Smiling, Dylan ended the call. With a tap of his finger, he opened his email. Erin told him to wait a few hours, but just in case, he decided to check in case the DNA results arrived early.
Dylan found plenty of messages to delete, but nothing that might change the life of one little girl and the woman who cared for her with a brand of fierce love and devotion he admired.
Eve. He felt a twinge of guilt because he knew how much she loved Daisy—the emotion was written all over her expressive face every time she spoke about the little girl. And when they were in the same room, the love between woman and child was palpable.
In a perfect world, Dylan would leave Eve and Daisy as they were—together and happy. Unfortunately, life wasn’t perfect. Choices had to be made that were often difficult and sometimes painful.
Eve, for all her determination and dedication, wasn’t Daisy’s mother. Nor was she the little girl’s legal guardian. Plus, each day, little by little, she wore herself thin as she moved from part-time job to part-time job, making enough money to get by, but nothing more.
Dylan had little doubt that Tanner was Daisy’s father. Taking her back to Seattle was the only logical solution. She would have family around her. A doting grandmother, a devoted uncle, and hopefully, when faced with a real, live daughter, a father who would finally learn to step up and take charge of his responsibilities.
Young and adaptable, Daisy would adjust to her new normal. With her bright smile and bubbly personality, she would add a new layer of joy to the Montgomery family.
The problem with logical solutions? They didn’t account for a little thing called collateral damage. Eve. She was the one Dylan worried about. Yes, deep down he believed she would be better off once the only person she had to worry about was herself.
Absently, Dylan tapped the steering wheel with one finger. Without giving himself time to change his mind, he pulled up the contacts on his phone. Right at the top of the list—again, he refused to analyze why—he found the number he’d saved as Pain in the Ass.
Dylan felt a ridiculous amount of pleasure when Eve answered after only one ring. The way she greeted him was another matter.
“Whatever you want, make it fast,” she grumbled in a tone he believed she reserved only for him.
“Good morning to you, too, sunshine.”
“Look, slick.” Eve sighed. “I have deliveries to make. People expect me to be on time. I expect to be ahead of schedule.”
“What do you deliver?” Dylan asked with genuine curiosity. Everything about Eve interested him in ways that concurrently fascinated and alarmed him.
“Breakfast to the construction crew who work the late-night swing shift at the new condominiums on the south end of town,” Eve said. “Because the owner has promised to have the units finished and move-in ready by the end of next month, work goes on round the clock. Kelly’s Kitchen, my employer, has a contract to cater the meals.”
“Interesting,” Dylan said. As he imagined the happy response of the male construction workers when Eve arrived with their food, some of his enthusiasm dimmed.
“And why should I explain myself to you?”
Eve’s question seemed directed at herself more than at Dylan. Naturally, he answered anyway.
“Because, like all women, you find my charm irresistible.”
“Goodbye, slick.”
“Wait. Where are you?” Dylan said in a rush. He didn’t like the idea of her driving and talking on the phone. The activity was doubly dangerous considering the rattle-trap rust bucket she called a car.
“I’m at the restaurant waiting for food,” Eve muttered. “What’s it to you?”
“Ah, ha!” Dylan felt a surge of satisfaction. He started the car and headed out of the parking lot. “Then you do have time to talk.”
“You are determined to get on my last nerve.” Eve sighed. “My boss has almost packed up all the meals. In five minutes, I’ll be out of here. Goodbye.”
“Don’t hang up,” Dylan urged. He checked the navigation system. Five minutes was all he needed. “Have dinner with me tonight.”
“No.”
Never one to let a little thing like a negative answer stand in his way, Dylan needed a reason so he could argue his case.
“Tell me why?” Dylan turned right at the traffic light. “In fifty words or less.”
“Jerk,” Eve said with a derisive snort.
“One word down, forty-nine to go.”
Dylan couldn’t be certain, but he thought Eve laughed. Instantly, he lamented the fact that he wasn’t there to witness the phenomenon.
“Shady Dan’s is hosting a private birthday party tonight,” Eve said after a moment’s hesitation. “I agreed to work as a waitress.”
“Is the pay good?”
Dylan asked, knowing from their brief but eventful association that Eve was passionate about two things. Caring for Daisy, and money. His fervent wish was to add himself to the shortlist. He wasn’t greedy. If she penciled him in at number three, he wouldn’t complain.
“Decent. But I know the people involved,” she said. “They can be demanding and obnoxious, but they know how to tip—big time. Plus, the party starts at five o’clock and ends at eight. Little effort, big rewards.”
“Let’s have dinner after you get off work. You need to eat,” Dylan reasoned. “Whatever, wherever, you like. My treat.”
“Okay,” she said.
Dylan grinned when he realized he just discovered Eve’s weakness. Free anything. Pulling to a stop in front of a red and blue building, he jumped from the car and rushed to hold the door for a woman with two young children.
As Dylan entered, the scent of bacon and coffee hit his senses like a warm blanket of goodness. Wondering if he had time to order something to go, he scanned the room until his gaze landed on the object of his search.
Eve waited by the counter, tapping her foot, checking her watch. She wore a pair of dark jeans, a plain white t-shirt, and a pair of scuffed work
