Read Online A Child's Heart: Book Number Two in the Who's Your Daddy series by Rhonda Marks - Free Book Online Page B

his number. Or stopped returning his messages.”
    Nitika opened her mouth to explain herself but gave up without trying. Instead she nodded her head. Elise didn’t understand her position. She needed to protect her child. And her heart.
    “Isn’t he in Europe? Spain?”
    “Yes.”
    “Well, maybe he was in a location that didn’t have cell service. Ever think about that, Sherlock?”
    “Aren’t we Ms. Sarcasm today?” Nitika stood and walked over to the stove and picked up the teapot. After topping off their cups with hot water, she filled the pot and turned on the flame to heat it again.
    “I wouldn’t have to be if you acted right.” Elise paused for a second before speaking. “He’s not your father, you know. Nor is he any of those losers you dated.”
    “I just can’t take the chance, Elise. Tesia is going to be better off—”
    “How? How is she going to be better off, Nitika? The child loves her father. Don’t do this to her.”
    “I can’t have a man in her life who doesn’t do what he promises.”
    “I can’t believe what you’re saying. This man had no obligation whatsoever to come forward and help you and Tesia. He could have gone on his merry way and ignored the request to see if he was a stem cell match for her. He could have stayed anonymous like he was assured when he donated his sperm. But instead he stepped forward and gave Tesia the gift of life a second time.”
    Choking back tears, Nitika began to tremble. What had she done? The second best thing to happen in her life, and she’d screwed it up. A man she now knew she loved with all her heart, and she was acting like a teenager.
    She sprang up and ran to her home phone, quickly undid the block and performed the same operation with her cell. A slew of ‘missed call’ messages cascaded down the screen, making her heart sink further and further into her belly. He had tried to call!
    She slumped into her chair and cradled her face in her hands. What had she done?
     
    “Look who’s here, Mommy!” Nitika whirled around in her seat and found her daughter walking hand in hand into the kitchen with Javier. He was here and by the look on his face he was not happy with her. And she didn’t blame him one bit.
    “Hey, Tesia,” Elise said a little too brightly. “Let’s go to your room and play for a while.”
    “But my daddy just got here!”
    “Go on Love Bug,” Javier said as he stooped down to give his daughter a hug. “Daddy will come up after he’s done talking with mommy, okay?”
    “Okay.” Elise took her by the hand and Tesia skipped out of the room. Nitika licked her lips and ran her hands down the front of her pants. What was she going to say to him?
    “Hello, Nitika.” Javier took a seat and coolly eyed her.
    “Hi . Would you like something to—”
    “I couldn’t reach you. Home phone, cell phone. I thought something was wrong with Tesia.”
    “I’m sorry. It’s just that when you didn’t contact me, I thought—”
    “You thought I was doing the same thing to Tesia that your father did to you, right?”
    She lowered her head and turned away from him. The scraping of his chair made her quickly look up. “Where are you going?”
    “To say goodbye to my daughter. I’ll be in touch regarding visitation.” With that, he turned and headed for the stairs.
    “Wait!” Nitika sprang from her chair and grabbed hold of his arm. “Please, let me explain.”
    “What’s to explain? You placed me in that same box with your father and the other men who broke promises to you. Instead of giving me the benefit of the doubt, you wrote me off as another liar.”
    “I’m sorry. It’s just that I don’t want Tesia to suffer like I did.”
    “That little girl upstairs is my heart. I may not have had her in my life as long as you, but that doesn’t mean I love her any less.”
    Her voice quivering, she replied, “You said you’d call me every day.”
    “ And I did, until we travelled to my host’s villa in the