Page 54 of Boss's Baby Surprise

We made note of a couple of places that looked like they would be within driving distance from where we were. By the end of the day, I still didn’t believe corn mazes existed outside of movies. But we did end up at a petting farm where Leo had the time of his life running around and petting baby cows, llamas, and goats.

Leo was exhausted by the time we got back to our cabin by the lake. He was almost too tired to take a bath before he got in his pajamas. There were tears, and not just from the overly exhausted little boy.

“Why don't you just let him go to bed?” Kyle asked at some point in the middle of the wrestling match between Leo and me.

“Because he smells like a goat,” I pointed out. “I try not to let my little boy go to bed smelling like a goat. Once Leo was in bed, and after I read him a bedtime story, I made my way back out to the small living room where Kyle was.

“Would you like some wine?”

“Is that the best idea?” I asked.

“We could skip the wine and we could go to bed.” Kyle stepped in close and ran his hand along the side of my hip.

My heart began hammering in my chest. It was hard to catch my breath. My nerves did that tap dance routine they always did when Kyle got close to me. I glanced over my shoulder toward Leo's room.

“I don’t know if I can,” I said, uncertain whether I could be with Kyle while he still wouldn't admit that Leo was his son. I wasn't going to have proof on the paternity test at least for another week.

Kyle noticed my hesitation and stepped away from me, leaving me alone and cold.

“Don't worry, Clarissa. I'll sleep on the couch tonight.”

The way Kyle joked with me on our drive back into the city the following day gave me hope that he wasn't too angry over our sleeping arrangement.

I wanted us to be a family. I knew we couldn't be together until I knew that Kyle trusted me. And as much fun as I had with him and Leo over the weekend searching the Wisconsin countryside for a corn maze, he still hadn’t said anything to me acknowledging or accepting that he was Leo's father. Maybe I needed to take the first step? Maybe I needed to show Kyle that I trusted him by admitting to Leo that Kyle just wasn't one of Mommy’s friends, but he was actually Leo’s father.

The thought nagged at me for days. I didn't get a chance to speak with Kyle alone at the office like I wanted to. So, even while we both sat in the conference room, reviewing final floor plans for the upstairs remodel at work, I sent him a text message.

Can we meet on Saturday?

Kyle glanced at his phone and then lifted his eyes, meeting mine from across the room. He gave me a slight nod.

My phone buzzed in my hands.

What’s wrong with after work tonight?

Picking up Leo from daycare,I responded.

We could all go to dinner, Kyle texted back.

I want grownup talk without little ears.

Won’t little ears be with us on Saturday?he asked.

I’ll get Marci to babysit.

Can you stay out late?Kyle texted.

I bit my lip and tried to suppress my natural inclination to blush.I’ll have to ask, but I’m sure Marci would be offended if I didn’t.

Sounds like a date.

As always, when it came to dealing with Kyle, my nerves were a complete mess. I really hoped to have the paternity results by then. I wanted us to get past this whole proof thing so we could be together.

26

KYLE

Ihad dinner with Clarissa on Saturday night. In her typical fashion, I had to meet her at the restaurant. I let her pick it, as usual. And as usual, I wondered if we were in an area close to where she lived or if she purposefully chose restaurants far from her home just to deflect and confuse me.

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