Page 25 of A Baby Surprise For My Billionaire Boss

By the time Maddie’s first month working for Eli had ended, things had begun to change around the house. She had gotten used to Eli’s new pattern of coming home earlier in the evening. Some nights — though not every night — he was home early enough to put Charlie to bed, a surprise that always left Charlie ecstatic. When it happened, Maddie did her best to get out of the way so that the two of them could make the most of their time together. She had come to a new appreciation of how much Eli really did care for his son — she could see it in everything he did now, in ways she genuinely hadn’t been able to before. The story he had shared about his past had changed everything for her.

Of course he wanted the best for Charlie. He wasn’t simply a workaholic who never spared a thought for his son. It was so much more complicated than that. Eli wanted everything for Charlie, and the best way he knew how to provide that was by making sure there was always enough money.

And to be fair to him, Maddie knew, thatwasimportant. Because of Eli’s success in his career, Charlie would never behungry. He would always have the best education, and his future would be whatever he wanted it to be. If he didn’t get to spend so much time with his father — well, to Eli, that probably seemed like an acceptable price to pay. Maybe itwasan acceptable price to pay. What did Maddie know about it? She wasn’t a parent.

It was Tuesday evening, and she found herself alone in the kitchen cleaning up. Eli wasn’t home from work yet, and Charlie had gone to bed disappointed at not being able to see him. Maddie had considered asking Eli to try to schedule the specific days he would be able to come home early in order to make things easier for his son. That way, Charlie wouldn’t have to deal with getting his hopes up only to be let down.

She hadn’t been able to find a way to ask Eli that, though. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t see that he was trying, and she very much did not want to call him out when he was starting to change his habits and make a real effort to be there for his son. That was something that ought to be rewarded, not nitpicked.

Eli came into the kitchen, startling her, and she whirled to face him. “I didn’t hear you come in,” she said.

“I came in quietly,” he admitted. “I know I’m a little later than usual tonight, and I thought Charlie might be sleeping.”

“Yeah, he is.”

He cursed softly. “I thought he might be, but I still hoped.”

Allowing herself a slight risk, Maddie said, “I know he was hoping for that too. He wanted to see you.”

“I’ll try to get home earlier tomorrow. Did you guys cook something today?”

“No, we painted, actually. You didn’t tell me he had an art studio.”

“It’s hardly a studio. Just a few supplies in the corner of his play room.”

“Nice supplies,” Maddie said. “Acrylic paints, quality brushes, an easel, stretched canvases — and everything untouched. I’m surprised you bought all that when he didn’t have a passion for painting before today.”

“I read a parenting book that gave a list of ideas for things you should buy for your kid at each age, and art supplies were on the list.” Eli shrugged. “I just got everything the clerk at the store said I should get.”

“When did this happen?”

“When he turned five.”

“And he’s never touched any of it, in all that time,” Maddie marveled.

“I figured he would get to it when he was ready for it.”

“I think he hardly knew it was there, to tell you the truth. That playroom is so full of toys and games that he’s not sure what he has. I was the one who set out the art supplies, and once he saw them, he got interested.” Maddie shrugged. “Anyway, he wants to show you what he painted. He’s been talking about it all day.”

“What did he paint?”

“He won’t tell me. I mean, I’ve seen it, but when I asked him to talk to me about it, he got all quiet and mysterious and said he was only going to tell you about it,” Maddie said. “He’s saving it for you.”

“That’s sweet of him.”

“Yeah, so I would just make sure he gets the chance to show it to you sometime soon.”

“I will.” He offered her a small smile, and Maddie felt relieved. When she had first come to work here, saying something like that to her boss would have felt as if she was stepping out of line, telling him how he should care for his son. It didn’t feel like that anymore, though. Now she knew that he welcomed her input. He was glad for her to tell him the things she noticed about Charlie, about what he needed and how Eli could be more active in his role as father. His desire to be a good parent was more powerful than his ego, and that was a good thing to know about him.

It didn’t help her with the fact that she couldn’t seem to stop daydreaming about him.

It had helped a little to think of Eli as cold and uncaring, to imagine that he was the kind of man who didn’t appreciate his child, because of course there was only so much she could feel for someone like that. But that barrier had been stripped away now, and she saw him for the person he was. He was someone who wanted, more than anything, to care for Charlie, and that made her admire him so much more than she might have done otherwise.

She turned away to finish washing the dishes.

“Leave that,” Eli said. “I’ll do it.”

“This is my job,” she pointed out. It was true — taking care of minor household chores was included in her job description.

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