More surprising than being a father
Is what it takes to be a dad
Nicholas Weller is stunned to discover the adorable baby
abandoned in the middle of his art gallery is his son. Asking teacher Emma
Blake for help is a plea of desperation -- he barely knows her, after all --
and clearly, she has her own misgivings. But under Emma's tutelage, Nicholas is
soon juggling diapers, formula…and unexpected feelings for her. He's passing
the lessons on fatherhood, but is he ready to graduate to family man?
Terrific book. Emma is a kindergarten teacher working in
the shop she co-owns with a friend on summer break. She is still recovering
from the devastating loss of her husband and daughter. Nicholas is a wealthy
newcomer to town who is turning the shop into a combination art gallery and
wine tasting room. He rubs Emma the wrong way with his expensive clothes and
fancy car.
She is furious when she sees him leave his shop and
shortly afterward hears a baby's cries coming from it. How could he go off and
leave an infant unattended? But nobody is more shocked than Nicholas when he
returns to find Emma and the baby. The infant wasn't there when he left and had
no idea who it was until he read the enclosed letter. Stunned to discover that
the baby boy is his son, Nicholas asks Emma for help. I had to laugh at his
panicked reaction to his sudden fatherhood - it reminded me of the movie Three
Men and a Baby.
Emma takes pity on Nicholas and offers to give him
lessons, even offering him the apartment over her garage to live in while he
learns. Emma was a bit wary of what she got herself into, believing Nicholas to
be the wealthy bachelor playboy his appearance suggests. She is pleasantly
surprised by his determination to be a good father.
I enjoyed watching the relationship develop between
Nicholas and Emma. Each had preconceived ideas about the other, and spending
time together smashed them to pieces. Nicholas was adorably determined to be a
better father than his own, and his commitment was fantastic. Emma is patient
and helpful with his first fumbling attempts, and it isn't long before he's
handling things like a pro. Simmering underneath their rapidly growing
friendship is an undeniable attraction. But as much as Emma adores baby Jax and
likes Nicholas, she is wary of risking her heart again. Nicholas won my heart
with his patience and caring as he learned of her past losses.
The more time they spend together, the deeper their
connection grows, and the more Emma thinks she may be ready to risk her heart
again. Nicholas also looks at his plans for the future and realizes that being
a father has given him a better understanding of what he wants for his son. But
when his parents unexpectedly show up in Oak Hollow, Nicholas has some
decisions to make. Emma, expecting the worst, pushes him away to protect her
heart, leaving Nicholas lost and wondering what happened.
I loved the ending and seeing Nicholas get unexpected
help from his sister as he reevaluated his priorities. Though I still don't
like his parents, they did redeem themselves somewhat in the end. Meanwhile,
Emma also had to consider whether she wanted to take another chance on love. I
loved Nicholas's big moment, which was sweet and romantic.
Is what it takes to be a dad
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