Doorstep daddy Read Online Free

dishes and hoped they would magically clean themselves while he was gone. He and Mark got Amanda to school with no mishaps, although Richard had to sign her in since she was late. He tried to talk to her, but she was too sullen, walking dejectedly out of the school's main office. He didn't have a clue what to do to make her happy. Or any of the kids.
    On the way home he thought about Jason's comment at breakfast. Besides being beautiful, Callie had a way with children. She certainly understood what made them happy. One look at his three lambs and she knew they needed the best trick-or-treat place in the Delaware Valley.
    He noticed Callie's sister, Gerri, coming outside when he turned onto his street. He stopped and rolled down the window.
    "Hi," he called out. "Remember me? I'm the local Batman."
    "Of course." Gerri's smile didn't begin to match Callie's for warmth. "I was going to call you to apologize again and invite you as guest of honor for a housewarming."
    "Oh." The housewarming took him by surprise. He didn't know what to say. Thank-you seemed best, so that's what he said.
    "We'll have it next Friday at my house."
    Mark kicked his legs restlessly in his car seat. Richard knew he had less than a minute before the toddler volcano blew again. "I'm sure I'm free. I hate to impose, but would it be possible to call your sister? I'd like to thank her again for taking the Halloween dummy, namely me, under her wing."
    Gerri's eyebrows came together in a frown, but she rummaged in her bag before removing a pocket computer. She pressed buttons, rather like Amanda. The notion of adult virtual pets came to mind. Richard shuddered yet again.
    "Here it is," Gerri said. "Got a pen?"
    Richard felt in his pocket and came up with a half-broken pencil he'd found in the foyer as he was leaving to take Amanda to school. He had no paper, then glanced at Mark's car seat and decided to improvise. "Go ahead."
    She gave him Callie's home and work numbers. Richard vowed to have nicer thoughts about Gerri from now on as he wrote the numbers on the plastic side of the seat. Mark watched him, fascinated with the moving pencil.
    "Thanks," Richard said, moving the pencil out of Mark's reaching fingers.
    "Oh, you're welcome." Gerri snapped her minicomputer shut.
    Richard waved goodbye before she could talk more.
    Back in his own house, he settled Mark with some toys and a Barney tape, then dialed Callie's work number. "County Office on Aging."
    Richard gave a start; Callie's place of work was completely unexpected. Not that he knew what he'd expected, but this wasn't it. He asked for Callie and was patched through.
    "Hi, it's Richard Holiday, the Batman man," he said when she came on the line. "Your sister gave me the number here, so I hope it's okay to call."
    "Richard," she said in such a way that he was unsure whether she sounded delightfully surprised or dismayingly surprised. She continued, "How's that cute little Robin? Still giving you his special brand of crime fighting?"
    Delightfully surprised, Richard decided. He laughed, feeling as if the morning was truly starting now. "The child lives for it. I wanted to thank you again for helping us the other night with Halloween. The kids had a great time. So did I."
    "No problem. You all looked like such poor lost souls how could I resist?"
    "We're lost all right," Richard admitted ruefully while Mark chattered to his television friend. "You were a miracle worker. I'd like to take you out for dinner some night. When are you free?"
    "I don't..." She paused. Richard held his breath until she added, "I have classes three nights a week, but I could do it Friday. Is that all right?"
    "It's perfect," he said, and meant it. A strange kind of excitement rose inside him. Sexual, but more than that. He couldn't explain it.
    "I'll see you Friday, then," she said.
    "Wait, wait. Don't hang up. I don't know where you live."
    She laughed. She had the most delicious laugh. "Peach Tree Apartments. Three-A. It's off