Page 18 of Accidental Baby Daddy

“Sorry, Granny. I’ll have to come by more often,” I said, kissing her cheek and giving her a big hug back, picking her up off her feet.

She giggled like a schoolgirl. “Well, what about Lexie Tripp being back in town?”

I gaped at her. “You know Lexie’s here?”

She nodded. “She came by just starving, poor thing. You know she left her man at the altar. Ran right across the street and hitched a ride with a trucker.”

I blinked. “She told you that?”

“She told me everything. Poor gal was all to pieces,” she said. “Wish I could help her.”

I thought about Lexie, wondering where she was, thinking about her penniless and with only the clothes on her back. Guilt rushed through me. As much as she’d hurt me, I didn’t want her to have to struggle. I’d once loved her, after all, and still held some feelings for her... whatever they were.

“Granny, weren’t you just saying you needed to replace the girl behind the deli?”

“Oh, Samantha? Yes, she’s terrible,” she complained. “Plus, she’s leaving for college soon so we won’t have her anymore once summer’s over.”

“Why don’t you call Lexie and offer her the position?” I suggested, and Granny’s blue eyes widened.

“That’s such a good idea, Oliver. I did mention that if anything opened I would let her know.”

“And while you’re at it,” I said, then paused, asking myself if I really wanted to speak my thought aloud. “You could offer her the cabin to stay in.”

“What do you want for rent?”

I shook my head. “Nothing.”

The ‘cabin’ was a three-bedroom house at the back of my property. It had already been there when I built my place, and I suppose I’d left it there out of some sense of nostalgia. It was a nice little cabin, and I used it as a guest house.

Granny smiled slyly. “You’re still sweet on that girl, aren’t you?”

“Granny, please,” I mumbled, grabbing the rest of what I needed. “Just do it, okay?”

“All right,” she said, before grabbing my hand and squeezing it. “You’re a good man, Oliver.”

I smiled and squeezed it back before heading to the checkout.

When I picked up Trent from his summer camp, he sighed heavily as he got in the car. “What’s wrong, pal?”

“Girl troubles,” he muttered, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“At your age?”

“Her name is Shelby, Dad! She’s so nice.” He nearly yelled the words.

“What if I told you that you can’t have a girlfriend until you’re sixteen?”

“That’s not fair. Lots of kids at camp have girlfriends. Some guys havetwo.”

I laughed, unable to stop myself.

Trent was as good-looking as his mother and sometimes, just as flirty. Suzanne Winters had breezed into my life five years ago and then breezed right out. We’d only been together a handful of times, and it was never anything serious.

I didn’t hear from her for over a year until Trent got dropped off on my doorstep. She had put the legal paperwork signing away her rights away as a parent in the baby carrier along with a note that said:You’ll be better at this than I will.

I guess Suzanne was right. I am pretty good at this. Trent is happy and healthy, and he’s brought so much joyinto my life. I can’t even be angry at her because he’s all I ever needed.

“Well, what’s the problem, then?” I asked, teasing just a little.

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