The Single Dad's Second Chance by Brenda Harlen

“He called me an orphan,” she reminded him. “You don’t solve disagreements with violence.” “It doesn’t matter if you think he deserved it.” Although privately, Andrew had agreed with her-and had been impressed by the impact of her right hook. “I didn’t beat him up,” she denied, with a put-upon sigh. “Have you been beating up Tyler Buckle again?” he asked his daughter now. The subtext was clear, and Andrew had politely-but quickly-extricated himself from the situation. The teacher assured him that she empathized with how difficult it must be for the single father of a little girl, and she’d suggested that he should ensure that Maura had appropriate female influences in her life. After listening to the principal’s spiel about his daughter’s inappropriate behavior, Mrs. Their second meeting had taken place under very different circumstances, when Andrew went to the school in response to a call from the principal after Maura had given one of her classmates a bloody nose. She’d flushed in acknowledgment of her mistake but forged ahead, gushing about Maura’s sweet nature and quick mind. “Maura,” he’d said, automatically corrected her on the pronunciation. And his daughter, Mara, was simply a joy to have in her classroom. She absolutely loved children-that was, after all, the reason she’d decided to become a teacher. Her divorce had been final for almost two years and her only regret was that she and her husband never had any children.

“Mrs.” Patterson was actually “Ms.” Patterson, as she’d made a point of clarifying when he’d met her at the beginning of the year. Patterson wrote a note in my agenda for you.” “Why are you out of bed?” he asked, more curiosity than censure in his tone. She might be growing up, but she still smelled like his little girl. His lips curved as he breathed in the scent of her shampoo.

The Single Dad's Second Chance by Brenda Harlen