The Father He Deserves Read online

  If he wasn’t on the water, his next favorite place was hanging out with River, who didn’t judge him for all the failures in his life.

  He glanced at Dad. “Natalie who?”

  “Bishop. You two were close once, weren’t you?”

  At the confirmation of her name, his heart jammed in his throat. For a moment, he allowed himself to remember the softness of her skin, the way her ponytail brushed her graceful neck and the flicker that sparked in her eyes when she’d asked about his injury. Seconds before she hurried away.

  He rubbed a fist over his breastbone. “Close enough that I wanted to marry her. But she blamed me for Ben’s death.”

  “You didn’t force Ben to enlist. And what happened in the Middle East wasn’t your fault.”

  “She thinks I talked him into it.”

  “You and Ben were tight and he listened to you, but the kid made up his own mind.”

  “After Nat and I broke up, I heard she’d left Shelby Lake. When did she return home?”

  “Coach Ted had a heart attack a month or so ago and needed a double bypass. Natalie came home to take over managing the kennels until Ted’s recovered. But I hadn’t seen her until today when she and Ted visited for a bit. He was getting tired, so they left.”

  “Yeah, I ran into her as I was coming in. Didn’t see Coach, though.”

  “Perhaps working together will mend fences between the two of you.”

  “I don’t know about that.”

  Her response to his suggestion of coffee hadn’t been too well received.

  “Never underestimate the power of God, son. Let’s grab some food before Claudia accuses me of keeping you to myself.” Dad looped an arm around his shoulders.

  Evan grabbed River’s leash and his water bottle, and followed his father back to the horde, bracing himself for his stepmother’s hug and extraordinary ability to see what he wasn’t ready to share.

  Maybe coming home wouldn’t be so bad.

  He could take the next few months to focus on healing. If God wanted to provide a miracle that would return him to the water before the season ended, he wouldn’t turn it down.

  With his paddling career on hold—maybe permanently—he’d be open to helping his family develop the service dog project for their Fatigues to Farming program. That way, he’d be filling his time with something meaningful rather than feeding his self-pity.

  And it would be a great opportunity to show Natalie he wasn’t the man she’d known in the past.

  Would she even want to know the man he had become?

  If he could ever earn her forgiveness, then maybe they could have the future they’d once dreamed about.

  * * *

  Natalie was about to lose everything.

  And she had no one to blame but herself.

  She refilled Jasper’s stainless steel water bowl and set it inside his freshly cleaned kennel. Then she moved on to April’s suite.

  After tossing and turning most of the night, Natalie must have finally dozed off in the early-morning hours, just in time to be awakened by her five-thirty alarm.

  No matter how busy she stayed with cleaning the individual sleeping suites for the dogs they boarded at Bishop Boarding & Kennels, freshening the dog beds with clean blankets, and refilling their bowls with food and water, she still couldn’t get Evan Holland out of her mind.

  The man wandered through her dreams like a vagrant.

  The town that had once been her sanctuary now felt like a prison. No wonder she had left after ending her relationship with Evan over five years ago. Too many memories.

  Since returning after her father’s heart attack, she hadn’t dared leave their home for fear of running into the Hollands. But soon before closing the veterinary clinic for the weekend, her mother was needed for emergency surgery, so Natalie reluctantly agreed to take her father to Chuck’s party, taking solace in the belief that Evan was supposed to be battling the rapids across the country.

  Not that she kept track.

  Her father followed his career and mentioned it casually every now and then.

  Feeling safe from her past for a couple of hours at least, she ventured out so her dad could celebrate his friend’s birthday. But the moment she let down her guard, she had run into the one person she hadn’t wanted to see.

  Literally.

  And all the feelings and emotions she kept locked away escaped, nearly crushing her on the drive home. Thankfully, her father, who still tired easily after his surgery, was in the car already and hadn’t seen Evan.

  She didn’t have to hang around for that reunion.

  She simply needed to avoid him until he ditched his family for another kayaking adventure. Even though Shelby Lake wasn’t that big a town, surely they’d be able to stay out of each other’s way. And it wasn’t like she had to stay holed up at her parents’ house forever. Just until her dad was back on his feet.

  Then she could return to the small house she rented from her aunt in southwestern New York, just over the Pennsylvania border, and resume the dog training business she’d been growing over the last few years.

  And keep past memories tucked back in the deep corners of her mind where they caused the least amount of pain.

  If only it were that easy.

  She really needed to stop thinking about Evan.

  Yeah, that was like commanding her heart to stop beating.

  Having filled the last dog’s bowl with fresh water, Natalie left the air-conditioned building and headed for the secured leash-free turf play yard. She guided Jasper, a sable-colored German shepherd, April, a fawn-colored English bulldog, and Gypsy Rose, a tan puggle, back inside to eat breakfast.

  Once they had been secured in their suites, she crossed the yard and headed for the back door that led into the kitchen of her parents’ house.

  Natalie scrubbed her hands and forearms, then dried them. From the fridge she retrieved a package of turkey bacon, a carton of egg whites, a bag of baby spinach and a container of diced, colored peppers.

