“I know you two probably want some time alone together, so I don’t mind taking Maxim back to the house while you guys go… wherever,” Aunt Barbara says, clearing picking up on our innuendo despite our attempts to hide it. “There’s a Baby Einstein episode he and I have been dying to watch.”
“Thanks!” I tell her. “But there’s no rush yet.”
“There’s certainly not,” Derek says, as Maxim begins to stir. “I want to spend a little time with this guy. And with Aunt Barb!”
I pick up the baby while Derek throws the squeaky ball across the park again, so that his dog takes off after it. Maxim opens a still-sleepy eye at Derek and then immediately smiles.
“He likes me already,” Derek says, with a smug, boastful grin on his face. Then he looks down at Maxim again and coos softly, before he says, “Well, hello there, little guy.”
Aunt Barbara smiles at me as if to let me know she thinks I’ve got a keeper. But I already knew that! I know that the way I met Derek was less than traditional but I’m so happy I did.
Maxim starts cooing back at Derek, who says, “You’re a happy little guy, aren’t you?”
“Just wait until you see him on the swing!” Aunt Barbara says.
“I’d love to!”
Derek stands up, having scarfed down the sandwich, and starts throwing away our trash, in between sending the ball flying to Squeaky a couple times. Then he snaps a leash on him and we head over to the playground area of the park.
“It’s a little tricky, to fit him in here,” I say, starting to raise my arms up, with Maxim still in them.
“Here, let me try,” Derek says.
He takes Maxim out of my arms and lifts him into the swing, buckling him into the safety straps with ease.
“Well, maybe it’s not that hard,” I follow up, feeling silly.
It amazes me to watch such a strong, handsome man with my son. I can tell he sincerely likes being with him and, as I watch him push him gently on the swing while Maxim babbles, sings, coos and smiles happily, I can only hope he sticks around for a very long time.
Chapter 12
Derek
I know some men put on a show for single moms, acting as if they’re in love with their kid, just to get into her pants. But for me, it isn’t an act. I genuinely enjoy being with little Maxim – he’s so cute and sweet. It doesn’t hurt that I’m falling hard for his mom, though, either.
After a while, Squeaky’s tired out and so is Maxim. Both of them seem ready to fall back to sleep. I guess that’s all that older dogs and little babies ever seem to want to do.
“You ready to head back, little guy?” Jocelyn’s Aunt Barbara asks Maxim. “We can get you a bath at home, and then rock on your favorite rocking chair!”
I’m so glad that Jocelyn has her in her life – she is so helpful.
“Should we go to my place?” I ask Jocelyn.
I still had our half-drunk bottles of wine there.
“Sure,” she says, then tells Aunt Barbara, “there’s some pumped milk on the top shelf of the fridge, if he gets hungry.”
Then she turns to me sheepishly and says, “Sorry. Mom stuff.”
“No problem,” I say, as I get Maxim out of the swing.
As we walk back to the parking lot, I continue to carry him, and he feels warm and snug up against my chest. He soon starts bouncing, looking around as if wanting down – he’s an active little guy – but before long we’re at the car and Barbara’s strapping him into his car seat.
“Goodbye, love!” Jocelyn says to him, giving him a kiss as Aunt Barbara tells us to have fun.
I guess she’s decided it’s okay to come with me now – she knows I’ll return her home safely. I think about making a joke to this effect but I don’t know what exactly she’s told Barbara about how we met or what happened last night, so I keep it myself.
As soon as we’re in my hotel room, though, I can’t keep my hands to myself, that’s for sure. I’m tearing off her sexy little sundress and looking at her large yet perky breasts.
“I already missed these so much,” I tell her. “I never want to let them out of my sight.”
She laughs and I say, “You think I’m kidding.”
If only she knew how much I’m not. I’ve never felt this way about a woman before, and I don’t plan to stop. I pick her up and put her down on my bed.
“How do you want to do it?” she asks me.
“Mmm, I like that,” I tell her. “When you ask me what I want.”
“I know,” she says, blushing a little.
I look at her, and she continues.