Books The Daddy Issue Excerpt HWould you like to see a picture of my goddaughter, Gretchen's little girl?" "Uh. Sure." Kids weren't his forte. And to see the child Gretchen had with her next lover? Weird. She rummaged in her purse, and pulled out a bi-fold wallet. Opening it, she held it out. He reached for it, and gazed down at the child's image. "Her name's Amy. She's four." Daniel brought the wallet a few inches closer. Her eyes looked familiar. Damn the plastic sheath. He started to pull the photo out of it, then remembered himself, and with the edge of the picture between his thumb and forefinger, glanced at the woman. "Do you mind?" "No." He eased the photo out. His breath caught in his throat. Good God. "I--I better get going." He gaped at the photo. "There are photographers here, and I don't want to end up in the news as your latest date," he heard her say, around the pounding of his pulse in his ears. "My husband wouldn't find that funny." He became aware of her tugging on it, and reluctantly released it. "This probably won't happen," she said, as his gaze followed her every move in putting away the photo and wallet, "but if you happen to run into Gretchen, don't tell her I mentioned her. I promised I wouldn't." With one last look, she started backing away. "Oh! Congrats on your award." Turning, she headed for the stairs. Daniel stared after her, not seeing her. That photo, that image of the little girl, had burned itself into the front of his brain. She had his mother's eyes, with their tilted edges and earthy brown color. Prune eyes, he remembered his mother joking as she pointed from hers to his. Yeah, Gretchen's daughter looked a lot like the faded photos of his mother as a child, in the few albums he and Sam had been able to save. What was he thinking? No way. They'd used protection.