Harper's Wish

His lips slipped downward at her sharp tone. “This is he.”

“This is Geena Evans.”

Connor’s heart sped up. “Molly? Is she all right?”

The lingering silence on the other end of the line caused his chest to tighten further.

“Is my daughter all right?” he repeated and was vaguely aware that Erin had come to stand beside him, her face pale with concern.

“She’s all right. However, I think it would be best if you came to pick her up. Now.”

The tension in his chest eased but was soon replaced by a prickling uneasiness.

“What did she do?”

“I’m not comfortable discussing it on the phone.”

Connor expelled a long sigh. “The lunch hour is about to start. Might there be a chance I could pick her up after it’s over?”

This time, the silence was loaded with irritation. He could sense it crackling across the line.

“I would really prefer if you would come get your daughter now, Mr. Callahan.”

He blinked. Whatever Molly had done during her playdate with Piper Evans, it must have been quite serious.

“I understand. I’m on my way.”

Geena hung up without replying. Connor stared at the receiver for the space of another heartbeat and then slid the phone into its cradle.

“That was Geena Evans. She’s insisting I go pick Molly up immediately.”

Erin’s forehead creased with concern. “Is she all right?”

“It seems so. Only she must have gotten into some mischief.”

The lines above Erin’s eyebrows deepened. “Geena Evans is an overprotective mother.”

“Mmm.” Connor didn’t know how to comment. Overprotective though she might be, Molly was a handful, even for him. “Do you think you can manage without me for a bit? I shouldn’t be gone more than a half hour.”

Erin waved a hand, unconcerned. “I’ll be fine.”

Connor hesitated. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah, no problem. Besides, Harper should be arriving any minute now for her shift.”

The reminder of Harper put his thoughts squarely back where they’d been only moments ago.

“Go get that mischief-making daughter of yours.”

“Right. Call my cell if you need me. I’ll be back in a half hour.”

He began removing his chef’s jacket and braced himself to confront whatever sort of trouble Molly had gotten into this time.

* * *

CONNOR HELD HIS tongue as Molly swung her foot up and down, beating it against the glove compartment until he shot her a warning look. She dropped her leg with a sigh and looked out the window instead. It was a typically busy summer day on the main street of town, with plenty of people strolling the sidewalks and shopping in the many posh boutiques that had appeared in recent years. He noticed Molly eyeing a woman walking a pair of dogs, and she pressed her nose to the passenger window as he drove by. She turned forward and noticed the sign for the ice cream shop up ahead.

“Can we stop for ice cream?”

Connor looked at her but didn’t reply. As much as he wanted to give in, he knew he had to stand his ground. He couldn’t take her out for ice cream right after he’d had to pick her up for misbehaving at her playmate’s house.

“Pretty please?” she added, softening her voice to the tone that always turned him to putty.

He brought his attention resolutely back toward the road.

“Molly, this isn’t a Sunday drive. Mrs. Evans was very cross with you.”

Molly huffed and slouched in the seat, folding her arms over her stomach.

“It’s not my fault. Piper asked me to do it.”

He cast her a calculating glance, wanting to believe her but knowing her excuse was unlikely. Molly had a way of finding trouble, and no matter how much of that innocent charm she mustered, he’d learned to see through her words.

“I swear, Daddy! It wasn’t my idea!”

He turned his head briefly, caught her eye, then looked back at the road. He wasn’t buying it.

“Well, it wasn’t just my idea,” she amended. “Piper said she wanted me to do it.”

“Molly.”

She kicked the glove compartment again.

“Molly.”

“It’s not fair! I always get blamed.”

He sighed. “You cut off all of your friend’s hair,” he pointed out.

“But we were just playing! It will grow back.”

“Mrs. Evans liked Piper’s hair long. She was planning to enter her in a beauty pageant this spring. Piper has never had her hair cut. Ever. What made you think you should cut it all off?”

“I didn’t know about the beauty pageant,” Molly murmured, and he felt a twinge of uncertainty about his daughter’s intentions. “It’s not fair, though. Piper has hair just like Aurora’s in Sleeping Beauty