Zoe knelt to look more closely at the striations in the wood that shouldn’t be there. She ran her fingers over it with a little frown before standing.
Signing rapidly, she asked, “Is there a way to shore this up? I can push the additional piece through board approval but I don’t want it to fall. How unsafe is it? Should I close the area?”
He could see she was furious the contractor hadn’t checked the condition of the wood more carefully. He kept his face angled toward her as he stood.
“I’ll get you a bid. I may be able to save some of the original pieces of lumber. I won’t know until I cut away the damaged sections. In the meantime, I’ll shore it up. This has been my daughter’s favorite place in the library for years. I won’t let it fall.”
Zoe’s eyes met his and he watched a full and sincere smile spread over her face. “You have a daughter?”
He nodded slowly. It was the first time he told someone about Mandy and didn’t receive a look that said, “Too bad…I was really digging him.”
Blinking, he asked carefully, “Do you like kids?”
That was the moment he realized the perfect topic to discuss with Zoe Green had been in his power all along. Her animated expression gave him a glimpse of the woman she kept hidden from the world.
“It’s why I became a librarian! I spent a lot of time in my library when I was a kid. I volunteered all through high school and worked there while I finished college online. Childrenneedbooks and it’s exciting to help nurture a love of learning and reading.” Folding her hands in front of her, she tilted her head. “How old is your daughter?”
“She’s twelve. Her name is Amanda.”
Nate’s physical attraction to Zoe had tortured him over the weeks he worked on her project. He often fell asleep thinking about her, which resulted in dreams that left him hard. She was different from women drawn to him in the past. Smart, demure, and hard-working weren’t qualities past girlfriends found important.
Finding out she liked kids was a gift unlike anything else. His daughter was the most important person in his life.
Holding his breath, he asked, “Would you like to meet her?”
“Amanda…Mandy?” He nodded. “IknowMandy from her class trips. She’s incredibly bright andlovesto read. She practices her signing with me when she’s here.” Zoe folded her hands in front of her. “She’s been beyond the children’s area for a while now but that’s a good thing. It’s wonderful to watch her discover new authors.”
His heart raced. This woman alreadyknewhis daughter. “I’ll pick Mandy up and we’ll come back to get you. Is that alright?”
“That sounds lovely,” she signed. Pointing at the wood, she added, “Thank you for noticing this.”
“I’ll take care of it. Don’t worry.”
With a nod and another bright smile, she returned to her office. Nate watched her go, unable to move until he lost sight of her upstairs.
Earlier, he’d asked his best friend to take Mandy for a burger so he could get to know Zoe a bit before telling her he was a father. He didn’t know why he was so fixated but didn’t want her to turn him down outright. A lot of women weren’t interested in becoming an instant mom to another woman’s child.
The three of them goingtogetherwas better on every level. If Zoe and Mandy already knew each other, it would save a lot of time.
Nate recognized that his attraction to Zoe was different than every person who came before her. He refused to hesitate or try to talk himself out of what he wanted.
For the first time in his life, as she crossed the second floor with a stack of books in her hand, he thought, “I’m going to make that pretty girl my wife.”
It was about time for him to follow his gut instead of his dick.
Chapter Three
When Nate picked up Mandy and told her they were taking Zoe for coffee, she gave him a cautious look. He thought she’d bethrilled.
“What’s the matter, honey?”
“Dad, outside our family and closest friends, Zoe’s myfavoriteperson. She’s important to me.”
Normally, the two of them talked abouteverythingso his daughter’s declaration surprised him. With a small frown, he asked, “How long have you known her?”
“Zoe moved here three years ago. She talked to the schools about making it easier for kids to visit the library and appreciate the importance of books. She made me love reading even more than I did before.”
They’d known each other almost three years?