An Angel for Daddy Page 3

  While I was contemplating how to answer her, I glanced at the clock. It was two forty-five. If I left now I’d have a good chance at getting to Nina’s school on time.

  Me: Sim, I gotta go. I’m gonna be on time picking up Little Bit for once. I’ll put my necklace in the mail tomorrow. Thanks again, love you.

  Big Head: Love you too.

  It was three twenty-five when I pulled into the school parking lot. Parents of older kids had to wait in the pick up line, but parents of kindergarten and preschool students were required to physically enter the building.

  I signed in and headed for Nina’s classroom. It was exactly three thirty when I leaned on the door and caught Miss Hayes’ eyes. She displayed a quick expression of shock which quickly dissipated and she called for Nina.

  “Nina, your dad’s here.”

  “Daddy,” she squealed and crashed into me. “Why are you early?”

  “I’m not early, baby, I’m on time.” I shot a glance at Miss Hayes who was still wearing her look of indifference. I turned to face her. “I’m on time for a change. I thought you’d be happy.”

  “You’re supposed to be on time, Mr. Jones. Do you want me to applaud you for doing what you should be doing anyway?” She turned to me and raised an eyebrow. I was taken aback by her response but I couldn’t hold back a grin.

  “Ah, so we’ve moved past pity. Good.” I chuckled.

  Her expression softened and she turned to face me.

  “Look. I owe you an apology— Goodbye, Hector. See you tomorrow.” She waved to a little boy and his parents as they exited the classroom. “Everyone handles grief differently and it’s hard to gauge what someone does or doesn’t need. What I’m trying to say is that it’s hard to know how to react.” Her hands were moving and I looked down to see that she was fidgeting with her fingers, a nervous gesture. I also noticed she was no longer wearing a wedding ring.

  “I lost my mother when I was a little older than Nina and my dad raised me alone. It wasn’t always easy for him so I was really trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, but I was also pitying you and I’m sorry.” She sighed and offered me a hopeful smile that made me want to wrap my arms around her and kiss it off of her face. I pushed the thought away and took a deep breath.

  “Well,” I cleared my throat. “Thank you for saying that. Honestly, it has been really hard, with moving across the country. We don’t have any friends or family on the west coast. I am trying to get the hang of our new normal. I shouldn’t have been so harsh with you. You were trying to be nice and you’ve been so helpful with Nina. You’re all she ever talks about.”

  “I like her too.” She smiled at Nina and I felt myself smiling at her. I looked down to see Nina smiling at the both of us. Her little face was lit up like a Christmas tree and her eyes were darting between us like she was watching a tennis match.

  “You ready, Little Bit?” I asked.

  “Daddy, can Miss Hayes come over for dinner?” she asked.

  I formed my lips to tell her that no, Miss Hayes couldn’t come over for dinner, but I couldn’t do it. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t mind the idea of spending more time with her and if it was Nina’s idea…I looked over at her trying to gauge her reaction to the question.

  We stared at each other, and the seconds passed, making it more and more awkward until finally she spoke.

  “Thank you very much for the invitation but I have to go home and have dinner with my dad.” She smiled.

  “You live with your daddy, too?” Nina’s eyes sparkled.

  “Yes, and he’d be really sad if he had to eat dinner alone, but thank you so much for inviting me.” She flicked a quick glance at me before returning her attention to my tenacious offspring.

  “He can come to dinner too.” Nina suggested. Miss Hayes looked to me for help.

  “Come on.” I patted her head. “Let’s let Miss Hayes get home. Maybe she’ll come over for dinner another time.”

  “Sure, another time,” Miss Hayes said.

  “When?” Nina asked. She’d planted her feet and crossed her arms looking up at us defiantly. I bent down, scooped her around the waist and flung her over my shoulder and walked out the classroom.

  “See you tomorrow, Nina,” Miss Hayes called behind us.

  I buckled her into her carseat, got in the driver’s seat and started the car.

  “What was that?” I caught her eye in the rear view mirror.

  “What?” Nina shrugged and tried to hit me with her best version of an innocent grin.

