Lindsay gave her a sympathetic nod.

"What are the odds," Kari wondered aloud, "that more than thirteen years later, Max Dutton would be the man standing inside Dr. Stone's examination room?"

"Didn't he recognize you?"

"No," Kari said with a shrug. "I've lost more than a few pounds since then, straightened my teeth, grew my hair long and highlighted it. Fourteen years is a long time. When Dr. Stone asked me to meet with his client, I rushed across the street to his office, walked into the examining room, saw Max, and turned right back around."

"You walked out?"

Kari nodded. "But Max followed me."

"Why?"

"Because he has an ego the sized of Mount Everest. He followed me, intent on knowing why I didn't want to work with him. The man wouldn't take no for an answer."

"So you finally agreed?"

"No, but he wouldn't let me go. He wanted to know if we met before. He was persistent. That's when I told him that the last time I saw him he was naked and that it made perfect sense he would forget a woman he slept with considering how many names and faces must be floating around inside that brain of his."

"You didn't?"

"I did. And I never would have agreed to work with him if Dr. Stone hadn't paid me a visit an hour later, reminding me of all the help he'd given me, mentoring me and recommending my services. I had no choice after that."

"You're practically famous in these parts. You would have been fine."

"Maybe, but if it weren't for Dr. Stone, I wouldn't be where I am today. I didn't have the guts to tell him why I didn't want to work with Max, so I agreed to help him out instead."

"So you and Max have been working together side by side for a week, and he still has no idea you're the girl he slept with all those years ago?"

"It was one night, Lindsay...not even that...a few hours. Besides, I later told Max that I had mistaken him for someone else."

"And he believed you?"

"Not exactly, but he's let it go for now."

Lindsay leaned back against the throw pillows on the couch. "What a day this has been. Molly turned thirteen. And she just spent the day with her father and doesn't even know it." Lindsay sighed. "Hate to break it to you, but you've got to tell her."

"I know."

"Max seems to genuinely care for you. Why else would he go out of his way to come to Molly's party?"

Kari shook her head, thoroughly baffled.

"Did you see how attentive he was to Molly? I don't think I've ever seen a man do that at a kid's party. He even passed out cake and ice cream. The man is-"

"Enough about Max. Our relationship is strictly business. Men like Max always want what they can't have. You know that...and I know that. It's as simple as that."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Lindsay said. "If that's the case, you might want to consider becoming the aggressor and using reverse psychology. Scare him a little. If there's one thing a guy like that hates, it's to be smothered by a woman."

Kari chuckled before realizing it wasn't such a bad idea. "I'll think about it."

"Good," Lindsay said. "By the way, I finally made my appointment with DLS."

"DLS?"

"The sperm bank I told you about."

"You really are serious about doing that?"

Lindsay played with the tassels on one of the pillows. "It's time. I can't wait any longer. That little biological clock everyone talks about isn't just ticking...it's ready to explode."

"I hope you know what you're doing."

"I haven't a clue. But look at Molly. You raised her by yourself. She's a great kid. And just like you, I'll love my child with all of my heart."

Molly swiped at tears on her face that had blended in with the water dripping down from her wet head. She left the shower to get a bar of soap from Mom's bathroom and that's when she heard the words: Molly's father. At first Molly thought it was her imagination playing tricks on her, but then she sat at the top of the stairs and listened to Mom and Lindsay's conversation. It was true. Mad Max was her father.

Those five words had caused her insides to shiver and tingle with all the possibilities. For one thing, she'd never again have to guess who her father might be. The feeling was unfamiliar and yet crazy exciting at the same time.

For the first time in her life, Molly knew what her father looked like. He was tall and good looking. He was athletic and famous. More importantly...he was alive.

Nobody knew, not even her mom, about the sharp pains she felt each night as she drifted off to sleep, wondering about her father. Nobody knew how often she cried. They had no idea how much anger and confusion she felt building inside of her over the years. And now suddenly she had a father?

She swallowed a knot in her throat. Mad Max was her father and Mom was worried he wouldn't accept his only daughter. She'd given up asking questions about her father years ago. In fact, she'd convinced herself that her father had been Mom's great true love, but he had died and that's why her mom couldn't talk about him. But that wasn't even close to the real story. Molly always thought she and her mother told each other everything.

Apparently not. Her mother was a coward and a liar.

Mad Max seemed like a nice man. Why would he reject his daughter? He helped to make her thirteenth birthday the best day of her life, and yet he had no idea she was his daughter? Goose bumps rushed up her arms and legs. Her heart beat a little faster. She didn't know what to think. What would Mad Max think if he knew? Would he be angry? Would he move away?

How could Mom have kept this from either of them?

CHAPTER 7.

The doorbell rang the next morning at seven o'clock sharp. It was Monday morning and Kari was trying to get out the door and get to work. She peered through the peephole, expecting to see one of Lindsay's college assistants. Instead, she saw Cole Fletcher.

Kari opened the door and crooked her neck so she could look him in the eye. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm Lindsay's assistant daycare provider for the week."

"No kidding?"

"Lindsay and I made a bet at the bowling alley. I lost."

She breathed in the heavenly scent of daylilies, then peeked behind his back where she saw a bouquet of flowers. "Why do I get the feeling you didn't lose at all?"

