Page 139 of The Single Dad

“—and the trees at the park are the best for climbing!”

“Archie,” Riley says, fondness in her voice, “don’t talk with your mouth full, please.”

Archie quickly snaps his jaw shut, nodding.

His pre-K class is taking a trip to Central Park today for a picnic, and he’s been looking forward to it for the past few days. I lean against the kitchen counter with a mug of freshly pressed coffee, watching Riley coax Archie into eating a full breakfast.

As I watch her, my mind is going at a million miles an hour, trying to conjure up ways to make things work between us.

I’ve never felt closer to another person before, and lately, I’ve been getting the sense that I’m not the only one starting to feel something deeper.

Could this be real? Why the hell do we have to keep hiding it away?

Riley gets up from the table, smiling, and walks over to me. “You know,” she says, “it’s Saturday. If you’ve got a few hours off from your very busy schedule, you could come with us to the park.”

I sigh, biting my lip. When I speak, I make sure to keep my voice down so that Archie can’t hear me. “Ah, I don’t know. You know I don’t like going to these kinds of things.”

It’s true; since Riley came on as Archie’s nanny, I’ve been avoiding all of the school events like the plague. I really don’t mind spending the time with Archie, but at the pre-K activities, it’s never time with Archie.

It’s time with all of the other parents, while Archie plays with his friends.

It’s fantastic for Archie to get that time with other kids his age, but some of their parents are a little too prone to pearl-clutching for my tastes. I prefer to steer clear of them. And with Riley as Archie’s guardian for the field trips, I have the perfect excuse.

“Come on,” she says. “It’ll be fun. Plus, it’ll be good for you to get out of the house.” Her gaze softens, and she adds, “It’s been a difficult week. This will be something easy and relaxing.”

I look at her, my resolve crumbling. It does sound nice, when she puts it that way. And if she’s going to be there…

“Fine.” I knock back the rest of the coffee in one gulp, as if it’s one of Declan’s whiskeys, shuddering at the bitterness. “I’ll come.”

Grinning, Riley turns to Archie. “Guess who just agreed to come with us?”

Archie almost falls out of his chair in excitement, letting out an exuberant yell.

Rather than having my driver take all of us to the park, I offer to drive. The moment we arrive, just as I predicted, Archie races off to greet a group of his friends. We walk after him, and I glance down at Riley, who is beaming as she watches the kids organize an instant game of hide-and-seek tag.

“They’re cute,” she says, catching me staring at her. “Remember playing games like that? They make it look so simple.”

“Yeah, they sure do.”

As we approach a group of the other parents, my hand slides to the small of Riley’s back. She doesn’t flinch or protest, but I can feel a slight tension, like she’s unsure what I’m doing, acting like we’re a couple in public.

“Beautiful day for a picnic,” she says brightly by way of a greeting. Over the past few months, she’s gotten to know these mothers at all of Archie’s pre-K events and after-school meetings. They recognize her instantly, and their expressions give away their reactions to the sight of me standing so close.

They definitely notice what I’m doing, and most of them seem scandalized. One woman in particular is glaring daggers at Riley, who pretends not to care. I don’t have to pretend. I’m tired of hiding, and I really don’t give a shit what they think.

We settle down with our picnic blanket, a classic, red-and-white checkered piece of fabric that Riley picked up from the corner store a few days ago.

She wasn’t just reaching for small talk, either; it really is a beautiful day. There’s a slight breeze rippling through the tops of the trees, and the air is warm, the sun bright.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten to spend time outside like this,” I say to her, looking up at the leaves appreciatively. “You were right. This is nice.”

She seems delighted, but also uncertain, like she wants to be closer to me and isn’t sure if she should risk it. I grin at her, my mind flashing back to what I’ve been thinking about all morning.

The children’s game is rapidly becoming more and more complex as they rush around, hiding and chasing one another. It’s impossible to follow the action, but Archie seems to be having a great time; his cheeks are flushed, and he’s grinning from ear to ear.

The only things about this moment that aren’t purely enjoyable are the glowering looks we’re getting from some of the other parents. As I meet one mother’s gaze, she looks away, leaning in to whisper to the woman next to her.

“They don’t seem happy,” Riley says in an undertone.

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