Miller initially resented this intrusion on what should have been his footloose, post-children years, fully expecting his daughter to reclaim Zane when she matured, but then something happened. "Somewhere along the line he started growing on me," says Miller. "By the time he was 4, two things happened: One, I was sure we'd crossed a point for (his mom) to take him and raise him, and, two, I didn't want to see him go." As Miller notes, "Here was a second chance life doesn't always give you."

"When we took Zane, it showed Larry what he missed," says Gail. "Otherwise, I'm not sure he ever would have felt that (regret)."

In some ways, Zane is like a first child for Miller. When Zane was a baby, Miller would rush to Gail and say, "Did you see what the baby just did? How come our kids didn't do that?"

Her response: "They did. You missed it."

So now here is a second chance to go to the Little League games and back-to-school nights.

"Larry's married to his work and always will be," says Gail, "but he's better able to tear himself away to go to events."

So Miller will try again to mix fatherhood and his great passion for work. He will try to see the Little League games he can never have back with his own children, and always he will build buildings and sell cars and undertake projects. As Allred says, "He will go to his grave making a deal. That's what he does. He's never more excited than when he's risked everything to do something."

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E-mail: drob@desnews.com