Page 38 of Secret Baby for the Bad Boy

The heat from his kiss lingers on my skin as I watch him walk away. My hand lifts unconsciously, fingers tracing the tingling path his lips left behind.

As the night swallows his car, one thought finalizes in my mind, never to be changed again: There's no escaping Lark. No escaping the way he makes me feel, the way he sees through my defenses, the way he quietly claims a space in my life—for himself, and for our son.

And maybe, just maybe, I don't want to escape at all.

Chapter Sixteen

Lark

Sunlight filters through the tall trees, casting playful shadows on emerald grasses in the private park we’re roaming. Our son dashes ahead, his small feet leaving impressions in the soft grass, his laughter floating back to us on the sometimes-swift breeze.

At my side, Lara peeks up at me. There’s a new heat in her eyes, a look that gives me hope for more. To hell with the agreement that we will leave the past there. I’m going to do everything in my power to make her mine. And I’m going to do so by showing her that not only am I an amazing father, but that I’ll be amazing to her, too.

“Look over there, Dad!” Win turns to look at us, pointing toward a patch of wildflowers scattered amongst the well-maintained grasses. The bright joy in his voice warms my insides, and I glance the direction he’s pointing.

“Wow, amazing, buddy!” I say, bending down to his level even though he’s far ahead.

Around us, the park blooms with life; vibrant flowers nod in the breeze, the sweet scent of them mingling with the piney and cut-grasses smells. A wall of trees and bushes edge the park, offering privacy and a feeling of being miles away from the real world.

“Mommy, catch me!” He runs toward her, and she kneels down, opening her arms as the wind toys with her loose hair. She’s never been more beautiful, but I swear I have those words on repeat in my mind most of the time. Her pants fit her thighs perfectly, her slightly loose blouse flowing into her dipped-in waist in a way that’s flattering and makes my mouth water.

“Gotcha!” she says as he leaps into her arms. She laughs, and I just take a moment to study them. Together, they are a picture of carefree joy in a setting of pure nature and beauty.

But I have a surprise for them, and I can’t wait any longer to get started.

“Let's explore over there,” I say, pointing toward an area where the shrubbery creates an alcove.

“Race you!” He's off before I finish my sentence, and I jog after him, Lara by my side. There’s something too perfect in this moment, I almost wonder if this is all a dream. If it is, I’d rather not wake up.

He peeks into the alcove, finding the “treasure map” I’d left behind with his name on it. With a confused look at me, then at his mom, he asks for help. Lara plays along, but I can feel her looking sideways at me.

“It’s time to go on a hunt. The first thing I need you to find is a feather.” Lara’s eyes are sparkling.

I watch as my son, Win, lights up with curiosity and clutches the scavenger hunt list so tightly the paper crinkles. He’s quick to scan the park, and I close my eyes, remembering the list. In my neat handwriting, I’d included items to get him thinking and engaged, but also to lead him to a very specific spot, without being overly obvious.

“Alright, let’s do this!” Win says, his voice filled with determination as Lara stays by his side.

He’s quick to search the edges of the trees, looking for a lose feather that may have drifted down, but no luck. So he moves toward the flowing water that runs through the park, and there he spots a small, white feather. It’s probably from a pigeon, but I don’t care about that. I want to get his little mind working and show him how good he is at problem solving. He picks up the feather carefully and hands it to Lara, who smiles and tucks it into her bag as if it’s the most natural thing in the world.

“Now, you need a perfectly smooth stone. Hint; check around the water.” Lara’s voice is as curious as our son’s expression, and I wonder if she’s caught on that there’s more to this than there seems.

We all move closer to the water, and I can see little fish darting about, only flashes of white and silver betraying their existence. Win kneels near the edge of the water, his little hands searching through the rocks for a perfectly smooth stone. When he finds one, he adds it to his collection, and I wait to hear the next instructions.

When he’s worked his way through five items, the sixth is read, and I feel my pulse pounding painfully hard. This is where I learn if my gamble paid off… or if I miscalculated. All I know is that I’m ready to see what happens next.

He moves toward the last spot mentioned on the list, though this one is a go to this spot and see if you find anything interesting instruction. He does so, and I catch Lara’s sideways glance. She’s aware something is about to happen, but I can tell she’s not sure what exactly.

She speaks softly to me before chasing after our son. “What did you do?” The words are low, playful, and bring a smile to my lips. There’s no way I’m going to tell her, she’s going to have to find out when Win does. And hopefully she’s not mad.

I watch them, loving every second of their joy. She holds our son's hand as they make their way to the spot indicated in the clue. The scavenger hunt has been a win, I think, and there are so many more ideas I have like this to keep things fun and interesting for our son while helping us make the kind of memories he’ll never forget.

Speaking of memories… I pull out my phone and take pictures of them. I wish I could actually freeze this moment in time to revisit whenever I wish, but this will have to do.

“Look, Dad, look!” He’s moving around, looking around as if he can’t find anything, and I take the cue to rejoin their world.

“You're doing great!” I offer gentle encouragement, wanting to help him build up his sense of self like my mom did for me throughout my childhood.

“It’s a rock,” he says, looking at me like he’s confused, his words as much a question as they are a statement.

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