The Daughter He Wanted

by Kristina Knight

  “It’s hard to break the bad habits.” He wasn’t budging on this. Sure, he’d been wrong about the reward method for vegetables, but he was right about this. He knew it. It took the better part of his thirteenth summer to relearn how to breaststroke because of a bad instructor when he was little.

  “She’s four. She’s not training for the Olympics in Rio.” This time there was steel at the bottom of her voice. “And whether she was in training for the Olympics or not, you’re here as a guest.”

  Alex took a deep breath. Two. Counted to five. What was going on here? He’d merely wanted to encourage his daughter to take swimming seriously, and Paige was acting as if he’d completely betrayed them both. “I’m trying to help,” he said, but the words sounded angrier than he intended.

  “No, you’re trying to instill more by-the-book parenting on her. You can’t reward kids into acting the way you want and you can’t expect them to be perfect imitations, either. You were a swimmer. I get it. But you were a swimmer as a teen, not a toddler. There’s a difference.” She looked around, her face pale and her hands clenching the bench seat, white at the knuckles. “And we aren’t doing this here. Not in the middle of her lesson. If you want to continue this discussion, we’ll go outside. She’s had enough embarrassment.”

  Alex looked around. Every parent in the pool area had their gazes trained on him and Paige, not the water. Not the kids. He swallowed this time, feeling like he imagined Kaylie had when she went under so quickly after he called out to her.

  “I didn’t mean to embarrass her. Or you,” he said stiffly. He folded his arms over his chest and scooted back on the bench, determined to watch the rest of the lesson without saying a word.

  How did it come to this uncomfortable point? He’d only been trying to help. Was it too soon to act like a parent? When could it be okay? And how the heck was he supposed to know what to say to the kid when everything he’d read was apparently wrong?

  Once all the children finished their strokes, the instructors pulled out Hula-Hoops, submerging them partially below the water. He watched as Kaylie kicked away from the wall, buried her head in the water and stroked forward through the hoop. Felt a glow of excitement when he saw the joy on the little girl’s face as she realized she’d swum half the length of the shallow end. Paige called out to her, praising the effort, and Alex joined in. So what if her arms weren’t straight and if she only reached above the surface a couple of times? His kid just swam, face in the water, for nearly ten meters.

  Alex held out his hand to high-five Paige, but she kept her focus on the girl in the water.

  It wasn’t like this pre-Paige. He and Dee had agreed on parenting styles, had found the same benefit from the book she picked out when they first began talking about having kids. They agreed on parenting styles—stern, focused, but giving the child room to breathe and have their own opinions. That was what calling to Kaylie was about. Wasn’t it? Trying to help her be the best she could be—that was how a parent acted.

  Alex blew out a breath. If they were going to do this, really be coparents, they had to figure out a way to agree. Starting with an apology couldn’t hurt.

  “I didn’t mean to embarrass her or step all over your toes.”

  “Is that an apology? Because she’s the one who needs it, not me.” Shoulders stiff, Paige kept her attention on the pool.

  Alex wasn’t so sure about only Kaylie needing the apology. “I’ll talk to her after the lesson. I hope you can understand I’m new at this. Everything I know about kids I read in a parenting book over four years ago and then skimmed over again a couple of weeks ago.”

  She was quiet for a long time, watching the water as Kaylie submerged to pick up a rubber ring and then again when she held her breath for fifteen seconds. “You weren’t wrong, technically,” she said grudgingly. “Kaylie wasn’t reaching up and over like she should have been.”

  Alex felt victory at the admission but it was hollow. Somewhere in the past few minutes having Kaylie do the stroke exactly right became overshadowed with her joy in being in the water. Joy he could see as clearly when she was underwater as when she was above it.

  Paige shook herself and, when Kaylie left the water a moment later, held a dry towel to her. The little girl trotted off to the changing room and Paige turned back to him. “She’ll have forgotten about this by the time we get to the pizza place. The coaches are taking the kids out because this is the last lesson of this session. I didn’t mention it earlier because...” Paige sighed, shot a flustered look in his direction. “You could come. If you want.” Her words were as stiff as his back against the cement-block wall.

  “I’d like that.”

  Because damned if he didn’t want to smooth over the rough edge he’d just created.

  * * *

  PAIGE WATCHED ALEX from across the crowded pizza parlor. He was talking with one of the other dads, as if they’d known one another for years. Like that same parent hadn’t been giving them the side-eye from the second Alex ordered Kaylie to swim like an adult and promptly sent her daughter underwater. She’d wanted to dive into the shallow depths to save her but that would only have embarrassed Kaylie more. Until tonight, she’d been one of the standouts in the class.

  How had she missed that Kaylie did more dog-paddling than swimming? And why did it suddenly matter? A small part of her wanted Alex to be so impressed by Kaylie’s swimming that he would have to... What? Applaud Paige’s skills not only at single-mothering but at swim coaching? She wasn’t the coach. When she and Kaylie swam it was more about fun than perfect strokes. And Kaylie wasn’t so much embarrassed by him calling out to her as shocked when the water went up her nose.