  She opened the bacon and laid strips on the cast-iron rectangular griddle positioned on the long center burner in the middle of the stove.

  The front doorbell rang.

  Natalie’s heart pulsed against her ribs as her fingers curled around the tongs she used to move the bacon.

  Stop. You’re safe.

  Dropping the tongs on the counter, she flicked off the heat, released a breath and headed to the front door. With hands still trembling slightly, she steeled her spine and opened it.

  Willow, her best friend since elementary school and her mother’s associate at the veterinary clinic, stood on the black semicircular welcome mat. She was dressed in a cute flowered sundress and pink flats, her white medical jacket hanging over her left arm.

  Natalie nearly sagged against the door frame. “Hey, Will. Come in.”

  Willow stepped inside and lifted her nose, her ponytail brushing against her shoulders. “I smell cookies. You baked.”

  “Yup, I made oatmeal scotchies last night. I wrapped up a plate of them that Aidan and I will deliver to the clinic after breakfast. But you should be smelling bacon now. I just put some on the griddle.”

  “Maybe so, but you bake when you’re stressed. So what’s going on?”

  “You have a good nose.”

  Her friend shot her a grin. “When it comes to cookies, I do.”

  Natalie led the way into the kitchen and motioned for Willow to sit at the table next to the window looking out into the backyard.

  Returning to the stove, Natalie turned on the heat and flipped the bacon. Then she moved to the dog-shaped cookie jar on the opposite counter, put a handful of oatmeal cookies on a plate and placed it on the table in front of her friend.

  “You’re stalling.” Willow fisted a hand on her hip.

  Natalie
headed to the cabinet by the sink for two mugs and filled them with freshly brewed coffee. She handed one to Willow, who stirred in sugar and creamer. “Evan Holland waltzed in as I was leaving Chuck’s party to bring Dad home.”

  Willow’s eyes widened. “How’d that go?”

  “As well as you’d expect.” After adding milk to her cup, Natalie set her coffee on the counter and turned off the griddle. She quickly chopped spinach leaves, then pulled a skillet out of the cabinet next to the stove and let it heat. She poured in egg whites, and tossed in the spinach and peppers.

  Willow broke a cookie in half and nibbled on a corner. “How is he? How did he look? Did you talk to him? Did you have Aidan with you?”

  “Aidan spent the afternoon with Aunt Diane. I picked him up after Mom finished her surgery. Evan and I were pleasant, but I didn’t stick around for any heart-to-heart conversations.” Natalie reached for a spatula and folded the egg whites into an omelet. She slid it onto a plate, trying not to dwell on that initial zing in her stomach at seeing the man who had left her heartbroken a handful of years ago.

  Although, noticing his arm in a sling, she did feel bad for his situation and could only imagine what he was feeling being away from the water. The flash of pain in his eyes when he casually mentioned his surgery made Natalie wonder just what had happened. And then when he suggested coffee... Oh, she could not let herself travel down that path again.

  “Please tell me you’re not still blaming Evan for what happened to Ben?”

  She shook her head. “I reacted from a place of pain. Simply put, Evan and I wanted two different things. I wanted roots and security, and Evan wanted adventure.”

  “Well, now that he’s home, maybe you two can let go of the past and see what your futures could hold? Maybe even together?”

  Natalie gripped the counter as a still-too-vivid memory of a woman kissing Evan pricked her heart. She shook her head. “There’s no future for us. Evan’s moved on.”

  “You don’t know that for sure. People do change. But let’s not talk about Evan. At least not right now.” She finished her cookie, then took a quick drink of coffee. “But I do have some news. That’s why I stopped by before going in to work.”

  “What’s that?”

  Willow brushed her crumbs onto her napkin, then slid it aside to fold her arms on the table. “Tuck called this morning. He talked with his dad and brother, and they said yes to the service dog project that will coordinate with their Fatigues to Farming program.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Yep. Earlier in the week, I had shared the plan with him, explained partnering with Zoe, then mentioned your name. So once Tuck talked with Jake and Chuck, they were totally on board.”

  Natalie grinned and threw her arms around her friend. “Wow! I can’t believe it. That’s the best news I’ve heard in a while. We’ve wanted to do a service program like this for so long.”

  Still holding on to Natalie’s arms, Willow took a step back. “But this will mean you staying in Shelby Lake. I know you talked about only being here long enough for your dad to get back on his feet, but if we do this together, I can’t have you bailing on me in a month or so when his doctor releases him to return to work. Even though you live only an hour away, it’s tough enough with our schedules to coordinate time to work together as it is.”

  Still grinning from the news, Natalie shook her head. “No, I promise not to bail on you. As much as I love living in that cottage and building my own business up there, I can move here, find a place for Aidan and me, then grow my business while helping my parents. Plus, Aidan loves being so close to them. And if it’s a success with the veterans in the Hollands’ program, then maybe we can expand our services. I’d love to get therapy dogs into the local schools. I’ve heard about programs that use them to help children get over their reading anxieties.”

  Willow glanced at her watch, then drained her coffee. “With my dyslexia, you know I’m all for that. I want to talk more about this and make some plans, but I do need to head in to work early today. Can you meet with Zoe Sullivan and the Hollands on Monday after breakfast?”

