Page 63 of Daddy's Heart

“Oh? Where’s that?” Samantha asked, anticipation in her voice.

“UIC. I’m a chem professor there…well, part-time now,” Kelly said.

“I’ll have to look into that. Working for a university would be great.”

The doorbell rang.

“Pizza,” Kendrick announced. “Be right back.”

Samantha fell into an easy conversation with Kelly. Watching her fill with excitement about her career and getting a new start warmed him. The worry he’d seen in her eyes when they’d arrived faded away the longer she talked about work. Whatever she’d been so concerned about seemed to be have been pushed to the back burner.

“Kel, where’s the salad bowl?” Kendrick called from the kitchen.

Kelly rolled her eyes. “I’ll be right back. Sorry.”

“Can I help?” Samantha got up from her seat.

“Just tossing the salad into a bowl, but you can help me grab some drinks.”

Ryder sat back in the chair. Alone.

It was no surprise Samantha fit right in with Kelly and Kendrick. Good people held a magnetic attraction to each other.

“Ryder, let’s eat,” Sam called from behind him. He blew out a sigh and followed her voice to the dining room. A deep-dish cheese and mushroom pizza sat centerstage with a large chopped salad beside it.

He took a seat next to Samantha and accepted a beer from Kelly with a smile.

“So, how’s work been?” Kendrick asked Ryder as he plated a piece of pizza and handed it to him.

“Busy. But at least we’re back at work. Hopefully the rebuild will be done in a month.” Ryder placed the plate of pizza and salad in front of Samantha. He noted the little grimace she gave, but left it alone. Some greens and tomatoes wouldn’t hurt her. She’d eat the salad.

“I put in a bid to put in the security system, but I’m not holding my breath on it. It’s a big project. Small companies like me have a harder time getting those jobs.” Kendrick passed out the rest of the dishes.

“Do you have deep dish in Indiana?” Kelly asked Samantha after the conversation stilled and she still hadn’t touched her pizza.

“Oh, yes, probably not as good as here, though. George said pizza anywhere outside Chicago isn’t really pizza.”

Kelly laughed. “He’s right about that.”

Samantha’s salad was nearly finished, but still she hadn’t taken a bite of her pizza. When she finished the salad, she reached for the large bowl to take a second serving. Kendrick’s gaze wandered to Samantha’s plate, dragging Ryder’s along with it.

“You haven’t touched your pizza. Is it the mushrooms?” Kelly chimed in. “I told Kendrick not everyone likes mushrooms.” She shot her husband an unwanted glare.

“No, I love mushrooms,” Samantha was quick to say. She squirmed a bit in her seat, probably from being the center of attention.

“Sam.” Ryder put his fork and knife down. “What’s wrong?”

She shifted to look at him. He narrowed his eyes when she remained silent.

“I’m…I can’t really have cheese.” She leaned closer to him as she spoke, as though the secret wouldn’t be well received from everyone else. “I have a lactose sensitivity.”

Ryder looked at the thick slice of pizza on her plate. “What do you mean? You had ice-cream yesterday afternoon, and this morning you ate the cheese omelet I made for you.”

A rosey blush crossed her cheeks, and she glanced at Kendrick and Kelly again.

“Sammy,” he said with more warning. His little girl was keeping secrets again.

She opened her mouth, then snapped it shut. “Sometimes it’s not so bad. But I had cheese for breakfast. If I have it now too…” the blush deepened, “it will be bad.”

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