Full-Time Father

“I’m fine, Mommy,” Christie yelled from the bathroom.

“Thank you.”

Erin stretched out on the bed next to the suitcase and wondered what had happened.

“Why did you do this?” she whispered to the photo.

As her fingers clutched the small picture, she knew the answer. There was no voice from the great beyond or psychic connection. She didn’t need that. She’d known her sister as well as she’d known herself. She could read between the lines.

Stacey had wanted to fall in love with Parker from the first moment she saw him. The handsome, brooding stranger was her fantasy come to life. The fact that his house was a stunning mansion fit for a modern-day princess and the knowledge that he mourned the loss of his wife would only have added to Stacey’s desire to make it real.

The twins had lost their parents at an early age. Going from relative to relative had left them with an emptiness that could only be filled by having a place to belong. Erin assumed she would find a man and fall in love one day, but in the meantime, the emptiness would have to be filled with friends, activities and self-confidence. Stacey had wanted to be rescued. Like a damsel in distress, she waited for the handsome prince on a white horse. Parker had fit her dream perfectly.

“Oh, Stacey,” Erin murmured, aching for her sister, knowing the pain she must have felt.

She sat up and studied the photo for a moment, then tucked it into the diary. The letter fell out. Erin picked it up and unfolded the single page.

Dear Parker,

I don’t know where to begin, so I’ll just say I’m sorry. I’m so ashamed of myself. Of what I did and how I acted. I see now that you were right about everything. I don’t know what love is. I hope someday I’ll find what you had with Robin.

In the meantime, I regret to tell you that I’m pregnant. That night, well, I lied about being on the pill. I was so afraid you would stop if I told you the truth. The problem is, I don’t know what to do now.

Please forgive me, Parker. I’m going to have our baby. I’m sure that makes you angry. Maybe I won’t do anything today. Maybe I’ll wait and tell you after the child is born. Then you can decide what you want to do.

Erin folded the letter and placed it in the diary next to the photo. Stacey hadn’t lived long enough to do anything about telling Parker the truth.

“I hope I’m doing the right thing,” Erin whispered as she listened to Christie play in the tub. “I hope I’m doing what you would have wanted me to do.”

Chapter Five

“You weren’t kidding about the room being on the top floor,” Erin said as she paused on the landing to catch her breath and stared up at the last flight of stairs.

Parker was right behind her. He set the suitcases down and frowned. “There are plenty of bedrooms on the second floor. Why don’t you look through them and see if there’s something you like?”

She gave him a quick smile, then shook her head. “Christie has her heart set on staying up here, and I don’t want to disappoint her.”

“You could leave her up here and take a different room for yourself.” Kiki was right. He did have enough bedrooms to sleep a regiment. He supposed keeping the house was a mistake but he couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.

“Your room is on the second floor, right?” Erin asked.

“Yes, but-”

She cut him off before he could explain there was no reason for her to be concerned about them sleeping on the same floor. Then he reminded himself that all she had to go on was what had happened with her sister. No wonder Erin was wary of him.

“This is a strange house to Christie,” Erin said. “She’s having a great adventure and enjoying everything, especially meeting you. But later, when she’s sleepy and tired, she might get scared or have a bad dream. It’s better if I’m across the hall and can hear her call out.”

“I hadn’t thought of that,” he admitted, following her as she climbed the last flight of stairs. Raising a child was a daunting task full of potential pitfalls he couldn’t begin to see.

She reached the third floor and paused. “It’s so beautiful,” she whispered.

He looked down the corridor. All the bedroom doors stood open. Sunlight spilled onto the hallway’s polished wooden floor. It bounced out of each of the bedrooms and beamed through the large window in the far end wall. There were abstract paintings between the doors, and a small deacon’s bench by the landing.

“I didn’t realize how large this place was,” she said, her voice laced with awe.

“Some bedrooms up here are smaller,” he said. “But much of the construction follows the roof line, so they have more character. The one Christie chose is down at the end.”

They walked slowly. Erin stopped and stuck her head into each room as they passed it. “There aren’t any bathrooms,” she said, then glanced at him over her shoulder. “I’m sorry but I don’t do the chamber pot thing.”

“No problem. The bathrooms are between bedrooms. See that door on the right?”

She leaned in the room further, then nodded. “So every two rooms share.”

“That’s right. With you and Christie on opposite sides of the hall, you’ll each have your own.”

Kiki came out of the room at the very end. She paused when she saw Erin. “I’ve changed the linens and there are plenty of fresh towels in the bathroom.” She reached into the pocket of her jogging suit pants and pulled out a small plastic box. “I gave Christie a night-light in her bedroom and bath; yours is just in the bath. If you want an extra let me know. I’m going to put one here by your door then another at the end of the hall. It gets dark here at night.” She paused to draw a breath.

“Thank you,” Erin said. “You’re being very generous. We’ll be fine.”

“Well if you need anything, just let me know.”

Kiki was still offering to be of assistance as Parker moved past her. He walked to the room Christie had chosen and paused in the doorway.

The room was oddly shaped, an L with a bulbous end. Windows allowed light in on two walls. There were built-in seats with puffy cushions and small bookcases. A bed had been pushed up against the wall nearest the door. To the left was the closet and the entrance to the tiled bathroom. Around to the right was the reason Christie had chosen the room in the first place.

Parker supposed this had once been the schoolroom and the adjoining area had been for play. He set both suitcases down and walked toward the octagonally shaped alcove.

Small paned windows ran from floor to ceiling. In between them, built-in shelves and cubbyholes filled the walls. There was an old-fashioned rocking horse and a playhouse big enough for Christie to live in.

When he and Robin had bought this house, they’d talked about the babies they wanted and how much fun those children would have in this room. After she was gone, Parker had almost gutted the floor and started over. But he’d never had the time. Now he was glad. He wanted Christie to enjoy staying with him. He was only going to have her for a small part of her life so he had to make every minute count.

She was staring out the windows at the ocean.

“At night the stars come out,” he said. “They are bright and clear but there are too many to count.”

She spun toward him, a small ragged teddy bear clutched in her arms. Big eyes got bigger. “Daddy, this is the bestest room in the whole world. I’ll love it forever.”

She rushed toward him. Parker barely had time to brace himself before she plowed into his legs and held on firmly. An uncomfortable and unfamiliar tightness wrapped around his chest.

“I’m glad you’re here, too,” he said, his voice a little thick. “I want you to be happy here.”

“I will be.” She looked up and smiled. “And I’ll be very good.”

He touched the tip of her nose. “I’m sure you will be.”

“Parker, this is amazing,” Erin said.

Christie released him and raced to her mother. She grabbed her hand and tugged her around the bed toward