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

you’re her father?”
    “I’m not him, Nitika. Look at how I’ve been by her side since I found out about her condition.”
    Nitika opened her mouth to respond, but he held up a hand. “Let me finish. I understand how you’re feeling. A man you loved and looked up to disappointed you. I get that. But I can promise you that I’d never do that to Tesia. I’ve fallen in love with her over these past few weeks. She’s my heart.”
    “But what if—”
    “There are no ifs, Nitika. I won’t abandon her, or you.”
    She again stared at Javier, trying to discern if he was telling her the truth. After all this was over and Tesia was well, would he go back to burying himself in work? Her baby was so vulnerable right now. But what if he really did what he professed and was in it for the long haul? Staring into his mesmerizing, hazel eyes she said a prayer and gave him a short nod of her head. His smile caused her blood to heat up, warming her all over her body.
    “Don’t make me regret this, Javier, or I’ll hunt you down.”
    He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and stood, bringing her to her feet too. “You won’t, I promise. Now let’s go see our daughter.”
     
    Javier sat next to Tesia’s hospital bed and trained his eyes on her sleeping form. His heart raced, along with his mind. Bonita filha . His beautiful daughter. And today he’d be able to actually tell her he was her daddy. But what words would he use? How do you tell a kid you’ve been seeing for weeks that you’re not mommy’s friend, but really her daddy?
    He looked across th e bed and watched Nitika hold their daughter’s hand. She appeared to be as nervous as he by the way she kept wiping away tears. For a second he wanted to give into her initial request to wait to talk with Tesia, but quickly shook off that idea. His daughter needed to know her daddy was there for her, and always would be.
    Suddenly, Tesia began to stir and both parents sat up straight in their chairs. It took several minutes for her to completely awaken and greeted them with a beautiful smile. “Hi, Mommy.” She turned her head and smiled in his direction. “And Javier is here, too.”
    “Yes I am, sweetheart,” he responded with his own tenuous smile. “Did you have a good sleep?”
    Her little arms stretched over her head and she let out a loud yawn. “I’ll take that as a yes,” Javier laughed.
    “How are you feeling, baby? Do you want something?” Nitika asked, smoothing the side of her daughter’s face.
    “Can I have an ice cream cone?” Tesia asked with an impish look on her face.
    “I wish you could, baby, but not yet.”
    “Soon?”
    “Yes, soon.” Nitika hesitantly glanced at him and gave him a slight nod. He guessed this was his signal to begin to talk.
    “Um, Tesia, honey, I need to tell you something, okay?”
    “Okay,” she repeated.
    He took her left hand in his and cleared his throat. Here goes. “Well, I haven’t been, I mean, I’m not just a friend of your mommy’s.”
    “You’re not?”
    “No sweetie.” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Just say it, Javier. “I’m your daddy.”
    He watched as a series of emotions flitted across that beautiful little face. With a frown turning down her po uty lips, she stared at him then over to her mother.
    “You’re my daddy?” Her lower lip began to tremble and Nitika shot him a look that would scare a normal man. At this point he was more concerned about his daughter.
    “Yes, honey.”
    “Where have you been?”
    “It’s a long story, Tesia, and your mom and I will tell you one day. But for now, I wanted you to know, alright?”
    Tesia’s eyebrows knitted together as it looked like she was processing what she’d been told. “Are you going to always be my daddy?” she asked in a tiny voice.
    Javier’s breath hitched and he tightened his grip on her hand. Leaning forward so his face was a few inches from her, he first kissed her on the tip of her nose then allowed his