  It was Paige who was embarrassed because suddenly every eye in the place was on her. On Alex. And she could see them putting two and two together and getting four. Sperm donor four.

  The intensity he showed over Kaylie’s swimming was one more reason to keep him on Friend Beach, no matter how his faded Levi’s outlined his long legs or how yet another black tee stretched tight across his shoulders. Tonight was only the first in what was sure to be a long line of differences between them. Paige believed in discipline but she also believed children had to be free to make choices, to voice opinions. To be heard. After Alex’s outburst she was sure he believed in discipline but was not as sure about the choice-making, opinion-voicing part.

  How had she missed the intensity? It was there in the watchful stance, his gaze that was never still. Even talking to the other father, his attention swiveled between the man, Kaylie in the ball pit, the waiter delivering drinks.

  Her knees went a little weak at the picture he presented—strong, tanned body and wicked smile. Focused and attentive. She tried to swallow but her mouth was dry.

  The other parents mingled, chatted up the coach and other instructors the way Paige should be doing. Instead she was wedged behind the “Dance Dance Revolution” machine. She knew everyone inside the building, had attended preschool programs with some, had worked on a fund-raiser for the local hospital with others. She’d invited Alex because she didn’t really have a choice, not after mentioning the party to him at the pool, but that didn’t mean their differences had to ruin her night.

  Kaylie called Alex over to the ball pit, laughing as she showed him how she swam under the balls. He smiled and said something to her. Paige’s belly clenched for an entirely different reason this time. Because already her daughter was becoming attached to her father. Another reason to keep things friendly between them, Paige told herself. Because Kaylie deserved to have a dad.

  What if someone noticed the resemblance between the two?

  No, she would not obsess about what anyone thought about her inviting Alex to this event or to the lesson before; he had every right to be there and the reason why was nobody’s business. Tonight was about celebrating Kaylie’s accomplishment. Paige was proud of her daughter.

  And incredibly annoyed at herself because she should be casually chatting with Ale
x—with anyone, really—instead of hiding in the corner behind the dancing game.

  Her phone bleeped in her hand, making her jump in the shadows.

  Do you have the party under surveillance?

  Alex. She couldn’t stop her lips from smiling. When they’d arrived she’d mentioned making a quick call once she had Kaylie settled in the ball pit. Just her luck, he noticed her in the corner, not using her phone. He sat with his back to the table, elbows perched on the edge, not looking in her direction, but she couldn’t help the feeling that all of his attention was on her.

  The thought made her toes curl inside her zebra-striped flats.

  I’m an art teacher, not a cop. I was just looking for Alison, she said she might stop by.

  She saw that wicked smile flicker over his face and wondered if he saw through her lie. Alison had better things to do than chaperone a nondate between Paige and Alex. He texted back.

  Not avoiding me?

  No.

  Her hands shook as she typed out another lie. She hadn’t technically been avoiding him; she was avoiding the distraction of him. There was a difference. Right?

  I figured you could find me.

  Too late, she realized how that sounded. Like she was playing hard to get.

  She wasn’t playing, not hard to get, anyway. The game she was playing was much more dangerous because a week after meeting Alex her hard-and-fast rules about dating were beginning to wither away. She had to get used to being around him without feeling her stomach going all floopy or reaching her hands out to touch him. Paige looked at it as an inoculation—seeing Alex in crowded places and with a built-in time limit would lessen his magnetism.

  That was her plan.

  Not that it seemed to be working because, crowded room or not, her attention was on him.

  I was blinded by your light when you opened the door five minutes ago.

  God, so he knew just how long she’d been wavering behind the dance game.

  That was just the sunset.

  And then, for good measure,

  Where are you and I’ll get Kaylie from the ball pit so we can eat.

  He looked in her direction, caught her staring at him. Cocked his head to the side to let her know he’d caught her.

  Third table on the left. I ordered half-cheese, half-supreme deep-dish.

  Paige’s mouth went dry. Alex never looked away, not while he sent the last text, and not when she stepped out of the shadows. He only watched her, eyes dark, lazy smile on his full lips.

  His presence pulled her forward, which was probably a blessing because staying hidden in the corner would convince him that she wanted him. That she was weakening in her resolve.

  She wouldn’t weaken, not after his actions at the pool and not because she was attracted to him.

  “Mama,” Kaylie called from the ball pit. Her wavy hair was still damp from the pool. She wore jeans and a bright yellow T-shirt with a cat printed on the front. “Did you see me count to fifteen in the pool?”

  “I already told you I saw it all.” She veered off her path toward Alex to focus on her daughter.

  Kaylie blushed. “Just making sure.”

  Paige wove her finger through the mesh to massage the little girl’s wet hair. “Great job, Kay. I’m proud of you.”

  “Watch!” Kaylie held her nose and disappeared under the balls. She started counting, her voice muffled by the pit, and popped back up when she hit fifteen, spraying balls in every direction. “It’s harder with water but I can even do it without holding my nose.”

  “Great, kiddo.” Paige squatted down to be on eye level with her baby.

  “Watch again!” Kaylie took a deep breath and pushed out her cheeks until it looked like she had two of the balls in her mouth. Paige cringed at the thought. Kaylie disappeared into the pit again and when she popped up said, “I’ll show you in the water when we go swimming this weekend, ’kay?”

