Page 60 of The Bachelor's Dilemma

She made a man long to have her smile at him when he came home at night. Share life’s trials. And make a warm and loving home where they could shut away the world and be in a world of their own. Their last kiss flashed into his mind. He couldn’t imagine not kissing her. Not having the right to kiss her if she turned to someone else.

“Yeah, I guess because of Anna,” he admitted aloud.

“That’s cool, man. My sister has three kids and her dead-beat husband left several years ago. She can hardly get a date because of those children. Most men don’t want to get involved,” Brad said.

“I don’t have a lot of experience with kids. Or women, for that matter. Don’t you think it would be a privilege to be part of a child’s life?” Myles asked.

“Well, of course I do. I have two children myself and can’t imagine life without them. Not all men think like that, however.”

Myles knew that. Before he’d met Anna and Zack, he’d been one of them. The thought filled him with panic. He’d been alone most of his life. Now he craved a woman who was still grieving for her lost husband.

Mrs. Harper had a large sheet spread out over a table beside her desk. She was leaning over it, checking on tasks yet to be done, when the two men entered her office.

“Phase one of room two is complete,” Brad said. “What next?”

She looked up and smiled.

“This is going so much faster than I expected. At this rate, we may finish in only a couple of more weekends. The painting is complete in Mrs. Savalack’s room. Mrs. Rosa’s room and Mrs. Thompkin’s rooms now are ready for the next stage. We have the ceilings to repair in two rooms, but there are parents already there. Are you two up for the playground equipment?”

“What’s needed?” Myles asked.

“Some of the older equipment is made of wood. It’s splintered and deteriorating. It needs to be replaced, bolted in place and then finished, so it’s safe for the children. And we had two new plastic climbing jungle gyms donated that have to be assembled.”

“Myles will be perfect for that. He’s used to building bridges. How hard can some playground equipment be?” Brad said.

Mrs. Harper studied him for a moment, smiling in gratitude.

“We are fortunate, indeed, to have you helping, Mr. Riker.”

“Myles, please. I’ll look at what you have. We already picked up the lumber, right?”

“Yes, it was in the original order you were so helpful in acquiring for us.”

As the men headed out to the playground area, Brad asked about the order. Myles explained about the company’s policy of helping in local communities.

“That’s why those other two guys were here yesterday?” Brad asked.

“Right. They’ll be back next Saturday, too.”

A wrought-iron fence enclosed the entire property in front of the old building. There was a separate area for the playground from the front walkway, and the playground was cross fenced. The double walkway that led from the sidewalk to the front door also had a gate, but it was rusted in the open position.

“If it had been closed that day,” Myles said, going to inspect it, “Zack would never have been able to run off like he did.”

“What’s happened?”

Brad hadn’t heard the story. When Myles finished, he looked at Myles. “If he hadn’t run off, you’d never have met Anna and end up here helping. Sounds like fate to me.”

Myles nodded as he assessed what was needed to get the gates in working order again. He’d initially planned only to walk down the street, check out the preschool and see if his son was in the playground. He hadn’t planned to stop or introduce himself. He’d never expected to have Anna ask for his help.

Maybe it was fate. Did that auger for a positive spin on his idea of family?

“This has rusted pretty good. But I think if we can get it off the hinges and use a solvent to get to bare metal, we can paint and lubricate so it’ll work for years.”

He glanced at Brad.

“Hey, man, I’m up for anything to keep the kids safer. This is a dangerous world, and this isn’t the best neighborhood. Just the best we can afford,” Brad said.

Myles knew that was true for Anna as well. If they married, he could easily afford to establish them in a better neighborhood in Brooklyn, or even move out to Long Island where they could have a house with a big yard.

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