Page 43 of Single Daddy Doctor Dreamy

By late morning, we’re heading back home, refreshed and recharged. The boys are waiting for us when we pull into the driveway, their faces lighting up as they run to greet us. Aiden follows at a more leisurely pace, a knowing smirk on his face.

“Have a good night?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

I roll my eyes but can’t keep the smile off my face. “Yes. Thanks for watching the boys.”

“Anytime,” he says, glancing back toward his car. “I’d say it’s the least I could do after you gave me the opportunity to meet someone like Clara.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “Clara? The woman from last night?”

Aiden nods, a rare blush creeping up his neck. “Yeah. We… uh, we kind of hit it off.”

I grin, my curiosity piqued. “Are you going to see her again?”

“Maybe,” he says, playing it cool, but the sparkle in his eyes gives him away.

Joel chuckles, clapping Aiden on the back. “About time you found someone, man.”

Aiden shrugs, but he’s smiling as he heads back to his car. Watching him drive away, I can’t help but feel a little thrill of excitement. It seems like happiness is contagious around here, and I’m more than okay with that.

20

JOEL & LUCY

The house is alive with energy, the kind that only comes when everything feels right in the world. Miles and Finn chase each other through the living room, their laughter bouncing off the walls and filling every corner. Joel is perched on the couch, pretending to focus on a medical journal but clearly more interested in the chaos around him.

“No running in the house,” he calls out half-heartedly, not even bothering to look up.

“Then come outside!” Finn shouts, skidding to a halt and grabbing my hand. “Come on, Lucy! You too, Daddy!”

I glance at Joel, who’s already setting his journal aside with a small, resigned smile. “You heard the boss,” he says, standing and stretching. “Let’s go.”

Outside, the late afternoon sun bathes the backyard in a golden glow. The boys dart toward the small treehouse Joel built for them last summer, while I settle onto the swing hanging from a low branch. Joel joins me, his hand brushing mine as he leans back and looks at the sky.

“You know,” he says, his voice soft, “sometimes I look at them and wonder how I got so lucky.”

I squeeze his hand, my heart swelling. “They’re amazing, Joel. But don’t sell yourself short. They’re like this because of you.”

He looks at me then, his green eyes filled with something unspoken, something deep. “And you. You’ve changed everything, Lucy. For me. For them. I hope you know that.”

Before I can reply, Finn and Miles come bounding over, their faces flushed with excitement.

“Lucy, Daddy,” Miles says, his voice serious in a way that only an eight-year-old can manage. “We decided something.”

“Oh? And what’s that?” Joel asks, raising an eyebrow.

Finn grins, bouncing on his toes. “That you should get married!”

Joel chuckles, ruffling Finn’s hair. “Is that so?”

“Yes!” Miles insists, crossing his arms. “And you have to do it soon. Like, really soon.”

I laugh, feeling a blush creep up my cheeks. “Well, I’ll leave the scheduling to your dad.”

Joel’s eyes meet mine, a flicker of something playful and knowing passing between us. “Noted,” he says.

The boys’ blunt proclamation sticks with me long after they’ve moved on to building some elaborate contraption in the treehouse. Lucy’s laugh, the blush on her cheeks—it’s all burned into my mind. They’re right, of course. I’ve known for a while now that I want Lucy in every part of my life, permanently. It’s just a matter of timing.

And tonight feels like the perfect time.

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