“Just a minute,” Walker said, ruffling his daughter’s wavy blonde hair. She looked up at him, her brown eyes round and expressive, and he laughed despite himself. “The cookies aren’t going anywhere, sweetheart.”
Erin sighed and trotted to the living room, plopping down on her little bean bag chair and turning the television on.
Walker shook his head. She had her mother’s attitude sometimes. It was a cruel reminder to him at times. Molly had been horribly unprepared for motherhood. She had always been sensitive to stress and prone to a stubborn, self-centered streak. She lived life for herself and herself alone, which had been what had initially attracted him to her. But when she’d given birth to their child, Walker quickly realized that what he had thought was independence was more like selfishness. And frankly, it wasn’t a good look on her.
“All right, here you go, kid.”
“Yay! Thanks, daddy!”
“Don’t get used to it! You still haven’t had lunch yet.”
Erin giggled and Walker laughed to himself and shook his head. Sometimes, he didn’t know what in the hell he would do with himself without his daughter there. He thought losing his wife would be the worst thing that could ever happen to him, but after having Molly run off and leave him to raise Erin on his own, he realized that really, not having Erin would have been worse than if he never saw Molly again for as long as they both lived.
The doorbell rang and Walker froze.
“Shit,” he mumbled, glancing at the mess in the living room. He had completely forgotten he was going to have a meeting with Riley Maxwell. He had heard nothing but great things about her from his best friend Marcus, and yet now, he suddenly felt nervous. Walker rarely experienced this type of anxiety, but when it came to his daughter, he would have done anything necessary to make sure she was taken care of. He would love nothing more than to hang around at home with her all day, but he was a blue-collar working man. He had a garage to run, and as the head mechanic, there was little time he could spare. Sure, he could often make his own hours, but that hardly meant anything with a kid Erin’s age. She wasn’t even in school yet.
Walker strode to the door and opened it quickly, smiling apologetically. “Come in.”
“Thanks.”
Walker was stunned by the woman’s presence; she carried herself confidently, with a gentle assertiveness that demanded respect. Her features were a little bit mousy for his taste, but dignified, and he couldn’t help but feel impressed by her. Beside Riley trotted a young girl, probably about his daughter’s age, who looked up at him and smiled sweetly, her round brown eyes thoughtful and intense.
“Hi there,” he said, returning her smile.
“I’m Lily!”
“Well, it’s nice to meet you, Lily! My name’s Walker!”
“Walker!” Lily said, looking up at her mother with a wide smile. “His name’s Walker.”
“I know,” Riley said, smiling patiently at her daughter. It was clear she wanted to get down to business, but she couldn’t help but allow softness to creep into her assertive demeanor. Something about that made Walker like her even more.
“Hey, so, there is a little girl with some cookies in the living room over there,” Walker said, kneeling down to smile at the little girl face to face. “If your mommy says it’s okay, I can ask her to share. She likes to share.”
Lily’s already big brown eyes grew wide with excitement and she looked up at her mom. “Can I?”
“Of course, honey, please. Walker and I have some things to talk about anyway.”
Lily’s face brightened in a vibrant smile and she ran into the living
room where Erin was sitting.
Walker and Riley grinned at each other privately as they heard the little girl shout, “Hi! I’m Lily!”
“Well, she’s friendly,” Walker said with a deep chuckle.
Riley grinned, nodding. “Yeah…”
“So,” Walker said, folding his arms over his chest. “Would you like to join me in the kitchen for a beverage? Or are you a fan of cookies too?”
Riley smiled, holding his gaze despite the red flush creeping across her face. She looked nothing like his ex-wife. Nothing at all. First of all, she was human, and her eyes were soft and expressive, unlike the hard, analytical gaze of his ex. They were brown, just like her daughter’s, and her hair was an exquisite chocolate color that made Walker want to reach out and touch it for some reason.
“I don’t think I need any cookies right now, but maybe something warm to drink would be nice. It’s raining and I caught a chill.”
He almost laughed out loud. She sounded like such an old lady, even though she was clearly about a decade younger than he was. She had to be about twenty-three or so. She must have had her daughter really early.
“Sure!” Walker said. “Coffee or tea?”
“Tea, if you don’t mind. Any kind would be fine. I love it all.”
Walker nodded to her and led her to the kitchen, where he put the kettle on to boil. Tea. The true librarian’s choice.
“You know, in some parts of the world, the electric companies need to surge more power to the community to accommodate tea time,” Riley said, smiling wryly at him.
“Is that right?” he asked, grinning. “Humans are weird.”
This elicited a broad smile to spread across Riley’s face, making her already soft features seem absolutely impeccable.
Walker turned away, the wolf within him stirring for the first time since his wife had left. It was strange to feel that once-familiar tug, but it was probably just due to having a woman in his space again after so long. To be honest, it had been a while since he had allowed himself to open up to any woman. The last one had broken his heart and his family. He wasn’t likely to let anything like that happen again. Especially when there were matters of business at stake.
“Yes, but I think everyone has a little bit of weird in them,” Riley said. “Hanging out with kids all day for the past seven years kind of confirms that.”
“I bet,” Walker said, pulling down a basket of tea bags and placing them in front of Riley. “Take your pick, we have all kinds.”
“Oh, do you like tea too?” Riley asked, smiling as she dug through the basket.
“I don’t mind one way or the other. My wife…”
“Am I going to meet your wife?” Riley asked, glancing around the kitchen. “Or is it just us today?”
“It’s just us…it’s always just us.”
“Oh!”