  “Why are you trying so hard to get Miss Hayes to have dinner with us?”

  “I like her, daddy.” She answered matter of factly. “Don’t you like her?”

  How the hell was I supposed to answer that question. I did like her. I liked her in ways that would be inappropriate for a five-year-old to understand.

  “I think she’s very nice and I like that you like her.”

  “But you said you think she’s pretty.” Her face furrowed. Pretty was an understatement.

  “I do, but it’s complicated, sweetie.”

  “What does complicated mean?” she asked.

  I inwardly groaned. “It means it’s hard for me to explain.”

  “So how I’m supposed to know if you can’t explain it?”

  I didn’t answer her right away.

  How could I explain it when I didn’t understand it myself?

  We drove the rest of the way home in silence and when I pulled into the driveway, I sat in the car, gripping the steering wheel, lost in thought.

  I was mad at myself for having feelings like this about someone I barely knew. It hadn’t even been two years since Sarai had gone. What’s even more frustrating is that Nina is now playing matchmaker. She’d lost her mother. I’d taken her away from all of the people she knows and loves. Of course, she’s latched on to her teacher. Everything about this situation is f—

  “Daddy, are you okay?” Nina’s voice interrupted my train of thought.

  “Yes, sweetie.” I blinked and refocused. “Let’s go inside.”

  Nina planted herself in front of the television in the living room and was watching cartoons while I seated my self at the kitchen island where I could keep an eye on her. I pulled out my phone and opened the text app to look at the photo of me and Ruby Hayes. I still remembered how it felt to be pinned by her deep chestnut colored gaze. Something electric passed between us in those few seconds that felt like a life time. I never thought I’d feel that way about anyone again and when I did it was with the one person in this new town that I should stay away from. I dismissed the photo and decided to get started on dinner. I thought back to Nina and Miss Hayes’ conversation.

  “Thank you very much for the invitation but I have to go home and have dinner with my dad.”

  “You live with your daddy, too?”

  “Yes and he’d be really sad if he had to eat dinner alone, but thank you so much for inviting me.”

  She lived with her dad and she made him dinner every night. It made me curious about her, well, more curious than usual.

  I realized that I was daydreaming about Nina’s teacher while staring into the refrigerator with the door open for ten minutes. I slammed the door and called to Nina.

  “Hey, do you want to go out for dinner instead of eating at home?”

  “Yes!” she squealed, “yes, yes, yes! But when this episode of Super Hero Girls is over.”

  There was a restaurant on the way to our house named Manny’s that I knew would have things that Nina would eat.

  “Table for two, please,” I told the hostess.

  “Miss Ruby,” Nina called and I looked up to see that Nina’s teacher was waiting for a table with an older brown skinned gentleman that had to be her father.

  “Hi Nina. What are you doing here?”

  “We’re having dinner. Is this your daddy? Do you want to sit with us?”

  “Well, hello little lady,” Ruby’s father bent low and addressed Nin
a. “Who might you be?”

  “I’m Nina. Miss Ruby is my teacher and this is my Dad.” She slipped her little hand into my big one and tugged it, along with the rest of my body towards Miss Hayes and her father. I extended my hand.

  “Spencer Jones, sir.”

  “Jack Hayes.” His grip was firm and his eyes narrowed at me as if he were sizing me up. Still gripping my hand, he turned his head towards Ruby. “Is this the fella that can’t read a clock?”

  “Daddy,” Ruby hissed. So, she’d been talking about me to her father. I wondered what else she’d told him about me.

  “That’s me, and I deeply apologize for keeping your daughter away from you for a minute longer than she had to be.” I flashed a grin at Miss Hayes and she rolled her eyes in response.

  Jack’s mustache twitched in a smile. “Apology accepted, son. Raising kids by yourself isn’t easy.” He smiled and glanced at his daughter. She returned his smile, but there was a tinge of sadness in it.

  “Hayes, table for two.” The hostess called to the small crowd in the waiting area.

