The Daddy Secret

“Mallory is able to be your mom now. And she’ll be there for you always. I know it’s not the same as it used to be, but in time, I think you’ll see that your life will be just as good as it was—only in a different way.”

“That’s what Mallory said.” Lucas sniffled again. “And I love her, too. It’s just that...well, you know.”

“Yeah, I do know.” And while Rick really didn’t, not exactly, he had a pretty good idea.

He also did know something else. Mallory had been right. Lucas had been through a lot recently. And while it might not be fair to dump too much of the past on him right now—like a living, breathing birth father—maybe it wasn’t fair to throw a potential stepfather at him, either.

The two of them sat like that for a while, lost in their thoughts, lost in their memories and what-ifs.

Rick wished he could tell Lucas who he really was and that he’d be there for him, too. Maybe not as a real dad or as Mallory’s husband, but he could be a substitute for Gary Dunlop.

In fact, the more he thought about being a substitute, the more he liked it.

That way, there wouldn’t be the same expectations. And if he screwed up, maybe it wouldn’t matter so much.

* * *

Rick had no idea where the time had gone, but at a quarter to six, Lucas suddenly realized he was in “big trouble” and had to hurry home. Apparently, Mallory had only given Lucas permission to ride his bike for a few minutes—and to stay “close to the house.”

For some reason, Rick felt a little guilty, too, although he wasn’t sure why.

As a kid, he’d never had any kind of curfew. He’d just gone home whenever he’d felt like it. In fact, sometimes it had been in his best interest to arrive after his old man—and later, his uncle—had gone to bed.

But he could certainly understand why Lucas wouldn’t want to get into trouble. When Rick and Mallory had been dating, he’d wanted her to see his good side, too. And he’d never wanted to disappoint her.

If he knew her phone number he’d call. He could probably get it from Lucas, but her house was just a few blocks away. So thinking that it might help Lucas if he put in a good word in for him, Rick placed the boy’s bike in the back of his pickup, then drove him home.

They’d no more than parked along the curb in front of Mallory’s house when she rushed out onto the porch to meet them. She was wearing a pair of black slacks, a green blouse and a frantic expression.

“Where have you been?” she asked Lucas. “I’ve been worried sick and looking all over for you.”

“I’m sorry. I went to see Dr. Martinez at the clinic, and we just... Well, I didn’t know how late it was.”

Mallory, her hands splayed on her hips, shot an angry glare at Rick. “Why didn’t you call and let me know where he was?”

Rick’s first impulse was to blame Lucas for not mentioning that he had to be home at a certain time, but why throw the boy under the bus?

Besides, a defensive retort like that was only going to make things worse, especially when Rick was in way over his head when it came to parenting. If truth be told, he didn’t have a clue what Mallory expected of him as a father, but he couldn’t admit that. Revealing his flaws and insecurities so early in the game probably wasn’t a good idea.

Instead, he gave the only excuse he could think of. “I didn’t have your phone number.”

“But you have a watch, Rick. How long was he with you?”

“About two hours, I guess.”

“Didn’t you realize I’d be looking for him after all that time? Besides, it’s getting dark.”

“Mallory,” Lucas said, “please don’t be mad at Dr. Martinez. It wasn’t his fault. It was mine.”

The boy had called her Mom earlier, but apparently, in the heat of the moment, he’d slipped back to old habits. Or had he done that on purpose as an act of rebellion?

Rick stole a glance at Mallory, saw her softening expression melt into a wounded frown that touched something deep inside of him. And while he was glad that Lucas had stuck up for him, he hadn’t wanted it to be at Mallory’s expense.

“I’m sorry,” Rick said. “Lucas stopped to see me at the clinic, and while he played with Buddy, I got busy feeding my rescue animals. I should have sent him home earlier, but I didn’t. It won’t happen again.”

Their gazes locked, and the conversation stalled for a moment, then Mallory said, “I’m sorry, too, Rick. I didn’t mean to sound so harsh. I was just worried. He’s always home before it gets dark.”

She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, looking more vulnerable than he’d ever seen her. More beautiful, too.

The years had been good to her, and if the two of them hadn’t shared a painful past, if they’d met for the first time in downtown Brighton Valley, maybe at Caroline’s Diner, Rick might have asked her out.

As it was, there was too much water under the bridge for them to consider something like that—no matter how attractive he still found her.

“I promise never to be late again,” Lucas said.

Mallory turned to the boy, then wrapped him in her arms and drew him close. “I love you so much, sweetheart. I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to you.”

“I love you, too.”

Rick shoved his hands in his pockets, feeling like the odd man out. But why shouldn’t he feel that way? Mallory had placed him in that position a long time ago.

“I’d better go,” he said. “It’s probably past your dinnertime, and I won’t keep you from it any longer.”

Mallory released Lucas from her embrace, but kept her hands on his shoulders. “Actually, dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. We’re having spaghetti tonight, and I have plenty. Why don’t you stay and eat with us?”

As hungry as he was, and as tempted as he was to join them, he probably ought to decline. After all, she was just trying to make it up to him for jumping all over him for something that hadn’t been his fault.

“Please?” Lucas said. “She makes really good spaghetti.”

There were probably a hundred reasons why Rick ought to climb into his truck and go home. But instead of grabbing hold of one of them and running with it, he found himself saying, “Sure. Why not?”

* * *

Mallory hadn’t meant to snap at Rick for not sending Lucas home or for not letting her know where he was. After all, Lucas knew the rules. He also should have realized that it was getting dark and Mallory would have been worried about him.

So she’d offered the dinner invitation to Rick as a peace offering. Still, she really hadn’t expected him to accept. Things had ended badly between them when she’d left town to have their baby, and then again yesterday, when he’d found about Lucas. So the evening was sure to be awkward at best.

She left Rick and Lucas in the living room while she finished in the kitchen, but it didn’t take her very long. As soon as the pasta was done, she called them to the table, where they all took their seats, just like a typical all-American family, when they were anything but.

“Mallory, I mean my mom, is a good cook,” Lucas said.

Rick looked up from his plate of spaghetti and smiled at the boy. “She certainly is.” Then he looked at Mallory. “The sauce is really tasty. Is it homemade?”

“Yes, it’s Sue’s recipe. I have her cookbook and have been making all her family favorites.”

“We should have Dr. Martinez come over for the tamale pie casserole tomorrow,” Lucas said.

Something told Mallory things could really get out of hand if she didn’t do something to discourage her son’s budding friendship with Rick. But then again, what would happen when she told the boy that the vet down the street was actually his biological father, the man she’d told him was dead?