Realization dawned on Riley’s face and she reached out to grip Walker’s hand sympathetically. “I’m so sorry, I had no idea.”
“Yeah,” Walker said, shifting uncomfortably and tugging his hand gently away. “Well, you would have found out eventually. Erin talks about her mom all the time. Asks why she never comes to see us.”
“So you two are separated?” Riley asked as tactfully as she possibly could.
Walker grinned sadly. “She deserted us. It was pretty devastating. But she couldn’t handle the pressures of being a mom, or just about anything else, really. She’s always been pretty fragile in that way. And more than a little selfish.”
Riley nodded quietly, her brow knit as if in genuine concern. It was strange, this feeling of talking about Molly with a total stranger. It was hard enough to talk about what happened with his close friends and family members. But for some reason, speaking to Riley about it felt okay. Natural, even.
“I love the name Erin,” Riley said, gently changing the subject. Walker was glad for the change and offered her a small grin.
“I picked it out,” he said, the pride ringing in his voice. “I wanted something strong. She has been a feisty little spitfire since she was conceived, and I wouldn’t have her any other way. But that, of course, can be difficult for anyone who isn’t accustomed to it…”
“Oh, I’ve dealt with all varieties of children, shifter and human alike,” Riley said, her kind eyes dancing. “I find each of them rewarding experiences in their own right.”
“There’s nothing that can remind you of just how unique and strange the world is like a child,” Walker agreed. “I wouldn’t have ever guessed it until I had Erin.”
“Right. So, you must know Marcus,” Riley said, getting right back to business.
“Yeah, I saw your ad and was talking to my buddy, Marcus Stillwater, and recommended I hire you.”
“Oh, you know Marcus?” Riley asked, clearly surprised.
Walker grinned. “I know, most people are surprised by that. What’s a successful guy doing hanging around with a lowly mechanic like me?”
“No, that’s not it,” Riley said, laughing and shaking her head. “I’m just surprised he would refer me. He doesn’t have any children of his own.”
“Nah, but he knows a lot of people in the community. He said he’s seen you with kids and thought you would be a good fit for Erin. He knows what she’s like. And I guess the Lewinski boy can be kind of a brat. Marcus said you handled him like a pro, though.”
Riley nodded. “There’s always a way to reason with a child, if you know them well enough.”
Walker grinned.
“I absolutely agree with that. Erin’s a free spirit. It can be kind of hard for her to make friends because of it. It’s incredible that your daughter hasn’t run screaming from her yet,” Walker said, laughing to himself. “Erin can be kind of bossy for a four-year-old.”
“Lily is very social, she doesn’t scare very easily. That brings me to the catch,” Riley said finally, shifting in her seat nervously. “I am willing to drop my rates, Marcus may have mentioned that, but there’s a condition to that.”
“Of course,” Walker said, just as the tea kettle began to whistle. He moved swiftly to remove it from the stovetop as Erin and Lily began shrieking in the living room in response to the sudden noise. Their cries dissolved into laughter and then they were quietly at play again.
“They seem to be getting along,” Riley said softly.
Walker placed a mug of hot water in front of her and kept one for himself, then sat down at the table across from her.
“Fast friends,” Walker said with a soft laugh. “That’s good news. Now, tell me what this catch of yours is.”
Riley dunked a tea bag into the steaming water and avoided his eyes, and Walker furrowed his brow. It wasn’t usually good when a woman as assertive as Riley couldn’t be straight-forward.
“I would need to keep Lily with me,” Riley said finally. “I can’t afford the rates at her preschool anymore, they charge more for human children than shifter, and I’m probably going to be getting evicted from my apartment. The last people I worked for were fine and all, but I didn’t get a lot of hours and Lily demanded whatever spare time I had leftover. I didn’t have enough to make ends meet, and Lily always comes first.”
“You’re getting evicted?” Walker asked, frowning.
“Well, yeah, but that’s really not the issue. My issue is whether or not you would allow me to watch Lily at the same time as I’m watching Erin. I know it’s a lot to ask, but that’s why the price was dropped so drastically. I’ll do whatever it takes to care for my daughter, and if that isn’t okay, then I can move on, it won’t bother me whatever your answer is.”
“We have a lot of room here,” Walker said, unable to fathom the idea of this incredible woman homeless on the streets with a young daughter. “You could stay here for now. Like a live-in position.”
“I really couldn’t do that,” Riley said, a quick nervous laugh escaping her lips. “But thank you. We’ll be fine. All I need is a yes or no to Lily. That’s my concern right now.”
“Well, of course, the answer is yes,” Walker said, frowning. “That’s not an issue. It would be good for Erin to have a friend. She really hasn’t been herself since her mother left us. I would be honored for her to spend time with your daughter.”
Riley seemed surprised, and then elated, by the news, and smiled at him, the relief clear in her deep brown eyes.
“I don’t know what I can say to thank you for this opportunity, and your gesture of generosity. When do you need me to begin?”
“How does tonight sound?” Walker asked, glancing at his watch. “I’ve gotten really behind at the garage trying to take care of things with Erin. I had a woman here but she really didn’t work out. Erin gave her hell, so I had to fire her and take care of things myself. I have a lot of work to catch up on, though and honestly, the sooner I can get this started the better…”
“All right,” Riley said with a nod. “Then tonight it is.”
“Thank you!” Walker exclaimed, gripping Riley’s hands in his own and smiling at her from the heart. “You won’t regret this.”
Riley smiled back, her eyes glittering. “I’m sure I won’t.”