The Tycoon's Secret Daughter

“Hi.” He’d never felt so much so fast. Fear and wonder filled him simultaneously, along with a fresh burst of anger. He was clumsy right now, tongued-tied with his own child because Kate had kept her from him. “I … um … it’s nice to meet you.”

Trish nodded.

Kate said, “Trisha will be starting second grade in the fall.”

“Second grade,” Max repeated, his tongue thick, his brain a ball of melting wax. Thoughts beeped in his head like neon signs. Had Kate stayed, he’d know his little girl. He might have seen her birth. He might have gotten sober sooner—

They might still be married.

He sucked in a breath. Told himself to stop those thoughts. All of them. He had to take responsibility. “That’s … I remember having fun in second grade.”

She peeked up at him. “I had fun in first grade.”

“Trisha’s a very good student. Her teachers love her.”

Trisha smiled again, this time revealing two missing front teeth.

His heart skipped a beat. A laugh bubbled to his chest. She was so damned cute.

“Teachers always like the kids who get good grades.”

Kate’s mom entered the room carrying a tray, surprising Max. He’d thought they were supposed to be alone…. Then he understood. Kate didn’t trust him enough to be alone with him.

Bev smiled brightly. Too brightly. “I have lemonade and cookies if anybody’s interested.”

Trish reached for a cookie even before Bev had the tray on the table.

Kate laughed. “Where are your manners? Your dad’s a guest in our house. We offer him a cookie first.”

Trisha reluctantly brought her hand back and caught his gaze. “Do you want a cookie?”

Max’s chest tightened. He had a daughter he didn’t know, a little girl who, right now, was probably as uncomfortable with him as he was with her, and a shivering ex-mother-in-law, trying to pretend everything was okay. All because Kate had kept them apart. And why? Because she was afraid? He’d never physically hurt her. Never.

He struggled with the urge to shout an obscenity and then struggled not to squeeze his eyes shut in frustration. He couldn’t think like this. He wasn’t allowed. He had to take responsibility for his actions. He couldn’t blame someone else.

He forced a smile for Trisha. “Sure. Yeah. I’d love a cookie.”

Bev offered the plate to him. He took one of the fat chocolate chip cookies. Nobody spoke.

After a few bites, Trisha broke the silence. “Do you like the cookie?”

This time his smile wasn’t forced. When he looked at her sweet face, he just wanted to hug her. He longed to put his arms around her and feel his own child in his arms.

“Yes. I like the cookie very much.” He cleared his throat, reminded himself to stay in the moment. If he was here for Trisha, he would be here for Trisha. Really here. “So what about your friends? Do you have lots of friends?”

“Sunny and Jeffrey.”

His gaze shot to Kate’s. “Her best friends are boys?”

Trisha giggled. The sound skipped along his nerve endings, warming his heart, filling him with awe. This was his daughter. His baby girl. If he wanted to be in her life, he couldn’t dwell in the past. He had to live in today. This minute.

“Sunny’s a girl.”

“Oh, I was thinking Sonny.”

She frowned.

He smiled. “Never mind. What’s your favorite game? Do you play T-ball? Little League?”

Confused by his question, Trisha glanced at her mom who said, “Those are sports.”

She faced him again with a big toothless grin. “No.”

Kate rose. “Do we want to do something?”

He glanced up at her.

She motioned with her hand. “So we have something to do other than trying to think of something to say.”

He looked at Trisha. “What would you like to do?”

She glanced down shyly. Kate stooped in front of her. “Why don’t you take your dad to the family room and have a tea party?”

Excitement filled her eyes. She nodded and led him down the hall, into a family room that was neat as a pin except for toys littering the brown tweed sofa and chair. A red plastic child-sized table sat in the center of the room. Dolls and stuffed animals sat on the yellow, blue and green chairs surrounding it.

Trisha plucked the toys from their seats and tossed them to the sofa before she pointed at one of the chairs. “You sit here.”

He peered down at the little plastic chair.

But before he could say anything, Kate said, “Maybe Daddy’s too big for a chair?”

That blasted, unwanted anger surged in Max again. “You don’t need to answer for me. You’ve made enough of my decisions to last a lifetime.”

Kate faced him, eyebrows arched as if asking if he really wanted to get into that fight now, and he immediately regretted saying anything. Especially in front of Trisha.

He backpedaled. “It’s just that the chair looks sturdy enough.” And he could also keep his weight shifted in such a way he wouldn’t put too much stress on it. He smiled at Trisha. “It’s fine.” And back at Kate. “I’ll be fine.”

Carefully, he lowered himself to the colorful chair and sighed gratefully when it held his weight. Though his knees were taller than the table and he felt like a giant, he was seated.

Trisha held out her teapot to her mom. “Can we have some tea?”

Kate took the pot. “Sure. I’ll get you some more cookies too.”

While she was gone, Trisha kept her attention on arranging little cups and saucers. “This is my snack.”

“Your snack?”

She almost looked at him. “My afternoon snack.”