A Family for Faith by Missy Tippens

Author:Missy Tippens
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2011-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

The next evening, Gabe pulled up at the station in a foul mood. Another headache meeting with the mayor, who wanted Gabe to somehow expand services with a shrinking budget.

But at least Chelsea had been able to spend the day with Faith and not have to hang out and watch Kristy study. He didn’t have to add parental guilt to the frustrations of the day.

His cell phone rang.

Faith.

Now, why did that fact have to send a thrill raging through his body? He snatched the phone open. “Hello, Faith.”

“It’s dinnertime.” Her bright, cheery voice put a dent in his bad temper.

He almost smiled. “And…?”

“And you have a split shift, so you get to eat with your daughter at the covered-dish dinner at church tonight.”

Chelsea yelled something in the background.

Faith added, “Chelsea invited me to come along, if you don’t mind.”

The frustrations of the day slipped away. “Sure. I’d—we’d love that. I planned to buy a bucket of fried chicken.”

“No worries. I’ve made enough pot roast and potato salad for all of us.”

“She has,” his daughter yelled into the phone. “Dessert, too! Come pick us up at Faith’s house.”

The fact that his daughter was having fun and was happy helped drain the last of the tension out of his shoulders. He needed to keep reminding himself what was most important.

Family.

But should family time include Faith?

The thought nagged at him all the way to her house. As soon as he drove up and found Faith and Chelsea outside, arms loaded with dishes of food, laughing, a sense of rightness calmed him.

Yes. Including Faith. Chelsea was obviously happier.

But could he do that? Could he truly move on with his life and try to include someone else in their family?

He hopped out of the squad car to help put the food in the trunk. Faith’s perfume wafted his way. Her arm brushed against his as she rearranged the pans he’d placed, making them more secure.

When she looked him in the eye and smiled, then dusted her hands off and said, “There. Thanks for helping,” his heart told him that yes, he could at least try to include her. Maybe even pursue some sort of…relationship. Because surely it wouldn’t be a hardship.

“Anytime,” he said. He smiled back at her, his heart thudding in his chest like some love-struck teenager.

But once they were in the car and driving, his head tried to warn him to slow down. Play it safe. It was risky to let someone else into their lives, especially for his vulnerable daughter.

In the backseat of his car, Chelsea strained against the seat belt and leaned forward. “We had so much fun today, Dad.”

He looked at his daughter in the rearview mirror. “What’d you do?”

“Not much, I guess. But even helping Faith at work is so much more fun than watching Kristy with her nose in a book.”

Faith angled in her seat to look at Chelsea. “I wish you were old enough for me to hire you.”

“Maybe once I’m sixteen.”

Gabe fisted his hands around the steering wheel.

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