Page 33 of The Secret Play

“I’ve still got some gas left in the tank.” He smiled at her. “Think you can beat me to that tree?”

“No,” Winnie said in a sing-song voice. Then she yawned. “I’m tired.”

“It’s just as well,” he said with a shrug. “Pretty sure you’d win.”

“Nuh-uh. Your legs are bigger.”

“Well, we could try to find out, but you said you’re tired.”

“Okay, one more game.” She said it as though she was doing him a big favor, but really, there was a sly smile hidden on her face that she showed only to me.

She was loving this.

They bolted for the tree on the other side of the park, and I was grateful for the few minutes of silence. My mind was racing. Watching Casey with Winnie had been both a relief and a heartbreak. He was everything I could’ve hoped for in a father figure for her—kind, patient, fun—and I wanted all of that for her.

But the reality of what that meant was overwhelming. There was no easy way out of this relationship. I would have dumped him if he and Winnie didn’t get along, and he was a reasonable person, so he would have understood that. It would have been awful, but I’d never stay with someone my child didn’t like.

But now, I owed him the truth, and if I told him he was her biological father, what would happen next? Would he want to be part of her life? Part of mine? Or would he feel betrayed, blindsided by a truth he’d never asked for? Would he hate me for what I’d done?

There was no Hallmark card for that to smooth things over. I had looked for one.

Worse still, what if he was on his best behavior right now, and the real him was somewhere beneath the surface? What if he was secretly a jerk, only lying to me for sex? What would a bad person say to, “Hey, you’re actually her father?”

Things were still too up in the air. I couldn’t tell him, and I couldn’t not tell him.

By the time we got back to my house, Winnie was fast asleep in the back seat. Her head was tilted at an awkward angle, and her tiny snores filled the car. I turned to Casey as I unbuckled her seatbelt.

“Thanks for today,” I said quietly. “She had a blast.”

“So did I,” he said, his voice just as soft.

He carried Winnie inside for me, her small frame cradled against his shoulder as she stirred slightly but didn’t wake. Megan was already waiting for us, her arms crossed and a knowing smile on her face.

“Looks like someone had a good time,” she said, nodding toward Winnie.

“Can you watch her for a while?” I asked, glancing at Casey. “She’s already out.”

“Of course,” Megan said, taking her from him with practiced ease. “Take your time. Let me know when you’re ready for her—when she wakes up, we have several princess sequels to watch, so take your time.”

“You’re the best. Thank you.”

She carried Winnie to her car and drove the two blocks to her house, leaving us alone. Casey and I retreated to the living room after I grabbed a bottle of wine and two glasses from the kitchen. My nerves were still humming from the day, but as I poured the wine and handed him a glass, I started to relax.

“To a successful first playdate,” he said, raising his glass.

I laughed, clinking mine against his. “Cheers.”

The wine helped me unwind the tangle of thoughts in my head. Right now, I didn’t have to sort any of that out. I could just breathe easy, knowing that I had a night to spend with the man I liked.

I shoved his impending fatherhood out of my head.

“What’s on your mind? You looked like you went somewhere else just now.”

Crap. I smiled. “Long day. So,” I screwed up my courage with more wine, “still thinking of dating the single mom?”

He laughed. “Well, her daughter is the cutest kid I’ve ever seen, so yeah, I think so.”

A good start. I filled my glass before asking the next question. “Have you ever thought about having kids of your own? One day, I mean.”

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