Page 19 of A Daddy for Maddy

“Yes.”

“Then why did you let me hear?”

Colin’s face turned into itself, almost a frown. “Because if we see each other again, maybe, well, ah I don’t know.”

See each other again?

He seemed frustrated for the first time. Did he like me? Maybe he wanted me in his life. It was too soon to ask, but he’d already revealed a deep secret to me he wanted no one else to know. It was something he wanted me to understand if we did end up seeing each other again.

I wanted to erase that unsettled look from him. “It’s okay,” I said, happy that he might want more from me. “I’ll keep your secret.”

“You’re a good boy, I’ll bet.”

I smiled and grabbed Kornie’s horn, squeezing tight. I whispered. “I want to be.”

As Colin pulled out of the lot, he asked, “How old are you?”

“Twenty-one. You have to be to get into the club.”

He nodded. “I’m thirty-five. It’s almost illegal to take you to get coffee.”

“No, it’s not. I’m not a baby.”

He laughed. “Okay, not-a-baby.”

“Why are you laughing?” I asked.

“Because that’s really too bad. I love being a daddy to sweet things like you.”

Now the truth was starting to come out.

“Wh—what?” He was a daddy? I’d wished for that, but hadn’t really expected it. I’d just felt him to be a big, strong protector type, but not a real daddy. He had grimaced at me so fiercely at first that it was hard to get that image out of my mind.

He glanced at me, then back at the road. “It’s not obvious? I mean, I was staring at you when you first walked in.”

I shook my head. “You glared.”

“I did?”

I nodded.

“Well, I’m sorry you interpreted it that way. I figured you knew since you stuck that tongue out at me. Careful there, or other daddies might take that as flirting.”

I was totally embarrassed now. “Ss-sorry?”

He laughed. “And now I’ve asked you out for coffee, all while you were holding a unicorn stuffie. If I wasn’t a daddy, what else could it be?”

He was right and I suppose I was pretty clueless in the moment. “I guess I thought you felt obligated to make sure I didn’t have a serious injury from that fight.”

“Well, sure, I wanted to make sure you were okay. But you also seemed really alone. Your coloring book page looked exceptional, though. You had some fun with it, I’d guess.”

I wasn’t sure what to say. He’d noticed my coloring? Little chills went up and down my spine in a good way.

Colin was also right that I had felt alone. Even a little lost. I loved coloring but that space tonight at the table with the strange boys did not feel comfortable for me. I didn’t know anyone, and Dan had abandoned me.

I sat back in the comfy seat of the BMW feeling anything but abandoned now.

The coffee “date” ended up being a meal at a 24-hour diner. Colin bought me a late-late dinner of fries, a burger and chocolate milk. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was until I looked down at my empty plate.

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