Cassie finally turned to him. “Daddy.” She got up and rushed over to him. “You’re home.”
He hugged her, but his gaze was on Lori. “Yes, sorry I’m so late.”
“It’s okay,” she said. “Miss Lori drove me home.” His daughter gave him a bright smile. “She’s helping me with my homework.”
“I thought Mrs. Keenan was going to do that.” He’d made the arrangements with her yesterday.
Lori stood. “Claire would have, but she got sick. I took over for her this afternoon in Cassie’s classroom, and I offered to bring her home. I knew you would be busy at the site.”
Jace tensed. “My daughter is a priority. I’m never too busy to be here for her. At the very least I should have been called.” He glanced around for the teenager who he depended on. “Where’s Heather?”
“She had a ‘mergency at her house,” Cassie told him.
He turned to the jean-clad Lori. She didn’t look much older than the high school babysitter.
“We tried to call you but I got your voice mail,” Lori said. “It wasn’t a problem for me to stay with Cassie until you got home.”
Jace felt the air go out of him, remembering he hadn’t had his phone on him. He wasn’t sure where it was at the site. He looked at Lori. “Thank you. I guess I got wrapped up in getting things back on target at the job site.”
“It’s okay, Daddy.” His daughter looked up at him. “‘Cause we made supper.”
Great. All he needed was for this woman to get involved in his personal life. “You didn’t need to do that.”
Lori caught on pretty quickly that Jace didn’t want her here. She’d gotten rejection before, so why had his bothered her so much?
“Look, it’s just some potato soup and corn bread.” She checked her watch. “Oh, my, it’s late, I should go.”
“No!” Cassie said. “You have to stay. You said you’d help me practice my part in the play.” She turned back to her father. “Daddy, Miss Lori has to stay.”
Lori hated to put Jace on the spot. Whatever the issues he had about women, she didn’t want to know. She had enough to deal with. “It’s okay, Cassie, we’ll work on it another time.”
“But Miss Lori, you wanted to show Daddy your new car, too.”
Lori picked up her coat and was slipping it on when Jace came after her.
“Cassie’s right, Lori. Please stay.”
His husky voice stopped her, but those blue eyes convinced her to change her mind about leaving.
His voice lowered when he continued. “I was rude. I should thank you for spending time with my daughter.” He smiled. “Please, stay for supper and let me make it up to you.”
Lori glanced away, knowing this man was trouble. She wasn’t his type. Men like Jace Yeager didn’t give her much notice. Keep it light. “We’re getting an early start on the Christmas pageant. How are you at playing the part of an angel?”
Cassie giggled.
He smiled, too. “Maybe I’d do better playing a devil.”
She had no doubt. “I guess I could write in that part.”
She knew coming here would be crossing the line. They worked together, but it needed to stay business. Instead she was in Jace Yeager’s home. And even with all the unfinished projects he had going on, it already felt like a real home. It set off a different kind of yearning inside her. That elusive traditional family she’d always wanted. Something all the money from her inheritance couldn’t buy her.
Two hours later, Jace finished up the supper dishes, recalling the laughter he heard from his daughter and their guest.
It let him know how much Cassie missed having another female around. A mother. He tensed. Shelly Yeager—soon-to-be Layfield—had never been the typical mother. She’d only cared about money and her social status and her daughter ranked a poor second. More than anything he wanted to give Cassie a home and a life where she’d grow up happy and well-adjusted. He could only do that if she was with him. He’d do whatever it took to keep it that way.
In the past, money, mostly his, had pacified Shelly. Now, she’d landed another prospective husband, a rich one. So she had even more power to keep turning the screws on him, threatening to take Cassie back.
He climbed the steps to his daughter’s bedroom and found her already dressed in pajamas. Lori was sitting with her on the canopy bed reading her a story.
His chest tightened at the domestic scene. They looked so much alike they could be mother and daughter. He quickly shook away the thought and walked in.
“The end,” Lori said as she closed the book and Cassie yawned.
“I see a very sleepy little girl.”
“No, Daddy.” She yawned again. “I want another story.”
He shook his head and looked at Lori. “The rule is only one bedtime story on a school night.” He checked his watch. “Besides, we’ve taken up enough of Lori’s time tonight.”
Cassie looked at her. “I’m sorry.”
“No, don’t be sorry, Cassie.” She hugged the girl. “I enjoyed every minute. I told you I read to my nephew.”
Cassie’s eyes brightened. “Daddy, Lori’s nephew, Zack, is coming here to live. He’s going to be in my class.”
“That’ll be nice. How about we talk about it tomorrow? Now, you go to sleep.”
Jace watched Lori and his daughter exchange another hug, then she got up and left the room. After he kissed his daughter, he turned off the light and headed downstairs. He found Lori putting on her coat and heading for the back door.
“Trying to make your escape?”
She turned around. “I’m sure you’re tired, too.”
He walked to her. “I think you might win that contest. Spending four hours with my daughter, not counting the time at school, had to be exhausting.”
She smiled. “Remember, I’m a trained professional.”
His gut tightened at the teasing glint in her incredible eyes. “And I know my daughter. She can try anyone’s patience, but she’s the love of my life.”
He saw Lori’s expression turn a little sad. “She’s a lucky little girl.” She turned away. “I should get home.”
Something made him go after her. Before she could make it to the back door, he reached for her and turned her around. “I wish things could have been different for you, Lori. I’m sorry that you had to suffer as a child.”
She shook her head. “It was a long time ago and I’ve dealt with it.”
“Hey, you can’t fool a foster kid. I was in the system most of my life. We’re experts on rejection.”
Her gaze went to his, those brown eyes compelling. “What happened to your family?”
“My parents were in a car accident when I was eight. What relatives I had didn’t want me, so I went into foster care.”
“Oh, Jace,” she whispered.
Her little breathless gasp caused a different kind of reaction from him. Then he saw the tears in her eyes.
His chest tightened. “Hey, don’t. I survived. Look at me. A success story.”
Jace reached out and touched her