Page 11 of Small Town Prince Charming

“I don’t have one.”

“Oh.” Maisey frowned. “Erin’s mom said you had a kid tucked away, and I was hoping if you did, she could come out to play.”

Oh God. She wondered who Erin’s mother was and why she’d say such things. Maybe they’d known each other in school. “Sorry. I don’t have kids.” She couldn’t have them, either, but Maisey didn’t need to know that. “I had to work, so I didn’t have kids.”

Maisey giggled. “Have kids with my dad. I want a baby sister.”

Her heart sank. A guy like Ryan would eventually want kids of his own. He’d want a family home and the perfect Blakes Creek wife. She couldn’t give him all that—not that he’d asked her—but she should be upfront with him. She didn’t regret her choices or her past, but if he wanted more than she could give, then then they weren’t right for each other.

Thinking about losing her second chance with him before it even happened hurt.

A knock on the door interrupted her thoughts. “Hold on. I think your Daddy might be here. I offered him coffee, so you don’t have to clean up yet, if it is him.”

“Yay!” Maisey abandoned the bracelets she’d rearranged and joined Tracey at the door. “Daddy.”

“Hi.” She opened the door for Ryan. “I should give you the swipe card and code, then you can just come in when you come to get her.”

“If we make this a frequent thing, then I guess you could.” He picked up Maisey. “Were you good?”

“Yes.” Maisey nodded.

“She was. No heathen-ing.” She closed the door and locked it behind him. “I’ve got some ideas for designs for clothes, inspired by Maisey. She’ll be getting credit for her work, too.”

Ryan stared at her while hugging his daughter. “She will?”

“Why not? Her design, her credit.” She refused to claim work she hadn’t done.

“She’s seven.”

“And she’s got a keen eye for color.”

He placed Maisey on her feet. “We should go.”

“I’ve got coffee upstairs in my apartment. Want some?” She smiled. She didn’t want him to leave so soon.

“I would like some and a few minutes off my feet. Maise, get your bag please.” Ryan gestured to her. His movements were jerky, his eyes a bit wild, and there was a terseness to his tone that hadn’t been there earlier. “Come on.”

“Ryan.” He needed to relax or tell her what had him concerned. She couldn’t fix what she didn’t know about. “Why don’t we go upstairs? I’ve got the television, coffee, and I’m buying dinner. Please?”

“You live upstairs?” he asked.

“It’s nice for the commute, but lousy on the exercise routine.” She smoothed her hands over her hips. “I should probably stop sneaking upstairs for snacks.”

“You don’t need to worry about your figure.” Ryan blushed. “Sorry, but you don’t.”

“Maybe not, but I do enjoy a good snack more often than I should.” She’d been told all her life how she needed to watch her weight. If she let it creep up, she’d never get it back down. Of course, the people criticizing her size were the same ones who could eat anything and not gain weight. They didn’t appreciate her curves. At least she did. Her curves were an asset, even if not everyone saw them that way.

“Stop.” Ryan grasped Maisey’s hand. “Let’s go upstairs. I’m hungry, tired, and I want to sit down.”

“Daddy, she has a TV. That’s a good reason to go up there.” Maisey ran away from her father and up the stairs.

“You have a television. She loves to watch TV.” Ryan crinkled his eyebrows. “We don’t have one.”

“Should I have kept my mouth shut?”

“No, but she’ll love coming here now, because she can watch television. I can’t afford the bill. We had internet TV for a while, but I had to cancel it, too. She watches DVDs on my laptop, which isn’t very much fun, but it’s the best I can do.”

“Don’t worry about it.” She reached for him. “We can talk in the kitchen, and she can watch cartoons or something.”

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