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“Yes, you are.” Remi hands my daughter back to me, but he doesn’t go far. With one hand still attached to her, he wraps the other one around me. “We’re so proud of you, Isa-bea.”
A surge of emotion bursts through me. Of course I’m proud of her. But to hear the sentiment from him, saying “we” as in he and I—a unit— is everything I ever wanted for my daughter. And for myself. How can something that feels so right be horribly wrong?
“What a sweet little girl you have.” An older woman walks up to us. “She was riding next to my granddaughter. They were so cute together.”
“She’s amazing,” Remi and I say at the same time.
“Jinx,” he calls, giving me a wink.
“Yinks,” Isabel echoes.
“I love seeing young fathers so involved in their child’s life. In my day, that was all women’s work.”
My mouth dries, and words escape my brain.
“Oh, he’s not—” Mandy interjects, but Remi clears his throat, not letting her finish.
No matter. Our moment is gone as a strange distance forms between us.
“Fathers should be in their children’s lives without question.” His voice is soft yet earnest. “This little girl deserves all the love in the world. Caring for her is an honor.” With his large hand splayed across her back, he holds Isabel close and presses a kiss to the top of her head. A sweet smile curves his lips as if she is perfection personified. When his gaze turns to me, his umber irises glow with flecks of gold and … fervor.
Reality falls away as I zero in on the man holding my daughter. A month ago, I labeled him a womanizer, a charismatic con man. Shame slithers through my veins as this moment punches the truth into my stomach—Remi is one in a million.
He’s thoughtful in everything he says. Genuine in everything he does. He’s the one good thing in this world. How could I not feel something for him?
“How wonderful,” the woman praises, patting Remi’s arm. “It was nice meeting you, Isabel. You have a great time with Mommy and Daddy.” She smiles and walks away like she didn’t just thrust me and Remi in the most awkward position possible.
His eyes watch mine, but we don’t say anything. What is there even to say?
We’re locked in a moment as if no one else exists besides the three of us. A little family. We both know he’s not her father. It was a silly mistake. But still.
“That was crazy, huh?”
“Insane,” he breathes.
His lips look so pink and soft, and the urge to kiss him zaps through me.
He inches closer and—like a magnet—I do too.
“Remi? We should probably get going. The movie starts in half an hour.” Mandy’s soft voice is the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard, yanking me out of the illusion I’m wrapped up in.
He’s on a date with someone else. We accidentally bumped into each other. No matter what Jay says, Remi only cares for Isabel. That’s all this is.
Remi startles and looks at his wrist. The corners of his mouth dip down. “Oh, shit. I didn’t realize it got so late.” His eyes are apologetic, if not a little sad, as he straps Isabel back into her stroller.
“Ssit.”
To ease the tension, I give Remi a playful glare, and he sends me a sheepish smile.
“Isabel, I think Remi should give you a dollar every time he swears.”
Pulling cash out of his wallet, he hands a single to Isabel, but she’s not quite sure what to do with it so she just waves it around, making him chuckle. “You be a good girl, okay?” He softly pinches her chubby cheek.
My baby’s bottom lip sticks out. It’s soul-crushing. “You weave?”
“Isabel, Remi is going to hang out with his friend, and we are going to have a girls’ day. Do you want to get your face painted?”
“Emmie?” With that lip still pouting, she reaches her hand out to him. Ooh, she’s playing dirty.
