Chapter 2

As Randy drove, he glanced in the rear view mirror at his now sleeping child. Her fever had finally come down so he decided it was best to get her home. His mind kept wondering to the brunette woman he'd met and how he couldn't wait to tell Sam all about his plan.

"No, Randy, we don't need some strange woman in our house, raising our child."

"Sam, you gotta give it a chance. She's really good with her and she helped me out today by getting her the medication she needed to bring down her fever." He said starting to get angry.

"I said no and that's final, and what the hell do you mean by she's really good with her? Did you let a stranger hold our little girl?"

"Yes I did, and she's moving in whether you like it or not. You don't have the final say in this because I have already talked everything out with her. Now, if you'll excuse me I have a phone call to make." He said walking towards his office.

"Fine, make your phone call, but she won't be needed here because I'm taking Alanna and leaving."

He spun around to see her take off towards the nursery. "Oh hell no," he thought as he caught up with her.

"Are you fucking insane?" he said outraged.

"No, but I think you are," she yelled.

"She's sick, Sam. She doesn't need to go anywhere. Just leave her alone and let her rest."

"Fine. I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm going to bed and you can sleep on the couch."

"Whatever," he said as threw up his hands. He walked down stairs to his office and slammed the door. As he sat down behind his desk he dialed my number. "What the hell was she thinking," he thought, "who in their right mind threatens to take a sick child out of their home? Stupid! All of this is nothing but bullshit!"

"Well, hello to you too," I said as he screamed into the phone.

"Oh, shit, I'm sorry. That wasn't directed at you, I'm just really angry." He said as he rubbed his temples.

"I can tell. What happened?"

"Long, complicated story. Let's just say it didn't exactly go as I had planned." He said as leaned back and placed his feet on top of his desk.

We talked about his show being cancelled due to the weather, and the fight he had with Sam and before we both knew it, it was going on 2 am.

"Oh, man," he yawned, "I didn't realize what time it was.

"What time is it," I said as I glanced over at the clock. "Oh, hell it is late."

"Yeah, perhaps we should get off the phone and both get some shut eye."

"MmmHmm, I think you're right," I said as I snuggled down beneath the covers.

"Thank you for listening to me vent. You didn't have to do that and I appreciate it more than you know."

"Of course, Randy, what are friends for sweetie?" I said softly.

As we hung up the phone he decided to go and check on Alanna. As he made his way up to the nursery he couldn't stop himself from thinking about the words I had just said. "Friends, huh?" he thought to himself. He shook his head as he picked up his sleeping daughter. "I just know I've made the right decision," he said as he stroked her face softly with the back of his index finger. He carried her down to his office and shut the door. Stretching out across the couch he placed her on his chest and pulled the blankets over them both. As he drifted off to sleep his thoughts came back to me and a smile spread across his face as he realized he couldn't wait to see me in the morning.

"Ok, what the hell am I gonna wear?" I thought as I went through my closet. It was obvious that I was nervous because I was running around like a crazy person. I had beaten my alarm by 2 hours and still I couldn't decide what to wear. My room looked like a tornado had hit it, what with the clothes thrown all over the bed and the shoes starting to form a small mountain that of course I only ended up tripping over.

"Damnit!" I exclaimed as I fell to the floor. "Stupid shoes!"

Ok, so it wasn't exactly the shoes fault, but I didn't really care. I finally decided what I would wear so I quickly got myself cleaned up and made my way out the door. Driving across town was completely nerve wracking and I was trying to calm myself by singing along to the radio. It wasn't until I pulled up to his house that I felt my stomach begin to do flip flops. I carefully walked up the ice covered sidewalk to the front door. I almost made it before I slipped and fell, landing on my bad knee. I tried to get up but I couldn't because it hurt so much. "Hell, what have I done to myself," I thought as my purse began to vibrate. I pulled my phone out and noticed that Randy was trying to get a hold of me.

"Are you having a hard time finding the place?" he asked concern evident in his voice.

"No, I'm actually here, but I can't come in," I said as I winced in pain.

"Are you okay? Did something happen? Are you having second thoughts?" he said as he made his way to the door.

"No, actually, I just…" I started but was cut off when he came flying out the door.

"What did you do?" He said as he knelt down beside me.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I just know that I'm having a hard time moving it." I said as I winced in pain again.

He gently picked me up and carried me into the house. I noticed his mom coming from the kitchen as he carefully sat me down on the couch.

"Oh honey, you must be April. What on earth did you do to yourself?" she asked sweetly.

"Lord only knows," I said half joking as my attention shifted to Randy hovering over me.