  “Excuse me, miss,” Jack called to the hostess. “Can you make that table for four? These nice folks will be joining us for dinner.” He turned and addressed Nina, “If that’s okay with this young lady.”

  “Yes.” Nina nodded and was bouncing on the balls of her feet with excitement.

  “Okay, give me another couple of minutes.” The hostess smiled at Nina before returning to the hostess stand.

  I shot a glance at Miss Hayes. The uncomfortable expression she was wearing made think about reconsidering imposing on her family dinner. Then Nina grabbed her hand and pulled her into the dining room. She shrugged and gave me a helpless half smile. I was helpless too.

  ruby

  I was seriously regretting agreeing to go out for dinner when Dad suggested it, but I didn’t have the heart to tell him that it wasn’t a good idea because his behavior was becoming more and more unpredictable.

  He was better off in the familiar surroundings of his house, but I could understand his feelings of confinement and helplessness. So, I decided to go to Manny’s. It was a less than five-minute drive from the house and he’d been there a few times before. It felt like the safest option.

  At least, I thought it was the safest option until I was sitting at a table with one of my students and her father, a little girl who was slowly stealing my heart and a man I was fighting a serious physical attraction to, a fight I was losing every time I looked up at him across the table to see him gazing at me.

  "So, Ruby told me you recently moved here from the Midwest." Dad addressed Spencer as he waited for our food. He blinked averting his gaze and focusing on Dad instead.

  “Yes, sir. Nina and I are from Chicago." He patted the top of her head.

  “So what brings you two to California?" he asked.

  “Dad, don’t you think you're asking a lot of questions?" I placed my hand on my father’s forearm and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  “No, it's okay." Spencer grinned at me showing me the perfect smile that he usually reserved for his daughter. "I don't mind. I moved here for work. I'm a securities analyst and I needed a job with a little more flexibility for Nina." He beamed a smile at his daughter and my heart melted a little more.

  “Daddy, what’s flexibility mean?” She asked.

  “It means I spend less time working and more time with you.” He winked at her. She tried to wink back and ended up blinking instead. It was one of the cutest things I’d ever seen. I cracked a smile that faltered when I saw Spencer watching me with his own smile.

  “I like flexibility.” Nina nodded before taking a sip of her apple juice making the entire table erupt into chuckles.

  “Me too, Little Bit. So what about you, Mr. Hayes. Have you always lived here in Rancho Verde?”

  “Call me, Jack,” he said and Spencer nodded. “And to answer your question, yes and I've lived in the same house for over thirty years.”

  Spencer turned his gaze on me again. I wrapped my hands around my water glass to keep them steady. Having an actual conversation with Spencer Jones outside of school was nerve wracking enough, but I was also tense about Dad being out in public.

  “So, how long have you been a kindergarten teacher, Miss Hayes?”

  “You might as well call me Ruby,” I said, taking a sip of water. I shot a quick glance at Dad. He was perfectly fine and seemed to be enjoying himself. I turned my attention back to Spencer. “This is my third year."

  “So you’ve lived here your entire life?” He asked.

  “Yes,” I nodded. “Rancho Verde is a great town. It’s beautiful. The weather is great. The people are nice.”

  “I’ve only lived here for about a month but I agree.” He smiled at me again. My heart started to race and I felt the same electric feeling followed by belly flutters, whenever we locked eyes.

  Luckily, at that moment our food arrived. I’d called ahead to ask if they could accommodate Dad’s diet and I moved the salt shaker out of his reach.

  We ate in silence for a few minutes before Dad spoke.

  “Hey, Spencer. Would you pass me the salt?”

  “Sure.” Spencer reached for the shaker and I slid it out of his reach.

  “Nice try, Dad.” I cut my eyes at my father and turned to Spencer. “I’m sorry. He’s on a restricted low salt diet.”

  “Low salt, not no salt,” Dad grumbled.

  “Sorry, I didn’t know.” Spencer’s face fell and he suddenly looked sheepish.

  “It’s fine.” I tried to paste on a smile and salvage the mood which was on a downward trajectory. “How’s your steak?”

