman glanced up then did a double take. She could imagine Jake got that reaction quite a bit, although he didn’t seem to notice. “Oh, my goodness,” the woman gushed, “it’s really you.”

      Jake’s expression remained blank.

      “Don’t you remember me?” The woman smiled. “I’m Lauren Bell. We went to high school together. You missed the five-, ten-and fifteen-year reunions, Jake. And you were our valedictorian.” She tsked softly. “Of course, I see your brothers around town but never hear anything about you. I know you became a doctor and you travel all around the world. It must be so exciting.”

      Jake glanced at Millie with a look that screamed for help. She shook her head.

      “It’s...um... Yes, I’m a surgeon.” He held up his arm. “I was a surgeon.”

      “Well, we’ll take good care of you.” Her smile faltered as Brooke stood on her tiptoes to see over the counter. “I didn’t know you had a child.”

      “Me neith—”

      Millie coughed.

      “This is my daughter, Brooke.”

      Brooke waved and lifted her stuffed animal in the air. “This is Bunny.”

      “And your wife?” Lauren asked with a curious glance toward Millie.

      “I’m not married,” Jake explained. “Millie is Brooke’s nanny while we’re in town.”

      The predatory gleam that flamed in Lauren Bell’s eyes had Millie clenching her hands. “A bunch of us from the old group get together for happy hour at the Two Moon Saloon on Fridays after work. You should join us sometime. If the nanny does evenings.”

      “The old group,” Jake repeated slowly. “Yeah, sure, I’ll see what I can do.”

      Brooke tugged on his hand. “You won’t leave me, right?”

      Millie saw him close his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, he gave a sweet and sexy—damn him—smile to Lauren Bell. “Since we’re friends, Lauren,” he said, leaning forward as if he were sharing a secret, “do you think it would be okay if Brooke had a little tour of the offices before I got started? Maybe you could introduce us to some of the therapists and she could see what I’m going to be doing while I’m here.” He winked. Millie suppressed a gag. “She’s kind of nervous and I’m sure you know all the ins and outs of how things work around here.”

      Lauren stood and called over her shoulder, “Rhonda, watch the front desk for a few minutes.” She turned back to Jake. “Does the nanny need to come with us?”

      He shook his head without looking at Millie. “Just you, me and Brooke.”

      Millie was surprised Lauren didn’t do a fist pump in the air.

      “I’ll take you back. Come through that door to the left of the waiting room and I’ll meet you there.”

      Jake led Brooke past Millie. “Good start, right?”

      She rolled her eyes. “For someone who has no charm, you really laid it on thick just now.”

      “Who said I had no charm?”

      “Personal observation.”

      “I’ve got loads of charm, Fairy Poppins.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “But only a lucky few are on the receiving end of it.”

      Millie coughed out a laugh. Without taking her eyes off Jake she said, “Your ‘old friend’ is dousing herself with body mist at the moment. Be careful how you wield that charm, Dr. Travers. It’s quite a weapon.”

      He gave a mock shudder. “Let’s go, Brooke, and whatever you do, don’t let go of my hand.”

      She saw Brooke squeeze his fingers tighter. “Be back soon, Millie,” the girl said, clutching Bunny to her chest.

      Ten minutes later, the door to the waiting room opened again. Millie tossed aside the magazine she’d been pretending to read as Brooke skipped through the door, followed by her father.

      “Look, look,” Brooke squealed, running forward to Millie. “I got a stressy ball, and a pen and notepad with the phone number here on it.” She thrust the notepad forward. “So if we need to call Daddy when he’s here, we can.”

      “We don’t need to stay?”

      Brooke shook her head. “Daddy’s going to text me pictures to your phone so I can keep track of him. And we’ll get lunch ready because he’s going to be really hungry after his therapy stuff.”

      Millie stood as Jake walked up. She could see a woman in a polo shirt and khaki pants waiting just inside the reception door for him. “Everything’s good?”

      He nodded. “Your idea worked.” He ruffled Brooke’s hair. “Now that Bunny has seen everything that happens at the office, he feels much better about me being here.” His gaze was warm on Millie, making parts of her body tingle that had no business coming to life for Jake Travers. “Thank you,” he said softly.

      Before she could reply, Brooke held up the stuffed animal. “Give Bunny a kiss goodbye, Daddy.”

      Jake’s mouth dropped open an inch. “How about a high five?”

      Her mouth set in a stubborn way that made Millie think of Jake. Already like father, like daughter. “A kiss.”

      He bent forward and touched his lips to the animal’s grungy fur.

      “Me, too,” Brooke said, angling her cheek toward him.

      He glanced up at Millie, emotion clouding his eyes. She nodded, the tingling in her body rapidly progressing to a full-on tremble.

      Jake kissed his daughter’s cheek then the top of her head. Millie wasn’t sure if the sigh she heard came from her or the therapist waiting for him. Jake straightened and she noticed a faint color across his cheeks. The doctor was actually blushing. Why was vulnerability so darned appealing when it came wrapped up in an alpha-male package?

      He glanced at the clock on the wall then met her gaze, looking embarrassed and flustered. “I’m going to meet with one of the orthopedic surgeons on staff after this. Give me a few hours and I’ll be ready to go.”

      “Remember the pictures, Daddy.”

      “I will, Brooke. You ladies have fun.”

      He walked away but looked over his shoulder before the waiting-room door closed behind him. “Thanks again, Millie. For everything this morning.”

      She lifted her hand, trying for a casual