"It looks like it's starting to swell. Can you turn it or bend it at all?" He said as he placed a hand on my leg.

I tried to move it and it was all I could do not to cry. It was in that moment that our eyes met and something incredible happened. It was like everything stood still and everyone in the room disappeared. There was an instant connection between us and I knew that from that moment on we would be inseparable and then it was gone as fast as it happened. He looked away and I wondered if he felt the same things I had felt.

"Ahhhh, don't touch me!" I screamed bringing myself out of my thoughts.

"That does it," he started," Mom, I'm gonna have to take her to the emergency room. Would you mind staying here with Alanna until I get back?"

"Of course sweetheart, just be careful out there." she said as she hugged him.

The next thing I knew is that Randy and I were stuck in an emergency waiting room, for what seemed like forever, only to find out that somehow I had managed to sprain my knee. I ended up with a brace, crutches, and pain killers and when they brought me the bill, I almost fell again. Having just moved to St. Louis and having no job, I had no health insurance and absolutely no way to pay what they had just given me.

"What am I gonna do?" I whispered silently as he walked into the room.

"Hey champ, how ya feeling?" he asked as he sat down beside me.

As I went to speak, all that came out were tears.

"Hey, don't cry. What's wrong, are you hurting again?" he said as he tilted my chin up and looked into my eyes. He reached up with his thumb and gently wiped away my tears.

"No, I'm not in any pain, I just don't know how I'm gonna," I trailed off as I looked down.

"Gonna what?" he said as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"I don't know how I'm gonna pay for all of this." I sniffed. "I mean I just moved here and I don't have any health insurance because up until now I hadn't had a job. I just don't know what I'm gonna do."

"You're gonna let me take care of it, that's what you're gonna do." He said taking the bill out of my hand.

"Thank you, but I can't let you do that. We just met and I…" he placed his finger on my lips.

"Not another word. You fell on my property, therefore its workers comp and I don't want you to worry about a thing." He said as he hugged me.

I wrapped my arms around him and hugged him tightly. "Thank you so much, Randy. You have no idea how much this means to me."

As we sat there it became somewhat awkward and we both pushed away from each other. He stood up and walked out the door to take care of the bill and I managed to stand on my own with the crutches. The trip back to his house was quiet and uncomfortable. Once we got back, he helped me inside and he explained everything to his mom.

"So does this mean we don't have a live in nanny anymore?" Sam asked sarcastically.

"Actually, she is fine and the plan still stands," Randy said as he sat down beside me.

"Oh that's just great, Randy. You want a crippled woman taking care of our child because god forbid you actually take care of her yourself." she popped off as she walked back up stairs.

Randy stalked off after her and I knew the fighting was about to begin. Elaine made her way over to me and tried to explain that this wasn't the first time the fighting had happened. Apparently they had been having problems long before we ever met each other and this was like the final nail in the coffin. We must have sat there talking for an hour before she realized she had to leave. Telling me how nice it was to meet me, she placed Alanna in my arms and walked out the front door. The screaming continued and I was somewhat apprehensive about being there. Alanna started getting fussy so I thought perhaps she was hungry. Steadying myself on one crutch, I hobbled into the kitchen with her still in my arms. Somehow I managed to get a bottle ready for her and then carefully made my way over to the rocking chair in his office. As I fed her, I began to rock and softly sing to her.

"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, like a diamond in the sky, twinkle, twinkle, little, star how I wonder what you are."

She was so beautiful and as I sang she held on to my finger. Nearing the end of her bottle, she fell sound asleep. Randy stood silently watching and listening to me. His heart melted at the sight of me holding his little girl. "She's amazing," he thought to himself.

"Is she sleeping," he whispered as he walked across the room.

"Yeah, she just drifted off." I said as I noticed the tears in his eyes.

I carefully stood up and laid Alanna in her crib, then hobbled over to the couch. As I sat down I took his hand in mine and as I started to speak he took me in his arms and began to let his emotions go. I held him tightly as he sobbed and I wanted so badly to make the hurt go away.

"Hey, it's gonna be ok, I promise," I said as we let go of each other.

"I don't know about that," he said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" I said, turning around to see him checking on Alanna.

He picked her up and motioned for me to follow him. Walking into the living room, I watched him as he gently placed her in her playpen. I sat down carefully on the couch as he started a fire in the fireplace to take the chill off the room. I could tell that he was trying to do anything and everything he could to avoid talking to me.

"You know, if you don't want to talk about what happened, then we really don't have to," I said as I pulled a blanket around me.

