Page 11 of The Bachelor's Dilemma

“I’ll take it if you’re finished with it. Are you okay?”

“I will be, just need to keep moving. Nice to talk to you.”

“We’ll come tomorrow. If you have a mobile phone by then, you can give me your number and I’ll let you know if I hear of a sublet.”

He nodded and said goodbye.

Anna watched as he walked away. She could tell he was in pain. She hadn’t noticed a limp yesterday, but he definitely was favoring his left leg as he slowly walked on the path through the park. Once he reached the sidewalk, it wasn’t long before he was lost from view.

Anna studied his card. Myles Riker, engineer. He was as different from Tom as any man she knew. His hand felt callused and hard. And he looked tanned and rugged. He lived in foreign countries and worked in an area only a very few could handle.

Yet their paths had crossed, and Anna was glad for it.

She may have been a tad pushy about offering to find him a place, but she wanted to do something for him. He’d offered her help yesterday. Now it was her turn.

Was that all? To repay his offer?

She refused to dwell on why, but she hope she hadn’t seen the last of Myles Riker.

Chapter Two

The rain on Sunday left Anna feeling disappointed. There’d be no going to the park that day. After breakfast, she stood at the window for a little while, watching the water trace down the pane. It wasn’t a quick shower that’d end soon. She’d wanted to take Zack to the park.

And run into Myles.

Sighing softly, she turned and went to gather the laundry. It was a chore she never relished. The dark basement that housed the two washing machines for their building gave her the creeps. She wished it could be painted and more lights added. At least she didn’t have to go to a public laundry and wait. So far, no one had taken her clothes when she’d left them in the apartment laundry.

It was early afternoon when the phone rang. Anna answered quickly. Zack was sleeping, and she didn’t want him to waken.

“Hi, darling,” her mother greeted her.

“Hi, Mom.”

“Your father’s napping, so I thought I’d call.”

Her mother usually called once every week. Anna missed her parents and relished their chats on the phone.

“Zack’s sleeping, too,” Anna said, settling down on the sofa.

“How are things?” her mother asked.

“Okay. Zack scared me to death on Friday.”

Quickly Anna gave her mother a recap.

“I don’t know what to do with his chasing after men, thinking they’re Tom.”

“He’ll grow out of it eventually,” her mom said.

“But in the meantime, I could die of fright if he disappears again. Or he could seriously get lost or abducted.”

“What he needs is a father figure. That’s what he’s missing. I wished we lived closer. Your father loves the time he spends with Zack.”

The image of Myles Riker rose.

Anna frowned. Why had he sprung to mind when her mother spoke of a father figure? He was the last person who’d be interested in children. He said he hadn’t been around them. His job wasn’t good for any kind of family life.

But she could fantasize. That he’d ask her out. That he’d like to spend time with Zack.

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