"That's beautiful, Maddie. Maybe someday, you'll grow up and be a guitar player."
She beamed under his praise.
How many times had he practiced with hopes to impress his father only to be critiqued or ignored? He'd never do that to his daughter. Holy hell, he had a daughter.
The next hour he let her play the drums and his keyboard. When the sun set, he cooked her a grilled cheese sandwich.
They stared at each other for endless minutes, and when he couldn't take the silence any longer, he turned on the television, found cartoons, and put her on the couch before he retreated to the studio to work on his music. When he returned, she was fast asleep, right where he left her. He covered her with a blanket, tucked her bear against her side, and headed to bed. He needed to get up early and figure out daycare.
When he woke the next morning, he wasn't alone. His first thought was someone had gotten past his security system unnoticed and was in his bed, but that wasn't the case. Curled next to him were Maddie and her bear.
He rolled onto his back and crossed his arms above his head. "This is real." Somewhere in his brain, he hoped it was a dream. He couldn't call it a nightmare because the kid was too cute.
She stirred, rolled onto her back, and folded her arms above her head. "Yep."
If he weren't in such a panic about how to deal with this, he would have laughed.
"Let's get up, kiddo. How about muffins and milk for breakfast?" A trip to the bakery could solve two problems. First would be feeding the kid, and since Katie had a toddler, she'd know someone he could call. Thankfully, he'd made friends with Katie's husband, Bowie, or he wouldn't know anyone with a kid.
He sent Maddie to her suitcase to change her clothes. He'd peeked inside last night, and she had quite a few things to wear.
By the time he dressed, so had she. Fashion wasn't her thing. Nothing matched, but she was clothed.
Her hair was a whole different matter. Knotted and tangled, he had no idea what to do with it, so he raked his hands through it and used one of his hair ties.
He loaded her into the back seat and buckled her in. Her booster seat would be here that afternoon. Until then, he'd drive like a granny. When they pulled up to the bakery, sweetness filled the air.
"Let's hit it." He got her out of the car, and they walked into B's hand in hand.
"I heard a rumor," Katie said. "I didn't believe it. Thought my mother-in-law was yanking my chain." Katie rushed around the corner and squatted in front of Maddie. "How about a raspberry muffin and milk?" She ushered Maddie to a table under a corkboard labeled, "Wishing Wall" above it.
While she gathered milk, muffins, and a much-needed cup of coffee for Alex, he stared at the notes posted.
"Does anyone ever post employment needs here?"
"Sometimes, what are you looking for?" She brought their meal out and set it on the table.
"I need a babysitter."
Maddie scowled. "I'm not a baby."
Katie set her hand on Maddie's hair. "Of course you aren't. Silly men never get it right. You need a big-girl sitter."
Maddie nodded and chomped into her muffin.
"I need help with Maddie until I can figure it all out."
"I've got just the woman for you."
Chapter Seven
A sharp rap on the door saved Mercy from washing breakfast dishes. With sudsy hands, she picked up a kitchen towel and made her way to the front of her small bungalow.
She didn't get visitors unless they were bill collectors, so a knock on the door didn't bring feelings of joy. The last time someone came here, it was to deliver certified mail. Certified to drive her crazy since it was another company that wanted payment.
What she wouldn't do for a peephole. At least then, she could see who it was and decide if she wanted to answer.
At the second knock, she braced herself for the worst. "Who is it?"
"Are you Mercy Meyer?"
"Depends. Who's asking?" The voice sounded familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.
"You don't know me, but Katie from the bakery told me you needed a job, and I've recently come into a situation where I need help."
Heart soaring, she whipped the door open only to find Alex Cruz and his daughter on her doorstep. The poor kid looked like she'd been dressed by a color blind person with bad hair skills.
"Oh my God, it's you," he said.
"In the flesh." She flung the towel over her shoulder. "I could say the same. What in the heck are you doing here at my house?"
He pressed his lips together until they formed a thin line.
Maddie broke free and stepped inside. "Can I color?"
They watched her walk inside the house like she owned it. On the coffee table were cutout puppies and kittens.
Mercy used them in class for a reading project. Each time the student finished a book, they got to put an animal cutout after their name. By the end of the year, some kids wrapped the room with animals of every kind and color.
"Sure, sweetie, pick out a puppy and make it pretty." She turned back to Alex. "What do you need?"
He rubbed the scruff on his chin. Its texture sounded like sandpaper against his hand.
"Katie said you needed a job, and I need a sitter."
She looked over her shoulder at Maddie, who had made herself comfortable.
"For how long?" Inside, her tummy somersaulted because she needed a job, and this was the perfect opportunity to pay off some of her bills.
He lifted his broad shoulders, and she wondered if those muscles came from hours of drumming, or if he was born with genes that made him look like