"Thank you, I appreciate that. Actually, I was hoping that we could try and get to know one another. It's not that I don't trust you or anything, I just want to know all about you and how you got involved with kids." He said as he walked towards the kitchen.

"I'm an open book, ask me anything," I said with a small laugh.

"Ok, well let's start with I'm thirsty and I want a beer, want one?" he asked as he popped the top off the long neck he was holding.

"I'd love one, but it's imperative that you know, I never drink around the kids. One of my biggest rules is no drinking, followed by no swearing," I said as I took the cold beverage from him.

"Well, I'm glad you cleared that up," he said as he relaxed in his favorite overstuffed chair.

He looked incredible in his jeans and a button down that had since become untucked and unbuttoned and was hanging loosely around his body. The low light and glow from the fireplace seemed to suit him and illuminate his features just enough to see his muscular chest rise and fall. I was completely taken with him and it wasn't hard to see why.

"Ok, so where to begin," he said as he lightly licked the opening of the bottle.

"Oh hell," I thought, "I wish he'd come over here and do that with me."

"Tell me a little about yourself. Where you're originally from, where you went to school, you know, everything." He said bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Well, I'm from a little town named Robinson and its right outside of Waco which is about an hour south of Dallas Texas. I went to school at several different places because unfortunately my mom was divorced several times. I graduated from Robinson High and went straight into college. What started out as an Elementary education degree quickly changed and I went into Child Development with a minor in music. I was there for about four years and I had to quit because of insurance reasons. I still want to give those people a piece of my mind too, because if it hadn't been for shoddy counselors I would've been in the right classes from the beginning."

"What happened? How did you in up in the wrong classes? Didn't you know what you wanted to do?" he said with a confused look on his face.

"Of course I knew what I wanted to do and I thought I was in the right place. It wasn't until I spoke with one of my professors that I found out that three and half years of my time were spent being enrolled as a coaching major."

"Wow, that's a serious stretch from elementary ed," he said as he shifted his weight in the chair.

"Wow, is right. I asked my professor then and there what I needed to do and got myself in the right place. I was completely happy being in the childcare center. I went to classes and then did my clinicals daily in the center with my own classroom. It was truly amazing to know that each and every one of those little ones looked to me for guidance. It felt so good to walk into a classroom and be bombarded by 3, 4, and 5 year olds the way you are by grown girls."

"Sounds like you had your hands full. So, what happened? How long were you actually able to work in the center?"

"I wish I could say it was awhile, but actually it was only for a few months. I was living at home and my mom called me to give me the news about the insurance company and the fact that they would no longer be covering me on her insurance anymore. After reaching a certain age they drop you, so I was basically left without a choice. I gave up everything I loved to go out and get a full time job that I only ended up hating."

"Man, sounds like you really didn't want to quit."

"You could say that. It hurt to give up my scholarship as well. Music has always been a huge part of my life and to give that up was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do."

"Well that explains why you have an incredible voice. Feel free to sing to her anytime, cause I'm sure it's a lot better than what I sound like."

"Thank you, but I've never felt like it was that great and I'm sure Alanna would be more than happy if you sang to her."

"Yeah, right! I couldn't sing if I tried."

"She doesn't care if you can carry a tune or not. All that matters to her is that you're there for her. She needs you no matter what you do."

"Who are you? I've never met anyone quite like you."

"I'm not sure what that's supposed to mean but I just happen to care about children very much. I remember what it was like to be drug through one divorce after another. Randy, I hated it then and I hate it now. Nobody should ever have to go through that kind of pain. At least in your case, Alanna will always know the love of her father. She'll never have to worry or wonder if you want her or if you're going to be there for her."

He could tell in that moment that he'd struck a nerve. Never before had he met someone so passionate and so considerate. For someone he barely knew, he could tell that this was the beginning of what he hoped would be a long friendship.

"I hope you didn't take what I said the wrong way. I know it sounded kind of bad, but that's not the way it was meant. What I wanted to convey was that I have never met anyone that is so passionate. I know Alanna will be in good hands."

"Of course she will. I would treat her like she was my own."

We sat there and continued talking and after having a few more beers, he helped me up to the guest room for the night. He brought me one of his t-shirts to sleep in and then walked out of the room. As I slid the soft material over my head, I couldn't resist taking in his scent. It was the perfect combination of laundry soap and cologne. He interrupted me long enough to leave a pair of his boxers on top of the dresser and to give me a hug goodnight. As I snuggled down beneath the covers I could hear him softly singing off key. "Awww, at least he's trying," I thought to myself as a smile crept across my face. "I love you, Randy," I said aloud to no one as I drifted off to sleep.