Page 16 of Wrong Number, Right Single Dad
“You are that,” she says. “At work and at home.”
I look away, my heart thudding.
“I didn’t expect this,” I say. “You. Her. Any of this.”
She leans her head against my shoulder. “Me neither.”
We sit like that for a while, listening to the soft chitter of penguins and the squeal of kids nearby.
Then she asks, “Do you ever think about having more?”
“More what?”
“Kids.”
I exhale slowly. “Yeah. Maybe. Someday. I love being a dad, even when it’s hard.”
She’s quiet for a beat. “I think I want them. Someday. But only if it’s with the right person. My mom did it on her own. But…”
“No, I get it.” I nod. “Makes sense.”
The conversation settles between us. And then?—
“Delaney!” Hannah perks up, as if she wasn’t just asleep. Her face lit with excitement. “Do you wanna get your picture taken in the photo booth?”
Delaney laughs and waits for my nod. “Of course.”
We all pile into the booth, and I watch them giggle through filters—squid hats, scuba goggles, shark teeth. At one point, Delaney lifts Hannah onto her lap while my daughter makes a goofy face for the camera.
And that’s when it hits me.
She fits here. With us.
Which was never supposed to be how this went.
Our arrangement was supposed to be casual. Just a fling. A way for two lonely people to itch a scratch.
But now… Now I don’t know.
Would it be so bad to open myself up again? Especially if it’s for Delaney?
SEVEN
DELANEY
Hannah falls asleep five minutes into the movie she insists on watching after we get back from the aquarium and dinner at a pizzeria.
She’s curled up against Jared’s side on the couch, breathing deep and steady, the rise and fall of her little chest visible beneath the fuzzy blanket.
I slip away to grab a couple glasses of water, and when I return, Jared is carefully scooping her into his arms.
“I’ll be back soon,” he whispers, carrying her down the hall with practiced ease.
I watch them go, my heart aching. He’s so good with her. Gentle. Present. The kind of dad every kid dreams of having.
The kind of man I never believed existed. And for good reason.
There has to be a catch. Well, besides the obvious: That he’s not looking for romantic commitments.
