Page 46 of Silver Fox's Secret Baby

“Exactly.”

Pax was a good-natured and obedient child. He did run off once, nearly giving me a heart attack. But when I told him he couldn’t do that again, he took my hand and instead would tug hard when he got excited about an exhibit.

We spent hours exploring all the exhibits little boys loved. Laughter and conversation filled our time together, and I found myself marveling at the simple joy of being with Pax. The only thing missing was Samantha.

When we returned home, I carried Pax up in the elevator from the garage. The little guy was tuckered out and sleeping.

“It’s been awhile since we’ve had a child in the home,” Knightly said.

I patted Pax’s back. “It has.”

“I imagine little Hank will be spending lots of time here as well.”

I thought of Victoria and Alex’s unborn child and how I would be a grandfather soon. Here I was imagining being a father again when I was about to be a grandfather. I was ridiculous. But as I exited the elevator on the third floor to take Pax to his room, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was meant to be in his life. He deserved a father figure, someone who could guide and support him as he grew up. Perhaps, despite the challenges and heartbreak that came with loving Samantha, maybe there was a way for me to be that person for Pax.

Marie met me in the hall. “Goodness, he must have had a wonderful time.”

“I think he did.” I carried him to his bedroom and lay Pax in his bed.

"Thanks for taking me.” Pax had to be talking in his sleep as he curled up.

I ran my hand through his hair. “Thank you for coming with me.”

I left Pax, exiting his room. Marie followed me out.

“It was very nice of you to entertain him, Mr. Banion.”

“The pleasure was mine.” I wondered where Samantha was but didn’t want to seem obvious. “You’ll be up here with him now?”

She nodded. “Yes. Samantha was invited out with Mr. Thompson.”

My hands fisted at the idea of Samantha with her lawyer. “I see. Well, you have a lovely evening, Marie.”

“You too, Mr. Banion.”

I took the elevator down to the lower floors where my gym was. What better way to work off negative energy than with a punching bag? I was such a fool to continue pining for Samantha. If she wanted to date, who was I to stop her? I had to work harder to get her out of my system. It would be the only way I could continue to stay in Pax’s life and not go insane.

17

Samantha

My heart twisted with guilt as I sat in the kitchen drinking coffee and replaying watching Henry and Pax walk to the elevator to start their adventure. Regret gnawed at my insides. I should've gone with them on their outing. I wasn’t worried that Henry couldn’t manage Pax. I was worried that Henry would see something in Pax that told him Pax was his son. It was a terrible thought. Henry deserved to know the truth. Pax did too. But so much could go wrong. Henry was still adamant that no one could know about our affair. What if Henry rejected Pax to keep our secret? I imagined Henry would do right by us financially, but that didn’t mean he’d openly accept Pax as his son. Not if he worried about his reputation or Victoria’s reaction.

I had to consider the opposite as well. Would Henry be angry at my secret and retaliate by fighting for custody of Pax?

I left the kitchen, retreating to my room. I couldn't shake the feeling of doom looming over me. Whether I told the truth or not, the outcome would be disastrous.

The shrill ring of my phone pierced the silence, causing me to jump. I checked the caller ID. Lucas. For a moment I thought I’d ignore it. But I reminded myself that the sooner I dealt with my mother’s estate, the sooner Pax and I could move on.

I poked the answer button. "Hello?"

"Hey, Samantha, it's Lucas. I’m calling to see if you could meet with me this evening."

My initial thought was to turn him down. But if I stayed here, I’d just ruminate over Henry and Pax. A distraction might be just what I needed.

"Sure." I tried to sound more enthusiastic than I felt. "Where do you want to meet?"

He gave me the name of an Indian restaurant near the East Village.

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