A Child's Heart: Book Number Two in the Who's Your Daddy series Read Free Page B

“Who’s he, Mommy? Another doctor?” She squirmed in her bed and tried to sit up a bit.
    Nitika gently pushed Tesia onto her back and patted her cheek. She then turned and gave Javier a slight nod of her head. “Um, baby, this is Mr. Crespo.” Her voice shook as she introduced him but she waved him forward.
    On unsteady legs, he approached the bed and stood beside Nitika. Javier swallowed noisily before speaking. “Hi Tesia.”
    She eyed him for a minute before turning to her mother then back to him. “Are you a friend of my mommy’s?”
    Nitika quickly stepped in to take over the situation. “We just recently met, sweetie.”
    “Why is he here?”
    “Be nice, Tesia.”
    Javier cleared his throat and took a seat on the other side of the bed. “Like your mom said, we’re new friends and I wanted to meet you.” That seemed to calm Tesia a bit, but he was entering unknown territory. What had he gotten himself into?
     
    Nitika quickly rose from her chair and walked to the other side of the room to give father and daughter some privacy. Father and daughter. Wow. Those were two words she never thought she’d have to say. The plan to raise Tesia without the assistance of a man was probably in serious jeopardy now.
    With them side by side, she could really see the resemblance between them. In addition to having the same hair color and type , they also had the same hazel colored eyes. Yeah, there was certainly a good chance he was her father.
    Her friends thought she’d lost her mind when she announced her intention to visit a sperm bank. Particularly Elise, even though her friend knew her history. “Let me hook you up with a friend of mine.” Or her favorite, “There’s no rush. Take your time to find a good man.” Neither suggestion was taken seriously. Nitika wanted to give birth to a child, and other than the sperm, a man was not necessary.
    She had few memories of her father, due to his workaholic ways. Sure, he came home almost every night, but only after she’d gone to bed. And he generally left the house before she woke up. No doubt, he was a good provider. But he was a piss poor husband and father. She didn’t need that in her or Tesia’s lives.
    “You’re nice, Mr. Crespo. Will you come and visit me every day?” That question from Tesia caught her attention, making her head swivel in their direction. Javier looked at her, a questioning look in his eyes.
    Nitika closed her eyes for a second, unsure of what to say. Was this man simply passing through their lives, stepping away once Tesia recovered? Until they spoke about this, she couldn’t let her child get her hopes up of having this man in her life. She slowly shook her head and noticed a flash of disappointment in his eyes.
    “Mr. Crespo,” a nurse called out from the hallway. “They’re ready for you in the lab.”
    Javier patted Tesia on the hand and started for the doo r. “I’ll be back to see you when your mom says I can, okay?” He glanced at Nitika and winked, sending her heartbeat into a spin.
    As soon as he exited the room, she took her place beside Tesia once more. Her little girl lay quietly on the bed, staring at the ceiling. “Are you okay, baby doll?”
    “Mommy, how come I’ve never seen your friend before?” she asked in a whisper.
    She took her hand and began to softly stroke it. Tesia was a very perceptive child, and had the uncanny ability to tell when she was being handed a story to keep her quiet. Should she tell her that Javier was her father? No, she needed to speak with him first. For now, she’d have to stick with the friend relationship.
    “Me and Mr. Crespo met at work,” she smoothly lied, all the while avoiding Tesia’s curious stare. “When he heard about you not feeling well, he wanted to come see you.”
    Her daughter twisted her lips but remained silent. Nitika held her breath, hoping she wouldn’t ask any more questions. She let it out slowly when Tesia gave her a short nod of her