stupid. You never had anyone to help you pick up the pieces, not really. Dot would pile on the guilt and Hank would ignore you. You reacted to them and because of them, not because of something broken inside you.”
“And what about Alex? We’ve both said it—he was committed to his wife. He sees Kaylie as a commitment, and that’s great. But, Al, I don’t want us to be the people he settles for because he can’t have what he really wanted.”
Paige pushed her glass away. She knew what she had to do to protect Kaylie and that was keep Alex strictly in the friend category. Look at how she’d reacted on the way home from the grocery store—smiling, singing along with the radio and imagining herself and Alex in the lead roles of a falling-in-love song. She was already so close to the edge with him.
In her heart, she’d always wanted Kaylie to have a father. Someone involved and interested in her life.
“It’s better this way, better just being friends and focusing our attentions on Kaylie for the next few months.”
“And after that?” Alison crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot against the hardwood floor. “What happens when she’s settled and Alex is a regular part of life?”
“Then this minor attraction will be old news. No big deal.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
The initial attraction would fade, Paige told herself. It always did. She just had to hold out until then.
* * *
T HE ATTRACTION WAS still there. Alex shouldn’t be surprised by it, but there it was. Again. He also shouldn’t like it, especially when Paige was clear there would be no dating and definitely no kissing, but he did.
Alex watched through the floor-to-ceiling windows separating the entrance of the rec center from the pool area where Kaylie would have her swim lesson in just a few minutes. Paige had called earlier in the day to invite him along. He’d jumped at the chance and didn’t examine too closely what he wanted—the invitation to watch Kaylie swim or to be closer to Paige.
Kaylie waved from the top step when she saw him and Alex couldn’t stop the smile spreading over his face. God, how had he gone all this time without knowing about this kid who was part of him?
“Hi, Alex,” she said in her little-girl voice. “Are you watching me swim?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said and wasn’t surprised to realize he meant it. “I was a swimmer, you know. But I bet you could teach me a few things.” Somehow, after only one official meeting, the little girl had wound her way into his heart, leaving it less cold than before. Her mom, too, he admitted, as he watched Paige take Kaylie into the changing room. There was something about Paige that wouldn’t let him go. Part of it was physical. There had been one woman since Dee. Two years before, after a night out with Tuck and the rest of his rec-league team. Two years was a long time. That had to be why he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Why she was as high in his mind as the little girl he was supposed to be getting to know, but the physical was only part of it. The other part wanted to know about her. Her art, her favorite foods, favorite pastimes.
They were back in a few moments and Paige sat next to him on the bench. Kaylie joined the other kids at the side of the pool, laughing and giggling with her friends.
“Thanks for letting me know about this.”
Paige shrugged. “No problem. I’m glad you made the time.”
Alex mimicked her shrug. “No problem. I’ll always make time for her.”
Something flickered in Paige’s eyes but was gone before he could decipher it. He watched the kids at the side of the pool for a few minutes, uncomfortable in the silence. Which was weird. He’d never felt uncomfortable around Paige before.
He caught a couple of looks from the other parents around the pool. Wondering who he was, what he meant to Paige most likely, and then he understood the discomfort. She was the single mom. In a small, close-knit community like
“And what about Alex? We’ve both said it—he was committed to his wife. He sees Kaylie as a commitment, and that’s great. But, Al, I don’t want us to be the people he settles for because he can’t have what he really wanted.”
Paige pushed her glass away. She knew what she had to do to protect Kaylie and that was keep Alex strictly in the friend category. Look at how she’d reacted on the way home from the grocery store—smiling, singing along with the radio and imagining herself and Alex in the lead roles of a falling-in-love song. She was already so close to the edge with him.
In her heart, she’d always wanted Kaylie to have a father. Someone involved and interested in her life.
“It’s better this way, better just being friends and focusing our attentions on Kaylie for the next few months.”
“And after that?” Alison crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot against the hardwood floor. “What happens when she’s settled and Alex is a regular part of life?”
“Then this minor attraction will be old news. No big deal.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
The initial attraction would fade, Paige told herself. It always did. She just had to hold out until then.
* * *
T HE ATTRACTION WAS still there. Alex shouldn’t be surprised by it, but there it was. Again. He also shouldn’t like it, especially when Paige was clear there would be no dating and definitely no kissing, but he did.
Alex watched through the floor-to-ceiling windows separating the entrance of the rec center from the pool area where Kaylie would have her swim lesson in just a few minutes. Paige had called earlier in the day to invite him along. He’d jumped at the chance and didn’t examine too closely what he wanted—the invitation to watch Kaylie swim or to be closer to Paige.
Kaylie waved from the top step when she saw him and Alex couldn’t stop the smile spreading over his face. God, how had he gone all this time without knowing about this kid who was part of him?
“Hi, Alex,” she said in her little-girl voice. “Are you watching me swim?”
“Wouldn’t miss it,” he said and wasn’t surprised to realize he meant it. “I was a swimmer, you know. But I bet you could teach me a few things.” Somehow, after only one official meeting, the little girl had wound her way into his heart, leaving it less cold than before. Her mom, too, he admitted, as he watched Paige take Kaylie into the changing room. There was something about Paige that wouldn’t let him go. Part of it was physical. There had been one woman since Dee. Two years before, after a night out with Tuck and the rest of his rec-league team. Two years was a long time. That had to be why he couldn’t stop thinking about her. Why she was as high in his mind as the little girl he was supposed to be getting to know, but the physical was only part of it. The other part wanted to know about her. Her art, her favorite foods, favorite pastimes.
They were back in a few moments and Paige sat next to him on the bench. Kaylie joined the other kids at the side of the pool, laughing and giggling with her friends.
“Thanks for letting me know about this.”
Paige shrugged. “No problem. I’m glad you made the time.”
Alex mimicked her shrug. “No problem. I’ll always make time for her.”
Something flickered in Paige’s eyes but was gone before he could decipher it. He watched the kids at the side of the pool for a few minutes, uncomfortable in the silence. Which was weird. He’d never felt uncomfortable around Paige before.
He caught a couple of looks from the other parents around the pool. Wondering who he was, what he meant to Paige most likely, and then he understood the discomfort. She was the single mom. In a small, close-knit community like