“Why are you here?” Was that a rude question? Intrusive? “I’m sorry. It’s a public park but…”
“What am I doing here?”
“Yeah.”
“This project I’m working on is getting to me. Yesterday I needed some air. Today I wanted to see you.”
“You did?”
“I enjoyed meeting you and your daughter. I hope that doesn’t sound strange because I don’t mean for it to be awkward. It’s a nice break from my usual grind.”
“It’s not awkward.” There was something about him that made me want to trust him. “I’m glad you came.”
“Me too.” He gazed at Zoey. “She’s a great kid.”
“She likes you too.” I think I like you too.
“Her father, is he in the picture?”
“He… um…” No one had ever asked me that. X was the first man who had shown any interest in me since the divorce. Not that I put myself out there or anything. It was too hard to trust anyone.
“I don’t mean to pry. I didn’t see a wedding ring and I assumed.”
“We’re not together and he hasn’t seen Zoey in a while.”
“How come?”
“It’s his choice. I’m not stopping him but he walked away from us. I haven’t heard from him in a few months.”
“Child support?”
“Ha!” I laughed but it wasn’t funny because I was starting to feel the effects of a one income family. I was no longer living according to my means. “I wish.”
“Is there an order in place?”
“Yes, but I don’t have the energy or the resources to fight him.” I’d realized fighting with my ex was taking up too much time and I wanted to focus on my daughter. We didn’t need him. “I figure we’re better off without him.”
“I have a feeling you might be right.” He glanced at Zoey. “It’s his loss.”
“She doesn’t even remember him. She stopped asking for him a long time ago.” I shook my head because Xavier was right. It was Josh’s loss. “I get that things didn’t work out between us but I never expected him to abandon her. Not after everything we went through to get her.”
“Fertility?” he asked.
“Oh, no.” Why was I discussing my failed marriage and Zoey’s deadbeat father with a total stranger? “We adopted Zoey.”
There was something comforting in his demeanor. The intensity in his eyes dimmed when I spoke. Was I seeing what I wanted to see? Or, was there a possibility that he was interested in me? He was hard to read. Was he being cautious because of Zoey?
“It was Josh, that’s my ex, and his mother. He was an only child and he’d recently lost his father. His mother thought it would be a good idea for us to expand our family. We married right out of college and it all happened so fast. We were probably too young to entertain having a family.” I waved at my beautiful daughter and she ran by with her friend. “I don’t regret any of it. Zoey is exactly where she’s supposed to be.”
“Does Zoey know that she’s adopted?”
“She knows she didn’t come from my belly but we don’t discuss it much. She’s kind of young.”
“She’s a lucky little girl to have you for a mom.”
“That’s kind of you to say.” I needed to hear it. “Lately, I’ve been feeling like a bit of a screw up.”
“From where I’m sitting, it doesn’t look that way. She’s happy, smart, and loves you.”
“You got all of that from two brief encounters?”
“I’m extremely observant.”
You’re extremely gorgeous. What was wrong with me? You’d think I’d never seen an attractive guy in a suit before. One who was educated and engaged in a conversation with me. That didn’t happen often.
“Mama!” Zoey joined us, saving me from my awkward staring. “Are we going to The Fun Place now?”
“Sure.” I glanced at my watch. “It is almost dinner time.”
“The fun place?” X asked.
“It’s a restaurant. Burgers, fries, milkshakes,” I said. “Screaming kids, loud music, and a play area. Not at all what I’d image your dinner experience to be like.”
“There’s a first time for everything.” He smiled at Zoey. “I love chocolate milkshakes.”
“Me too!” Zoey’s eyes widened. “Do you want to come with us?”
“Zoey.” Meeting at the park was one thing but going to a loud, kid-infested restaurant? That would surely send him running in the opposite direction. Wouldn’t it?
“I’d love to take you two ladies to dinner.” X looked at me. “I don’t want to intrude.”
“You wouldn’t be.” I grabbed my bag from the bench. “I’d like the company. You’ll see what I mean when we get there. It’s a zoo.”
“Then it’s settled.” He motioned toward the far end of the park. “My driver is parked over there. We could go together.”
“Ah, well,” He was still a stranger even if it didn’t feel that way. I didn’t want to set a bad example for my daughter by getting into a car with someone we’d just met. Driver or not. “I have Zoey’s booster seat in my car, so it will probably be easier if we drove separately.”
“X could come in our car!” Zoey exclaimed. “Mommy is my driver.”
X smirked before answering. “How about I meet you? I have to make a call but I’ll be there shortly.”
“We’ll get a table for three.” I took Zoey’s hand. “See you soon.”
“I’ll order you a chocolate shake,” Zoey said. “They’re so good.”
“Thank you, Z.”
When my daughter looked up and smiled at me, I couldn’t help but feel her excitement. I’d done my best these past few months to keep her routines as normal as possible but being a single parent and transitioning into a new job could be overwhelming. I hadn’t realized how much Zoey picked up on but seeing her with Xavier gave me a reality check.
“I’ll walk you to your car,” X offered.
Before I could tell him that wasn’t necessary, Zoey was in between us, holding each of our hands, swinging our arms back and forth.
“Let’s go!” She hurried across the park. “I can’t wait to eat.”
The grin on Xavier’s face as we walked to my car was almost as invigorating as the naturalness of this moment.
5
Kara
“Xavier Trapp? The freakin’ billionaire?” Carla, my neighbor and best friend, scrolled through her phone. “How did that happen?”
“We met him at the park.” I sipped my wine as we sat on the front porch, still not believing it myself. The brisk November air surrounded us but the warmth of the recently heated red wine hit the spot. It was a new blend Carla had purchased from the winery and they suggested she put it in a crockpot to warm it.
Carla’s children were teenagers, so she didn’t have to worry about bedtime routines. A few nights a week, after I put Zoey to bed, she would come and sit on the porch with me. Since tonight was a weekend, we drank wine. Carla and her husband, Keith, had been a huge help to me since Josh left. Her kids were so good with Zoey.