Page 58 of Faking It With the Grumpy Single Dad

As soon as the message sends, I skirt around the bottom edge of the low dune toward Cody, my heart pounding with a mixture of both relief and concern. He watches me approach, his eyes wide and a little wary. I slow my pace, not wanting to startle him.

“Hey, Cody,” I say softly, kneeling down in the sand beside him. “Are you okay?”

He nods, staring down at his knees, and it’s easy to tell that he’s been crying. My heart breaks a little at the sight.

“I went for a walk,” he says, his voice barely a whisper. “Grandma and Eli were flying the kite, but I was bored, so I thought I’d just go explore a little way down the beach, but then I walked too far and got scared. And the tide came in, so it—it blocked off the path back through the big rocks over there. I didn’t know how to get back.”

I nod as he stumbles through his explanation, giving him a reassuring smile. “That sounds really scary, honey. But you did the right thing, finding a safe place and staying still. Your dad is on his way, okay? He’ll be happy to see you. Everyone is looking for you.”

He shifts, hugging his knees tighter. “I recognized your house. I was too scared to go anywhere else, and I thought maybe you wouldn’t mind if I just waited here. You’re really nice.”

I swallow the emotions tightening my throat. “Of course I don’t mind, Cody. You’re welcome here anytime.”

I mean it, too. I don’t know what it is about this little boy, but there’s something in his big brown eyes that makes me feel fiercely protective of him. Maybe this is what parenthood feels like. Cody isn’t even my child, and I suddenly feel like I’d burn the entire world down if it ensured his safety.

He gives me a shy, tentative smile, and it’s like a small ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds. I can see so much of Joe in him—the same quiet strength and the same hidden gentleness. But there’s something else, too. Something that makes him seem a little older than his years. He’s different than his older brother. Where Eli is boisterous and energetic, Cody is quieter and more pensive.

Cody stares out at the waves for a moment before speaking again. “My dad is really great. He takes really good care of us, and he’s always there for us even when we know that he has a lot of work to do. But…”

I wait, sensing he has more to say, and when he finally looks back at me, I see a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. I reach out and place a comforting hand on his shoulder.

“But I wish I had a mom, too,” he whispers at last, so quietly I almost don’t hear him. “It’s just us and Daddy, and sometimes I feel like we’re missing something. I don’t even remember my mom, but I know Dad does. Eli says that he’s probably lonely. It makes me really sad to think that.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut. I pull him toward me, wrapping my arm around his shoulders. Without hesitation, Cody leans into my side.

“I’m sorry about your mom, Cody,” I say to him.

He glances at me, his expression thoughtful. “I like you, Miss Poppy. You’re really nice.”

He says it with a kind of earnestness that only a child could muster, and it warms my heart in a way I didn’t expect.

“Thank you, honey,” I say, my voice soft. “I think you’re pretty great, too. You and your brother. Without you guys, I wouldn’t know nearly as much as I now do about Kirby.”

He gives me a small smile, and we sit there in comfortable silence, watching the waves roll in. I’m not sure how long we sit like that, but eventually, I hear the sound of footsteps in the sand behind us.

I twist around to find Joe rushing through the sand, his face a mix of relief, worry, and utter exhaustion. He hurries down to us, his gaze locked on Cody, and I can see the fear that’s surely been eating at him for hours now.

“Dad!” Cody jumps up, running to his father.

Joe scoops him up in a hug that’s so fierce and protective that it causes a sharp, visceral pain to blast through my chest. I remember what it was like to be held like that by my own father. To know that, no matter what, and no matter who he was,my dad would always be on my side. He would always be my protector.

I swallow hard, knowing that now is not the time to let old grief take control of my tear ducts.

Joe holds Cody close, his hand cradling the back of his son’s head, and I can see the tension draining from his shoulders as he finally breathes a sigh of relief.

An older woman that I can only assume is the boys’ grandmother approaches, her face equally relieved, and she gently guides Cody back toward the cottage. She offers me a curious glance over her shoulder, then focuses all of her attention on Cody, murmuring to him in a voice that I’m too far away to overhear. Cody nods up at her, looking a little sheepish, but I can see the love in his eyes as he glances back at his dad.

Once they’re gone, Joe walks over to me. I rise from the sand, not bothering to brush it off the backs of my thighs. Out beyond the grassy dunes, the ocean hums its endless rhythm.

For a moment, we just stand there, the weight of everything unsaid and undone hanging in the air between us. A brief flash of that almost-kiss that was interrupted earlier overtakes me. I try to blame the next gust of sea air for my breath being suddenly taken away, but I know better.

“Thank you, Poppy,” Joe says to me. “I don’t know what would’ve happened if you hadn’t found him.”

I shake my head, a small smile tugging at my lips. “I’m just glad he’s safe. And I’m glad he felt like this was a safe place, even though he barely knows me. He’s a great kid, Joe.”

He nods, his gaze softening as he looks at me. “He is. And I think it says something… that he thought of this cottage as a safe haven. Kids don’t forget those sorts of things. Neither do I.”

I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks, but I don’t look away. “I’m glad I could be a good, um, person for him,” I say quietly. “And for you.”

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