  Paige gave her a five-minute warning before turning to Alex. She set her bag on the table. He held a chair out for her and the butterflies beat against her stomach walls once more.

  “I appreciate your asking me to come here tonight, especially after I messed up Kaylie’s freestyle.”

  Paige waved a hand. “She leveled up, and she’s already forgotten it. Why don’t we?”

  When the waitress came by, Paige ordered a soda. Then, because she was desperate to keep the conversational ball rolling, she asked him about the park assignments.

  “Back to St. Joe for the rest of the week and then, once we hit November, it will be one park each week on a rotating basis. Winter is our slow time of year.”

  “Not many people want to camp in the cold and snow, I imagine.”

  “Not a lot. Maybe I’ll take you camping in the spring. You could bring your art supplies.” He waited a beat. “I wouldn’t mind having a Paige Kenner, the original, in my house.”

  She eyed him for a second. “Are you flirting with me? Or just trying to make me forget about our little disagreement at the pool?”

  He widened his eyes in mock surprise. “Me? Neither. You were clear in the grocery store. Friends, no benefits. Plus, you already said the pool thing was forgotten.”

  Paige didn’t believe him for a second, but she also didn’t want to turn into the shrew who always found fault. “In that case you should know my camping skills are nonexistent. Kaylie would love it. Any chance she might see Big Foot?”

  Alex laughed. “Not in our parks. From what I understand he likes to stay in the Pacific Northwest.”

  Paige relaxed against her chair. This could be okay. Talking to Alex, making plans. Like they’d known each other longer than a week. Like they might be actual friends one day. Friends without attraction buzzing between them. He finished his drink and she found herself mesmerized by the up-and-down motion of his Adam’s apple as he swallowed.

  Okay, maybe not exactly friends, but that was what the flu-shot theory was about. A few more meetings like this and this weird attraction would be gone.

  Or at least under control.

  They were quiet for a few minutes. Kaylie squealed in the ball pit, laughing and playing with several other kids. The waitress delivered the pizza and refilled their glasses. Kaylie meandered over to the table. “Just cheese, please, Alex,” she said, holding the plate in her little hands. He put a slice on her plate and she looked at him expectantly.

  “More?”

  “Cut it up,” she said and plopped the plate on the table before him. He raised an eyebrow at her. “Please,” she added and then grinned. “I forgot.”

  “I’ve got it.” Paige cut the slice into bite-size pieces and pushed the plate to Kaylie’s seat across the table. The little girl picked it up and then started for another table, filled with her friends.

  “Hey, where are you going?” Paige asked.

  Kaylie stuffed a bite of pizza in her mouth. “Kids eat with kids here, Mom,” she said and continued to the smaller table with her friends.

  Paige’s tummy clenched and she turned her attention to Alex.

  “Pizza’s great,” he said around a bite of food. “Are we supposed to be insulted that she would rather eat with her friends than us?”

  “I think we are. She’s never done that before. Tonight is for you two. I’ll call her back.”

  Alex shook his head. “Don’t. Let her play. We talked earlier, at the ball pit.”

  “Are you sure? I can—”

  “Paige, it’s okay.” He reached across the table and stilled her hands with his, and a zing of attraction buzzed along her nerve endings. “We talked about going slow. If you force her to eat at the table because I’m here, it will bring up more questions. So let the kids eat with the kids and we’ll make this table adults only.”

  The bite of pizza stuck in her throat at the vision that brought on and she coughed. Took a quick sip of soda and then took another bite. It tasted like rubber in her mouth. The more she chewed, the bigger the piece seemed to grow. Finally, she forced
it down with another drink and pushed her plate away. She would eat when she got home.

  Or maybe never.

  Alex watched her while he finished his first slice and then reached for another. Just like a man not to notice tension thicker than Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, she thought.

  “You look nice,” he said.

  “This is not a date.”

  “I’m not allowed to notice a beautiful woman sharing a table and a pizza with me?”

  “You’re supposed to notice the mom with the four-year-old attached to her hip.”

  “You’ve raised quite the independent four-year-old. I’ve been around you two twice now, and she’s never been the hide-behind-Mom type.” He finished another slice of pizza. “And those aren’t mom-jeans you’re wearing.”

  The zinging feeling along her nerves turned to a pulse that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Paige tried to push the feelings back. “Alex—”

  “When I was Kaylie’s age, my mom wore denim jumpers and clogs. When I was a teenager, most of my friends’ moms were into the jogging-outfit thing. My wife wore all kinds of things, and that kept me from noticing any pretty moms in my vicinity. And now I’ve met you, and the jeans might be casual and the top covers everything nicely, but I can’t help noticing the shape of your body underneath.”

  Paige swallowed. Her flu-shot theory was imploding fast. She tried to push back against the heat in her belly, but couldn’t. Excitement at his words warred with the cautious voice in her head, telling her to stop his train of thought and turn it around on the tracks.

  “I don’t know how to respond to that,” she said finally. “You’re here to get to know Kaylie and...please, can we just keep it at that for a while?”