Page 16 of The Single Dad Dilemma

Ridge kisses her on the cheek, then sets her down on her feet. “Let’s go try them.”

We walk into the kitchen and I grab a plate from the cabinet to place the cookies on. Then I grab the milk and pour us each a glass. It’s the superior way to consume cookies.

I give the plate to Lou, letting her carry them over to her dad at the counter, then she helps me with the cups and we take a seat with him.

“These look very chocolatey,” Ridge says.

“Darcy told me to measure with my heart,” Lou says.

“She did?” His question is directed toward Lou, but his eyes lock with mine, his smile widening almost imperceptibly. Possibly, anyway. Maybe I hallucinated that last part.

Ridge grabs a cookie from the plate and dips a large portion into the milk, holding it there to let it absorb. Then he proceeds to put almost half the cookie into his mouth. There’s a split second when my dirty little mind holds on to the words “cookie” and “his mouth,” and I spend a fraction of a second imagining his head between my legs.Oh my god.Seriously, what is it about this man’s face that makes me want to ride it?

“Wow, this cookie is amazing,” he says in a genuinely surprised tone.

“We worked very hard,” Lou says.

I take a bite of my cookie, satisfied with our work. We did do a pretty good job. The three of us eat our cookies and talk for a few minutes about how we made them. He told us we make a good team, and I couldn’t agree more.

Lou excuses herself to the bathroom, leaving Ridge and I at the table together.

“I was hoping to take Lou to the zoo sometime soon, if that’s okay?” I ask.

“I think she would love that,” he says. “Just be prepared to answer a few questions about their conservation efforts.”

“Seriously?” I ask with a giggle.

“She likes to know that the zoo supports the animals beyond feeding them,” he says, shrugging.

I laugh. “I’ll make sure I read up on the website tonight.”

“So how was it today? Give it to me straight. Did she give you a hard time?”

“Not at all.” I shake my head adamantly. “She was wonderful. We had a great time.”

The surprised look from earlier has returned to Ridge’s face. I take it this isn’t something he normally hears about her and I hate that.

“That’s great,” he says. “I’m relieved, honestly.”

“Ridge, I don’t know if you realize, but I think she will be perfectly comfortable in advanced classes in the future. She’s really quite brilliant.”

Ridge reaches up and rubs the back of his neck. He seems to be deep in thought. Perhaps I’ve overstepped or said too much. Maybe I should’ve waited a little while to say something. Although, it is just a compliment.

“Wow,” he says. “I mean, she’s always been really smart and hit all her milestones early. But no one has ever said that about her. Maybe because every experience with a daycare has been so negative.”

“I’m sorry they made you feel that way,” I say. “Sometimes they’re just not equipped for such a unique child. I think sometimes institutions need more specialized training for both the exceptionally gifted and those with developmental differences.”

“I don’t blame them.” He sighs. “They’re doing the best they can.”

He’s right. Most teachers and caretakers are doing their best. It’s really a systemic problem that requires higher-level change. It’s part of the reason I’m so passionate about completing my master’s in education. I want to create real change.

“Well, if it’s alright with you, I’d really love to work with her on a more intense level and let her spread her wings. Because at this point, I think one of the issues with daycare may have been boredom.”

Ridge’s eyes widen a little. It’s a mixture of surprise and some other positive emotion I can’t put a word to. Happiness doesn’t seem quite right. Is he grateful?

“Darcy, I—” He pauses, collecting himself for a moment. “That would be amazing.”

I cannot help the smile that overcomes me. I’m a sucker for a caring parent. And I can tell more than anything that Ridge cares a lot.

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