"Why do I get the feeling you're a little too nosy for your own good?"

She laughed. "Touche. Come on in. Hey boys," she called to the twins who had been dropped off ten minutes ago. "Come say hello to Lindsay's new assistant."

Cole stepped inside and the sounds of little footfalls against the hardwood floor brought two curly-haired boys dressed in identical green pants and white polo shirts to the door. One of the boys pushed his way through the middle of Cole's legs, making an instant tunnel for him and his brother to run in and out of.

"Hey," Cole said with a chuckle as he lowered himself on bended knees. "What are your names?"

"I'm Troy and he's Tom Thumb." Troy took a sniff of the flowers and came away with a nose covered with pollen. His twin brother, whose name was really Sean, rolled around on the ground laughing, as if being called Tom Thumb was the funniest thing in the world.

Kari and Cole watched Sean roll on the floor, holding his gut as he belted out an exaggerated belly laugh. Just watching the kid wore Kari out. If she could borrow just an ounce of his energy...

Cole looked at Kari. "Little characters, huh?"

"Yeah. Characters," Kari said. "Go ahead and take your coat off. Make yourself comfortable. Lindsay is in the kitchen. I'm going to run upstairs and say goodbye to Molly before I head off."

Kari ran upstairs, and when she walked into Molly's room, she was surprised to find her still sleeping. The alarm clock had gone off twenty minutes ago. "Hey," she said, giving Molly's shoulder a gentle shake. "Time to get up. You're going to be late for school."

"I don't feel good. I'm not going today."

Kari sat at the edge of the bed and put a hand on Molly's forehead. "You don't feel hot."

"I don't feel good. Please leave me alone."

"Well maybe I should stay home and take you to the doctor."

"No. I just need to sleep."

"I never should have let you have that second helping of cake and ice cream."

Molly groaned and pulled the blankets tighter over her head.

"Okay, okay. I'll go. But if you start feeling any worse I want you to call me."

No response.

"Molly, are you listening to me?"

Molly sat up. Her hair was tangled and half of her face was covered with long dark strands. "Why can't you just go away? I don't bother you when you're not feeling well. I would never do that to you!" Molly slumped back down on the mattress and pulled the blankets over her head again.

Kari stood there for a moment, unsure of what to do about Molly's outburst. Molly rarely talked back or used such a disrespectful tone with her. If Molly wasn't feeling badly, she would've dragged her butt out of bed and given her a good long lecture. But she was running late as it was, so she turned off the light and shut the door behind her.

Downstairs, she found Cole on his knees, throwing a Nerf football to Becky, a cute little four-year old who Lindsay had been watching for nearly a year now. Becky held up her arms and watched the football sail past her and hit a vase on the table, sending it to the floor. The vase and flowers were still intact but a stream of water traveled across the floor.

Another three-year old named, Jonathan, Lindsay's newest addition, opened his mouth in horror.

Having a sixth sense for these sorts of things, Lindsay ran from the kitchen into the family room, put her hands on her hips and gave everybody her best stern look. "What have I told you all about throwing balls inside the house? Who did this?"

All four kids pointed at Cole.

"Traitors," he said. "All of you."

Lindsay shook her head in dismay, but anybody with half a brain could see she was more amused than dismayed.

"Are you my assistant," Lindsay asked Cole, "or do I need to send your mother a bill for having to watch you, too?"

"I'm sorry," Cole said. "It won't happen again. But," he added as he grabbed Troy by the shirt, tickling the boy's tummy, "Troy told me there were no rules. So technically, it's his fault."

Lindsay threw Cole a towel. "Clean up the mess you made," she said, "and then please join me in the kitchen to help make breakfast."

"I'm leaving now," Kari told Lindsay. "Molly isn't feeling well, so I'm going to let her stay home today. Will you check on her in an hour and let me know if anything changes?"

"Sure," Lindsay said. "And don't forget what I said about using reverse psychology."

Kari smiled and headed out the door.

Cole picked up Becky and followed Lindsay into the kitchen. "What's this about reverse psychology?"

"Nothing."

"Come on. Spill." Becky reached up and pulled his hair.

Lindsay stirred the eggs on the stove. "Fine. I told Kari that if she wanted Max to stop hounding her for a date, all she had to do was smother him with attention."

Becky stuck her finger in Cole's ear, making him wince. "And that would work, why?"

"Because men hate to be smothered with attention."

He set a wriggling Becky on the floor. "That's the most ridiculous theory I've ever heard."

"I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree."

"Or," he said, "you can try it on me and we'll see how it works. Go ahead. Smother me."

"Nice try."

As Lindsay stirred the eggs, she watched Cole make his way around the kitchen. Yesterday he had looked like a preppy golfer. Today he was dressed like a model for Gucci with his nicely textured, fitted shirt that was probably made of some sort of high quality Egyptian cotton. The shirt, along with his Italian gabardine slacks were going to be ruined before the end of the day. His Armani shades hung off the V of his shirt, where she noticed a sprinkle of golden hairs beneath all that fine cotton. On his wrist he wore an aluminum watch that sparkled in the light. He was a walking advertisement for expensive men's clothing.

"You might want to rethink your wardrobe next time you babysit," she said.

"I brought a change of clothes. They're in the car. I came straight from a meeting at the office." He flipped through an open brochure sitting on the counter.