Page 9 of The Bachelor's Dilemma

“That must have been tough. Especially with a child.”

She nodded.

“But we’re getting by,” she said—to convince Myles or herself?

Myles had taken a chance that Anna Tucker would bring Zack to the park this morning. The weather forecast had been for a warm day and he hoped she was in the habit of letting her son play outside. He’d read the entire newspaper and about given up when he’d seen them cross the street. Patience was not a virtue he considered he had. But it’d paid off today.

And luck when she joined him on the bench. There were other empty spots she could have chosen. He was glad she sat beside him.

The more she spoke, the more he wanted to know. There was sadness in her eyes. She still grieved for her husband. Yet, when she looked at Zack, she seemed to light up inside.

How would it feel to have someone look at him that way?

He hoped his mother had at least one time, but he’d never know. He’d didn’t remember her.

He often wondered if there was something wrong with someone who’d been abandoned by his parents, shuffled around in foster care and unable to make a lasting commitment as an adult.

Myles frowned. That wasn’t true. He’d made a commitment to work and stuck by it despite the hardships and uncomfortable—even dangerous—living conditions.

But relationships were different.

He hadn’t even warranted a note from Tiffany telling him about his son.

Shifting slightly, he tried to ease the ache in his back. He was stiffening up. He needed to move again. But he hated to leave. He might never get another opportunity like this to speak with the woman who was now mother to his child.

There was so much to find out.

“Are you staying nearby?” Anna asked.

He nodded.

“In a small hotel.”

“I wish I knew of someone subletting an apartment or something,” she said. “It has to be costly to stay in a hotel, no matter how modest.”

Myles decided not to tell her the company was picking up the expenses. All medical costs as well.

Then what she said registered. She’d suggest a place for him to sublet? Close enough he might see Anna and Zack again? He hadn’t thought about getting to know them. He’d only wanted to make sure his son was healthy and happy.

He had at least two more months, maybe longer, before the doctor would certify him for work. Could he spend some of it here—with the woman beside him and his son?

“I appreciate the thought,” he said.

She frowned.

“I’ll ask around. There has to be something, though sublets get snapped up fast. Housing is so expensive here.”

“Why not move to a more affordable place?”

“This is the closest apartment to the UN I could afford. I don’t want to spend any more time away from Zack than I have to, which moving out farther would entail. As it is, it takes about forty-five minutes each way to work.”

He hadn’t thought about that. There was a lot more involved in family life than he’d originally considered. Maybe he should look for a sublet closer to the UN, in a nicer neighborhood, and then give it to Anna when he left.

“I guess you won’t be here long enough for a sublet,” she mused.

“Another two or three months. If someone was traveling or something, I could house-sit. But not for longer than that.”

“I’ll let you know if I hear anything,” she said. “How can I reach you?”

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