Bachelor Dad: A Single Dad Romance. Roxann Delaney

lever. The wheel began to move. Beside him, Garrett felt Sophie stiffen. “It’s okay,” he told her. Her eyes were as big as dinner plates, and he took her small hand in his. “We’ll stop going backward when we get up to the top. See the ball field where Noah was playing earlier?”

      “Don’t be scared,” Noah said. “Take a deep breath and close your eyes, if you are. When you get used to it, then you can open them.”

      Garrett watched as she did as Noah instructed. After they stopped several times to let off old riders and take on new ones, and then made two complete circles, she’d relaxed. When she finally opened her eyes, there was a slight smile playing on her lips.

      “Better?” he asked.

      She looked up at him with a real smile and nodded.

      For the rest of the ride, he and Noah pointed out different things to her, and by the time the ride was over, she was giggling. Garrett couldn’t remember hearing anything so beautiful.

      When their ride was over and they were on solid ground again, Garrett looked around, but didn’t see Libby. “Do you see your mom?” he asked Noah.

      Noah looked around, too. “No. Should I go look for her?”

      Before Garrett could answer, he felt someone touch his arm. When he turned around, he saw Hettie Lambert, the great-granddaughter of the town’s founder, and her friend Aggie Clayborne.

      “I heard you have a little girl,” Hettie said, smiling down at Sophie. “What a cutie!”

      Having received the results of the paternity test the day before, there was no doubt left in Garrett’s mind that Sophie was his. He felt proud. He felt scared. News had traveled quickly in Desperation, as he had expected it would, and most folks knew that he was now a single father. He wasn’t surprised that Hettie had come to be introduced to Sophie, nor was he going to disappoint her.

      “Thank you,” he answered. “This is my daughter, Sophie.”

      “She looks just like your sister,” Aggie said. “Definitely a family resemblance.”

      “And she’s just adorable,” Hettie added. Bending down, she touched Sophie’s cheek. “Welcome to Desperation, Sophie. I hope you like it here. Are you having a good time today?”

      Garrett knew there’d be no verbal response from his daughter. “She’s a little shy, Hettie.”

      Hettie straightened. “Oh, that’s all right. Don’t you worry about it, Sophie. Aggie and I are just two old ladies with nothing better to do than watch people having a good time at this carnival.” She turned to Garrett. “I’d like to talk to you about the new zoning, if you have a couple of minutes.”