* * *
Emma saw them coming. She had just finished the paperwork and handed over the cutest black toy poodle to his adoptive parents. The woman, who was about sixty, stood back until Daniel’s daughters entered, then Daniel waited for her to leave with her dog.
When Penny and Pippa spotted Emma, they ran right over to her. Paris proceeded more slowly. Pippa looked up at her with her big chocolate-brown eyes. “We came to see Fiesta. Can she have visitors?”
Emma smiled. “Sure, she can have visitors. We gave her a special little home with her own litter box and a plastic bin with shredded newspaper that she can use when she feels her babies are going to be born.”
Now Paris gave her attention to Emma, too. “Why shredded newspaper?”
“Because it can be replaced easily. Cats also like to lie in paper for some reason.”
Daniel eyed Emma, and when he did, she felt herself blush. What was it about this man that made him so attractive? Sure, he was tall. He was handsome. He cared about his daughters and an animal he’d found under his porch, too. But none of that proved he’d be a good romantic prospect.
No more impulsive decisions, Emma told herself fiercely. Her last impulsive decision had landed her here in Spring Forest without a job or a place to stay. Living in a studio apartment with a month-to-month lease, she’d used up most of her savings. She needed to find a job fast...that is if she was going to stay in Spring Forest.
If she didn’t find a job soon that paid her a decent wage, she’d have to return home. She really didn’t want to do that because it would prove her father had been right.
She motioned the girls down the hall. “Turn left at the first door.”
Daniel walked beside her and she was totally aware of him. His navy striped tie was tugged down and the top two buttons of his royal blue oxford shirt were open. Suddenly he touched her elbow and they both paused. Her arm felt as if he’d touched her with fire.
“You must be a miracle worker,” he said.
She felt stunned by his touch and immobilized by the admiration in his eyes. Somehow she found her voice. “Why do you say that?”
“Because Paris doesn’t talk to anyone unless she has to. And she never asks questions. She acts as if she knows everything about everything. With you, she’s different.”
“I’m just a new person in her life. I love animals, and maybe she does, too.”
Daniel was still looking at her as if he was debating something in his mind. Finally he said, “You’re good with Penny and Pippa, too. Pippa has had a hard time. She’d rather I hug her and keep her with me rather than doing anything else.”
“Daddy’s little girl?” Emma asked, knowingly.
“Maybe. Or maybe she’s just holding on to her only remaining parent for dear life. I don’t know if you noticed, but she still has the stain of lipstick under her nose.”
“Lipstick?” Emma asked, confused.
“When I got home today, she’d gotten into Lydia’s old stuff that I’d dumped into a shoebox and stored in my closet. She had a thick coat of lipstick all around her mouth, eye shadow on her eyes, blush on her cheeks, and she looked like a clown.”
“You didn’t laugh, did you?” Little girls usually looked to their dad for affirmation as well as attention.
“No. I was too disconcerted to do that. But I didn’t tell her she looked beautiful, either.”
“What did you tell her?” She knew whatever Daniel had told his daughter would stick.
“I told her she was much prettier with nothing at all on her face.”
Emma couldn’t help but smile. “You’re a very smart dad.”
“Penny doesn’t think so. We both forgot about her soccer game.”
Emma tried hard not to widen her smile at his adorably sheepish tone. He was a dad on his own, doing the best he could. “I think you’re too hard on yourself.”
“You don’t know me,” he reminded her with a frown.
“I can see you want the best for your daughters.”
Again Daniel eyed her as if he was debating with himself. However, he changed the course of their conversation. “I hear the director of the shelter is Rebekah Taylor.”
“Yes, Rebekah’s the director.”
“Do you think I could meet with her?”
“She has a board meeting this morning over at the Whitakers’.” The Whitaker sisters, Bunny and Birdie, had invested their money in this shelter to set it up. Although she’d seen them around the shelter, she’d never met them officially. But she’d heard a lot about them.
“I can leave a message for Rebekah with your number. I’m sure she’ll call you back.”
“I’d like that. Thank you for offering.”
Emma could get lost in Daniel’s green eyes, but she knew she wouldn’t. She absolutely wouldn’t.
During the next half hour, Daniel and his daughters gave Fiesta some of the attention she deserved.
Penny marveled at her colors. “She’s so pretty—white, and black, and brown. I’d never seen a cat like her.”
“I wonder what color her babies will be,” Paris commented.
“They could be a variety of colors,” Emma explained. “It will be exciting to see them, won’t it?”
Pippa came over to Emma and leaned against her leg. “Will we be able to play with the kittens?”
“I don’t know, honey,” Emma said. “It depends if someone adopts her before she has her babies.”
Pippa leaned her head against Emma’s waist. “Daddy doesn’t want a cat and babies.”
Emma couldn’t help but put an arm around Pippa and pat her shoulder. Then her gaze met Daniel’s and she was hard-pressed to look away.
After Daniel and his daughters left, Emma couldn’t forget how his touch had made her feel. She also couldn’t forget how his daughters had warmed her heart. She wondered again why Daniel wanted to talk to Rebekah. She’d left his message on the director’s desk. But since Rebekah had come back from the board meeting, she’d been busy around the shelter.
Emma almost ran into her as she came out of her office, cell phone in hand. She’d apparently just ended a call.
“Something important?” Emma asked.
“It was Grant Whitaker,” Rebekah told her. “He just...” Rebekah shook her head. “I’ll take care of it. Nothing to worry about. I saw the message you put on my desk from Daniel Sutton. He’s the lawyer around here, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is. He and his daughters brought Fiesta in yesterday.”
“Does he want to adopt the cat?”
“No. I don’t know what he wants.”
“I’ll get back to him as soon as I can, but the way this day’s going, that might not be until this evening.”
“He said whenever you have time would be fine.”
“Good. No pressure. That’s what I like from a man.” She sighed. “I’m going to check the work on the expansion porch for the cats. That’s where I’ll be if anybody needs me.”
After Rebekah turned in that direction, Emma returned to Fiesta. She hadn’t told Daniel and his daughters but Fiesta wasn’t eating as she should. Emma hoped she just needed to become acclimated, but she’d ask the vet, Doc J, to check