  “Good.” Spencer nodded and I could tell Dad and I had made dinner more awkward than it already was. Dad’s face was set and he was pushing his food around his plate with his fork. He was not only angry that I wouldn’t give him the salt, he was also embarrassed. Suddenly, I felt like the villain again. I wondered if I should’ve just let him have a little bit of salt and not ruined our dinner, but I couldn’t do that. His diet was strict for a reason. I knew this wasn’t my fault but I still felt guilty.

  “How are your chicken fingers, Nina?” I asked.

  “Good,” she said quietly. “Why is everybody sad?” She looked around at the adults at the table.

  “Nobody’s sad, baby.” Spencer gently tugged on one of her braids and kissed the top of her head. “We’re all just quiet because we’re eating.”

  She wasn’t buying it, but she didn’t question her dad.

  My dad got up from the table.

  “Hey, where are you going?” I asked.

  “To use the men’s room, if I have your permission,” he snapped. I gulped and blinked back the hot tears that prickled in my eyes. I noticed Spencer’s eyes flash and I could tell he wanted to say something to my dad, perhaps to defend me, but I shot him a glance and gave my head a little shake. He sat back, but didn’t take his eyes off of my father.

  After a deep calming breath and reminding myself that this wasn’t my father speaking, I calmly asked, “Do you know the way? I can show you.”

  “No,” he snapped again. “I can find it.” He threw his napkin in his chair and stalked off in the direction of the restroom. I deflated and stared at my plate, cursing myself for letting Dad talk me into leaving the house. I felt a warm presence next to me and inhaled a puff of spicy, woodsy cologne.

  “Hey, are you okay?” Spencer put his arm around my shoulder.

  “Yes, I’m fine. I’m sorry. He’s not usually like this.”

  “What’s wrong with Mr. Jack?” Nina asked.

  “He doesn’t always feel good and sometimes it makes him a little cranky.” I said. Spencer still had his arm around my shoulder and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been held or comforted like this.

  “Does he have a tummy ache?” She asked, her pretty brown eyes, so full of concern, made my heart clench.

  “Kind of like a tummy ache, but not really.” I gave her
a small smile.

  “Do his boobies hurt, like Mommy?” Her expression switched from concern to fear.

  I looked at Spencer. His face fell and his hands dropped from my shoulders.

  “No sweetie, not like Mommy.” He rushed to sit by her side and hugged her to him. Tears that I could no longer blink away fell from my eyes. This dinner was officially a disaster and couldn’t get any worse.

  “I’m so sorry. Maybe you should take her home.”

  “Hey, don’t cry. This isn’t your fault. This isn’t anyone’s fault. Are you going to be okay?”

  “Yes, I’ll be fine. I’ll take care of the check and get Dad home.”

  “I’ll take care of the check and you just take care of your father.”

  At that moment we were both looking in the direction of the men’s room realizing that my father had been gone too long. I looked at Spencer, before placing my palms on the table to get to my feet.

  “No, it’s the men’s room. I’ll go. Stay with Nina.”

  “No, it’s not your responsibility. I’ll go.”

  “Ruby.” He placed his hand over mine, covering it with warmth that spread up my arm and through my entire body before settling in my chest. “It’s fine. Let me go.”

  I nodded and slid in the chair next to Nina that Spencer vacated.

  “Where’s my daddy going?” she asked me.

  “He’s going to check on my dad to make sure he’s okay.”

  “Oh.” She took a deep breath and let it out. “Miss Ruby?”

  “Yes, Nina?”

  “Are you an angel?” she asked. I looked down at her. She had a deep brown complexion, almost as deep as her dad’s with an adorable round nose and large brown eyes that looked like they’d seen the world. She looked like an angel and after three years of thinking I’d been asked every question by a five year old, Nina managed to surprise me.

  “No, sweetie. I’m not an angel.”

  “How do you know you’re not an angel?” She narrowed her eyes at me.

  “Well.” I chuckled. “I don’t know. I mean I could be an angel, but I think if I was an angel I have wings, right?”