Chapter 6 Kylie

Kylie Pace and I are seated at one of the banquet tables dressed in white linens with Max between us. I'm nervous he's going to spill something or ruin the tablecloth with his enthusiastic method of eating, but Pace only smiles adoringly at him. It makes me feel unsure and on edge.

I share a plate of food with Max, and he nibbles on grilled salmon, potatoes and cucumber salad like a champ. I'm thankful I don't have a picky eater. Otherwise, it'd be Cheerios for dinner, because that was all I packed. Of course I also forgot to put on his bib, which meant half of the food was ending up on his shirt. I'll be changing him into his jammies after this.

Pace looks on, clearly impressed by Max's ability to shovel fistfuls of food into this mouth. "Does he have any teeth in there?"

"He has four."

"How old is he?" he asks next.

I don't know what's up with his sudden interest in my child, or maybe it's just that he's trying to be polite and make small talk since he's stuck sitting next to the lady with the baby. "He turned one last month."

"So it's just you and him?" The depth of Pace's expression surprises me. There's usually a crooked grin on his lips, a dimple peeking from one cheek, and a mischievous sparkle in his eyes. Now there's only a set mouth, strong jawline and deep blue eyes watching me, waiting for my response.

I swallow a lump in my throat. I don't need anyone. At least that's what I tell myself. But Max… I feel bad for my son. I hate to think about when he's older having to explain to him that his own father wanted nothing to do with him. "It's just us," I say, my voice going tight. I take a sip of water and exhale deeply. "Where's your girlfriend tonight?"

"I don’t have a girlfriend."

"What about the blonde from the other weekend?"

"She was a one-time thing."

"Classy." I raise an eyebrow at him. He's blunt, but for some reason I like his direct style of communication and the way his eyes never stray from mine. He doesn’t make excuses, doesn’t try to cover up who he is. Or what that night had been – it was a one-time hookup. God, I don't even remember what that'd be like.

I might be a mom now, but my body still has needs, yearnings…that I promptly ignore. Yes, sir, I shut those feelings down with a vice clamp. They are dangerous and make me want things that just aren't possible for me right now.

"I still want to take you to dinner," he says, reading my faraway thoughts.

"We're having dinner," I point out and feed another bite to Max from the end of my fork, hoping to actually get some of the food in his mouth this time.

Pace stares straight ahead, looking out at the ocean, and for the first time, I begin to wonder what he's thinking, what he sees when he looks at me. He's a handsome, eligible bachelor. Surely his prospects are better than a single mom so jaded it'd take a miracle for me to trust again. Though I have to admit, there is something in me that loved seeing him with Max. His big hands that curled all the way around Max's belly and ribcage, the gentle way he flew him through the air while Max giggled…Max deserves more moments like that. The rational side of my brain knows that, but I won't have him feel the loss and rejection when Pace decides a blond with inflatable breasts is more fun than a twenty-nine year old single mom and her son. And he was guaranteed to.

Men like him don’t change overnight. I need to keep my feet firmly on the ground and my head out of the clouds, no matter how freaking cute he is.

After dinner, I change Max into his pajamas, we brush all four of his teeth and I read him the two books I'd packed. I know he's tired because he's tugging on his ears through the second book. It's his tell. A clear signal that he's ready to be laid down and won't get up again until morning. And it's a good thing too, because after twelve hours of playing and lifting him and carrying him my back is aching and I just want to sit down and relax for a minute or two before we have to drive home.

I spot Sophie and Colton by the outdoor fireplace.

"Hey guys." I lean in and give each of them a hug. "Great party. Thank you for having us." I feel bad that I haven’t spent any time with the hosts yet, but chasing a one-year-old around keeps you busy.

Sophie's mouth curls in a smile. It's so good to see her happy. "You look gorgeous tonight."

I chuckle, realizing she usually only sees me dressed for work. And since I work at home, my ensemble usually consists of a pair of faded yoga pants and a stretched out t-shirt.

If I'm being honest, the only reason I took the extra time and care getting ready – wearing a sundress, curling my hair – was because I knew I'd see Pace again. It's stupid, and I brush off her compliment.

"Max is sleeping in your den. Hope that's okay," I say.

"Absolutely," Colton says. "You could have put him upstairs in a bed, you know?"

I wave him off. "He's fine. But thank you."

"Looks like he had fun with Pace today," Colton remarks, watching me closely to see my reaction. Colton and his brother are really quite different. Where Colton is intense, calculated and exacting in everything he does, Pace is open and easy going and puts a smile on your face, despite your best efforts to hate him.

I want to drill him for information, ask him what is up with Pace's attention toward me and my son, but I don't want to appear to be overly interested. "Just a couple more days until you guys set off, right?" I ask.

Colton wraps his arms around Sophie's middle and tugs her back against him. "It'll be Sophie's first time in Africa. The first of many, hopefully. I'm anxious to see all the progress from my visit there two years ago."

Colton and I discuss the logistics of their trip, while Sophie peppers us with questions of her own. They've each been receiving the necessary vaccinations before their travel, and have their passports and travel visas ready. They'll be gone for three weeks. I'll miss seeing Sophie on the days she works with me.

"I wish you could come, Kylie," Sophie says. "Would your nanny stay with Max?"

I shrug. "She probably would if I asked her, but I don't think I could handle being separated from Max for so long." He is my heart.

She nods like she understands. But I don't think she truly does. She will when she's a mother.

Pace wanders over in bare feet, his white shirtsleeves are pushed up, showing off tan and muscular forearms sprinkled with light hair. He's dangling a bottle of beer from one hand and grinning at me.

"Where's your mini?" he asks, looking directly at me.

My belly tightens. "He's all partied-out."

"Excuse us," Colton says. "We've got to go say goodnight to Dad. He's still operating on the eastern time zone." He leads Sophie away and I'm, once again, alone with Pace. I'm not sure why I feel so out of my element when I'm near him. It's probably because I don't understand his motivations, I decide.

"Care to join me by the water?" he asks.

"Sure." He leads me toward the beach. And even though my brain is screaming at me to say no, my feet carry me down toward the water, following closely behind him.