Page 126 of The Single Dad

I straighten, turning to Cole. There are no words to describe how I’m feeling right now, nothing I can say to adequately thank him. Not only is this the most extravagant gift I’ve ever received, it’s also the most deeply personal.

“I… I don’t know what to say.”

Cole shrugs. “You don’t have to say anything.”

I shake my head. “Thank you. Thank you, thank you. This is the most beautiful thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

I follow up my thanks with a long look, one that, I hope, gets the rest of my message across. I wish I could kiss him in front of Archie. I wish I could show him how I feel without words, the same way this painting does for its artist.

He smiles in a way that makes me think he understands.

Later, I think. I’ll show him later.

I sink down onto the couch, my gaze fixed on the wall opposite, now adorned with the stunning work of art.

When I saw it at the auction, it made me think of Cole, of the depths in his eyes and the blurring lines of our set of rules. It made me think of the closeness between us as we settled into each other, our lives mixing together like the vibrant paint, colors combining to create something entirely new.

I take a deep breath, tears pricking at the corners of my eyes.

Everything he does, every single day, I fall a little harder for him.

Chapter 39

Riley

Since I started working for him, Cole has gone over to his friend Declan’s house for poker every couple of weeks. He told me that he used to be the regular host, before he hired me; hosting poker night at his place allowed him to spend time with the guys while still keeping an eye on Archie.

Tonight, he’s finally decided to invite Declan and Reed back to their usual spot. I can hear them laughing and joking with each other downstairs as Archie and I head up to go to bed.

It was nice to see the way they interacted with Archie. Cole’s friends are intimidating, but Archie seems completely comfortable around them, calling them “Uncle Dec” and “Uncle Reed.” There’s a familiarity between all of them that’s touching.

On the way upstairs, Archie tugs on my sleeve. “Why can’t I stay up later? They’re still playing.”

“Sorry, bud,” I say. “You know the rules. Bedtime is bedtime. And besides, they probably want to have some grown-up talk.”

“What do grown-ups talk about?”

I think for a second, then grin down at him. “Taxes,” I say. “And their boring, boring jobs.”

Archie wrinkles his nose in distaste. “Ugh.”

“Yeah, it’s terrible,” I say with a mock sigh, “but you have to do it, when you’re a grown-up. Luckily for you, you’re still a kid. So we don’t have to talk about mortgages, and instead, I get to tell you a bedtime story. How’s that sound?”

“Okay!” Archie exclaims. He runs the rest of the way up the stairs, and I follow him slowly.

“Go brush your teeth!”

Archie darts into the bathroom, and a few minutes later, he’s in his pajamas and snuggled up in bed.

I take my time with his bedtime story, both because he seems a little too energetic to fall asleep right away, and also because I’m a little nervous to go back downstairs on my own.

I’m not typically a shy person, but there’s something about the dynamic between Cole, Reed, and Declan that is intimidatingly familiar. I can’t shake the feeling that they know everything about him—and by extension, that they know about me.

Finally, at the end of an epic about Trevor and Dino, Archie drifts off to sleep. I tuck him in and turn out the light.

I take a deep breath at the top of the stairs, then descend.

It’ll be fine, I tell myself. You’ve met these guys before. They were friendly.

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