Page 47 of Faking It With the Single Dad

Her laugh is soft, genuine, and it warms something in me I didn’t even realize was cold.

The sun is low in the sky when we arrive at the amusement park, the bright neon lights glowing brighter as the evening settles in. The smell of popcorn, fried dough, and cotton candy fills the air, mingling with the sound of laughter and carnival music.

“This place is awesome!” Luke yells, sprinting ahead.

Alice grabs Bella’s hand, tugging her toward the carousel. “Can we ride the pink one?”

“Of course,” Bella says, glancing back at me.

“I’ll meet you after,” I tell her, letting them head to the carousel while I follow Luke to the ring toss.

When we regroup, the kids insist on trying the bumper cars. Bella stays on the sidelines, shaking her head as I climb into a vehicle.

“You’re going down, Luke!” I shout as we start.

The kids gang up on me immediately, laughing hysterically every time they manage to corner me. When it’s over, Bella’s laughing, her cheeks flushed.

“You’re terrible at this,” she teases.

“Hey, they’re ruthless competitors!” I retort.

The kids beg for a ride on the Ferris wheel, but Bella hesitates.

“I’m not a fan of heights,” she admits quietly.

“Then we’ll stick to the ground,” I say immediately.

But Luke and Alice are already climbing into a gondola, and Bella sighs. “No, it’s fine. I’ll do it for them.”

We pile into the gondola, the kids on one side and Bella and me on the other. As the wheel begins to rise, she grips the metal bar so tightly her knuckles turn white.

“Hey,” I say softly, sliding my hand over hers. “You’re safe. I’ve got you.”

She glances at me, her eyes wide, but she doesn’t pull her hand away. Instead, she lets out a shaky breath and leans slightly into me.

When we reach the top, the view is breathtaking—a sea of twinkling lights stretching out in every direction. Bella relaxes just enough to take it in, her lips parting in awe.

“It’s beautiful,” she murmurs.

“So are you,” I say without thinking.

She turns to look at me, her eyes searching mine, and for a moment, I think she might kiss me. But then the wheel starts moving again, and the moment passes.

As we walk through the park, hand in hand with the kids, I notice curious glances from people around us. The whispers started almost as soon as we walked into the park. Cedar Ridge isn’t exactly known for its subtlety, and the sight of me, Ryan Blackwood, strolling hand in hand with Bella Parker and our kids, is enough to spark a wildfire of gossip.

I hear plenty of snide remarks as we pass.

“Is that Bella with him?”

“Didn’t she just end things with his brother a few years ago?”

“They look cozy, don’t they?”

Bella stiffens beside me, her hand growing tense in mine. I glance down at her and see the shadow of discomfort flicker across her face. She’s trying to ignore it, to push through like she always does, but I know it’s eating at her.

Luke and Alice, blissfully unaware of the judgment around us, drag us toward a row of brightly colored game booths. Luke heads to one with a giant stuffed dinosaur hanging prominently at the top.

“I’m gonna win that!” he declares, his face lit with determination.

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