Page 38 of Bewitched

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Friday, April 14

Paige stood next to Blake’s SUV and tried to see what he was pulling out of the back. He’d been on some mysterious errand earlier and hadn’t given her a clue.

Here they were at the Arboretum and Botanical Garden and she had no idea what he’d planned. Leaning back, she looked again and was rewarded with a view of Blake’s broad back. His nickname, Boulder, was dead-on because she couldn’t get a darn clue what he was up to. “Does my surprise include food?”

“I value my life. Of course there’s food,” he called out.

Leaning against the car, she glanced around and noticed it wasn’t very busy. It seemed Friday afternoon was the time to come. She’d last been here for a friend’s wedding, and she was looking forward to walking around without the crowds.

“Ready when you are,” he said.

Paige looked over and saw that Blake held a basket. “Are you taking me on a picnic?”

“Sure am. This place was listed as one of the top ten romantic spots in Dallas. It was either this or a gondola ride. Maybe we can do that tomorrow. I figure we don’t have all that much time to date before the baby comes, so we should do as much as we can.”

“My goodness, that’s so sweet.” Taking his arm, she gave him a squeeze. “I haven’t been on a picnic in forever.”

“I read the sunken garden is a good spot. Should I grab a map, or do you know how to get there?”

“I vaguely remember. Let’s grab a map just in case.” They took one from a kiosk, studied it, and then agreed on which way to go. “They have a great concert series in the summer on the lawn that overlooks the lake. My sister Penny comes with her husband and kids.”

“When am I going to meet the famous sisters? I thought they would’ve stopped by already.”

“I told them to give me some room while we spend time together. I don’t have any plans to introduce you this time around. Maybe if you come back for a visit, we can do it then.”

As they walked along the path, Paige pointed out how pretty the tulips blooming along the border looked. It was an inane attempt to distract him from the subject of his role in her life, but it was all she could come up with. They had been discussing it endlessly for the last couple of days and hadn’t come to an agreement. Round and round they went with no treaty in sight.

The chances of him being here past next month were not great, no matter what he said. SEALs lived in either San Diego or Virginia, and when he was cleared for active duty, he would never be home. As much as he wanted to be involved, it probably wasn’t going to happen.

“Honey, are you pointing out the flowers because you’re trying to distract me? Tell me the truth; you don’t see me having a permanent place in your life, so you figure, why bother? I get it. I’m just the father of your child. Why should I meet your sisters? Makes sense.”

“I’ve spent a total of six days with you and I figure you’re heading out anytime, so you’re right…it doesn’t make sense.”

They turned onto the path that led toward the sunken garden, and Paige felt like going home. Would this outing be one long argument? If it was, she would prefer to be at home when it happened.

They had a challenging situation with no easy answers. They were basically strangers trying to negotiate how to be parents together.

The one thing clear was that this wasn’t some fairy tale promising a happy ending. Best case scenario, they could come to an agreement that worked for them both. Pointing east, she said, “The sunken gardens are over there. Come on. Let’s see about that picnic basket.”

“Do you want to find a bench, or would you prefer the grass?” Blake asked as he led her down a staircase to the center of the garden. “How about that bench under the tree?”

“Looks good.” She followed him, sat down on the opposite side of the bench and crossed her legs.

“Why are you sitting so far away?” Blake asked as he set the picnic basket down on the ground.

“I wanted to leave room for the elephant. Those suckers are huge, and the one following us is massive.”

Sliding over, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. “The elephant can find someplace else to have lunch. I’m not ignoring anything, Paige. I’m real clear about my intentions. I brought you out here because I want to get to know you.

“I’m going to date the mother of my son and see if we have half a chance at anything. The six days we’ve spent together prove that we have a lot in common. The chemistry between us is explosive and the sex is off the charts, so we have that going for us. Your laugh makes me happy, and when we sleep together you fit perfectly in my arms. As far as I can tell, there’s no damn elephant.”

“What was the whole sister question, then?”

He popped the picnic basket open and didn’t answer. Instead, he pulled out two plates filled with fried chicken, potato salad, and rolls. He popped off a plastic lid, handed her one plate, and took the other. “I have chocolate cupcakes in there. So leave some room.”

“Oh, look, the baby elephant is walking our way. Maybe we should save the cupcakes for her.”

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