Page 38 of Fake it With Me

I pulled up my files and forced myself to read. I had to force my brain to think about something other than the memory of Darek’s hand on my cheek and the way he’d been about to kiss me.

It was a couple hours later when I heard Daisie’s voice floating down the hall. They were back from school.

I saved my work and headed downstairs, bracing myself to see him again. I didn’t want things to be awkward. So I acted totally normal.

They were in the kitchen, Daisie chattering about her day while Darek made her a snack. He looked up when I entered, and our eyes met for just a second before we both quickly looked away.

“Liza!” Daisie ran over to hug me. “Daddy says we might go out to dinner!”

“Awesome!” I replied.

Daisie grabbed her snack and headed out of the kitchen. “I’m gonna go play in my room until dinner. Come get me when it’s time!”

She disappeared upstairs, leaving Darek and me alone in the kitchen.

“About earlier,” he started.

“We don’t have to talk about it,” I said quickly.

“I think we do.”

“Darek, we both know what almost happened. And we both know it can’t happen again. So maybe we just… don’t. Don’t analyze it, don’t discuss it, just move forward and keep things professional.”

“Is that what you want?”

What I wanted was to cross the kitchen and kiss him the way we’d almost kissed in the boathouse. “It’s what’s smart. For both of us. For Daisie.”

He nodded slowly. “You’re right. Of course you’re right.”

“So we’re good?”

“We’re good.”

We weren’t good. We both knew it. But we were going to pretend we were because that’s what adults did when they couldn’t have what they wanted.

“I’m going to go finish some work before dinner,” I said, already backing toward the doorway.

“Liza?”

I stopped. “Yeah?”

“Thank you. For what you said in the boathouse. About being a good father. I needed to hear that.”

My heart squeezed. “You are a good father. Don’t ever doubt that.”

14

DAREK

The storm had passed by dinner time. Liza had changed once I told her where we were going for dinner. I knew it was out of her element. It made her uncomfortable but she really did fit in. She was beautiful. I was certain that was her problem. She didn’t know how beautiful she was.

The yacht club looked particularly impressive in the golden light of early evening, all the windows reflecting the sunset over the harbor. The clouds from the storm earlier had mostly moved out of the area, leaving the sky filled with pretty pinks and shades of orange.

I pulled into the parking lot and helped Daisie out of the back seat, watching as she immediately grabbed Liza’s hand. It was amazing and terrifying at the same time. I wanted them to be friends, but I also knew when things came to an end, it was going to be so hard on Daisie.

Inside the club, we were seated at one of the better tables overlooking the water. The dinner crowd was light on Monday nights, mostly regulars and a few families with young kids. The hostess knew us, smiled warmly at Daisie, and didn’t bat an eye at Liza’s presence. Good. That meant word was spreading that I was in a relationship, exactly as I’d hoped.

Even if that relationship was making me lose my mind.