  “Yes, I’ll make sure everything is covered at the kennel and be there as long as I can get someone to care for Aidan.”

  As if he’d heard his name, her five-year-old with dark tousled curls and bright blue eyes appeared in the kitchen doorway still wearing his Spider-Man pajamas. Rubbing one eye with a fist, he looked at her with a sleepy look. “Mom, can I have cookies for breakfast like Aunt Willow?”

  She wrapped her arms around her son and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Sure, when you become a grown-up like Aunt Willow. For now, you can have something healthier like oatmeal or eggs and bacon like Grandpa.”

  Aidan eyed the plate on the counter and sighed. “Fine. Can I have cheesy eggs?”

  “May I?”

  “Yes, you may.” He grinned, then giggled.

  “Funny kid.” She gave him a playful swat on his bottom. “Please wash your hands, then tell Grandpa breakfast is ready.”

  Willow’s phone chimed. She pulled it out of the pocket of her white coat and read the screen, her face twisting into a grimace. “Uh, Nat, Tucker just texted me.”

  Natalie cracked two eggs in the skillet and scrambled them for Aidan. “Yeah? What’s going on?”

  “Apparently Chuck talked to Evan during the party, and now he’s going to be a part of the project, too.”

  Natalie’s hand tightened on the spatula. She closed her eyes a moment, then turned to face her friend. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Willow winced and shook her head. “Sorry. I wish I were.”

  “What am I going to do now?” Natalie tossed the spatula on the counter, then yanked open the fridge and snatched the bag of shredded cheese. “How can I work with Evan?”

  “It’s been more than five years. How long are you going to hold on to the past?”

  “But it’s my superpower.” Natalie made a face and shot her friend a grin, but Willow’s raised eyebrow and stern look showed she wasn’t amused.

  “No, it’s your protection against future pain.”

  “I’ve had enough for one lifetime, thank you very much.” Pressing her back against the sink, Natalie buried her face in her hands. “No, Will, it’s not that. Evan is—”

  The doorbell rang again, cutting off her words.

  Forcing self-control she didn’t feel, Natalie brushed past Willow and headed for the living room.

  Aidan raced ahead of her. “I got it, Mom.”

  Before she could stop him, he whipped it open. “Hi.”

  “Hey, how are you?”

  That voice.

  Natalie pulled the door even wider and stilled. “Evan.”

  He was dressed in gray shorts and a white V-necked T-shirt that emphasized his muscular arms, wide chest and tanned skin, and she took in his damp dark hair that tended to curl when it grew longer and bright blue eyes rimmed in navy.

  A flutter rose in her chest as her breath caught in her throat.

  He stared at Aidan with an indescribable look on his face.

  She pushed herself in front of her son, trying to block him from Evan’s view. “What are you doing here?”

  “I wanted to talk to you and say hi to Coach since I missed seeing him yesterday. Dad told me about his heart attack and bypass surgery. I’m sorry to hear that.” Even as he spoke, his eyes drifted away from Natalie and zeroed on Aidan, who was trying to peek around her legs. He shot her a look she couldn’t quite decipher. “You have a son?”

  Clenching her fists, she closed her eyes and pulled in a lungful of air. Her heart slipped as she opened her eyes to find Evan watching her intently.

  Yep, life as she knew it would never be the same again.

  And she had no one to blame but herself.

  Chapter Two

  N
at had a kid?

  How was that possible?

  Did his family know, and no one had said anything to spare his feelings?

  No, they wouldn’t do that. Especially his father, who valued family and integrity above all else.

  Evan rubbed the back of his neck. No wonder she hadn’t been too receptive about grabbing coffee.

  She’d moved on.

  He hadn’t seen her since the night of their breakup. A night forever ingrained in his memory.

  Seeing her again yesterday had sparked a flicker of hope.

  That had been snuffed out the moment her child appeared.

  His chest tightened. He rubbed his breastbone with the heel of his hand and tried to look at her fingers without being obvious, but she shoved them into the front pockets of her shorts.

  How could he search for a wedding ring?

  The little boy, dressed in red-and-blue Spider-Man pajamas, peered around her legs once again. “What’s your name?”

  “Hey, buddy, why don’t you head upstairs and get dressed?” Nat turned her son’s shoulders away from the doorway and then tried to block him from squeezing through again.

  Giggling, the little scamp scooted out on his hands and knees between her legs.

  She reached down and caught his bare foot.

  He turned and glared at her. “Mo-om, no fair.”

  Evan couldn’t help himself and let out a chuckle. “My name’s Evan. What’s yours?”

  He wiggled free of his mother’s grasp and stood, giving Evan a shy smile. “Aidan Benjamin Bishop.”

  Evan dropped to his haunches and held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Aidan Benjamin Bishop.”

  Aidan placed his small hand in Evan’s larger one. “You, too. I’m five.”

  Evan froze, then shot a glance at Nat, whose face drained of color. He forced a casual tone. “Five, huh? That’s a supercool age. When’s your birthday?”

  “February fourteenth. I was Mommy’s Valentine’s present.” He glanced over his shoulder. “Right, Mom?”