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Approval dawned in Matt’s eyes. His little legs kicked. “It’s the best drink to drink with pizza.”

“I didn’t know that.”

Bailey poured another glass of milk and an iced tea for herself. She prepared for an awkward moment that sometimes happened with adults unfamiliar with kids. But Wes doled out pizza slices and helped with the salad. Bailey’s heart clenched. She didn’t need to react to basic manners, yet here she was, twitterpated over lettuce and tomato.

Between the three of them, they polished off two pizzas, shared their favorite colors—yellow for her, purple for Matt, orange for Wes, which surprised her—and their favorite foods—pizza for everyone, after Matt and Wes agreed that ice cream belonged in a different category.

After dinner, Wes cleaned up beside Bailey, not asking, just jumping into the dishes like they’d done this before.

Matt pressed his face against a window overlooking the backyard. “I see one!”

Wes jerked around on high alert. “See what?”

“A firefly,” she explained.

He relaxed. Matt shouted out that more fireflies were in the backyard.

“You want to head out?” Bailey wiped her hands on a dish towel.

“And miss the fireflies?” Wes winked.

Her world stilled. Just for a second. Just until she recalled this was Wes. Whatever fantasy she’d written him into wasn’t real. Except he watched her for a moment too long, staring until she sucked in another breath and Matt shouted about another firefly.

Wes raised his eyebrows at her as though they’d shared a secret, then turned to Matt. “I called them lightning bugs when I was your age.”

“We have so many,” Matt cried.

Were they sharing a secret? Was he reading her thoughts? It didn’t matter if he was. She didn’t do flings or friends—coworkers—with benefits. Responsibility was the name of the game, and Wes wouldn’t understand that as much as he might try. Bailey killed the kitchen lights. “We have a lot because there are so many trees and brush areas along the street and woods.”

She grabbed the large blanket she kept folded by the back door, and they stepped into the backyard, aglow with fireflies from the grass to the tops of the trees.

Matt took off, running and jumping and spinning. His laughter rang through the night.

Bailey laid the blanket in the center of the backyard as Wes approached. “If you’re going to do this, you have to get the whole experience.” She lay down and patted a spot an arm’s length away. “Lie down and look up. It’s so pretty.”

He lay much closer than her arm’s length. Yellow lights flickered and flew around them. “It’s like another world.” His low voice rumbled so quietly she almost didn’t think she was meant to hear him.

“The key is turning all the lights off in the house,” she whispered, like he had, as Matt ran around, still shouting, still laughing as he caught fireflies, made wishes, and sent them on their way. “Just look straight up.”

Around them, above them, hundreds of flashes of golden-yellow light blinked and danced.

“I’ve never seen them like this.”

They didn’t move. Didn’t speak. It wasn’t as if tonight had been a date. It wasn’t as if Wes could ever be a man that she could date. But if it had been, this would have been the perfect end to the perfect night.

Matt collapsed on the blanket. His little breaths raced, and he babbled about catching hundreds of fireflies, making thousands of wishes. Maybe Bailey hadn’t known exactly what her real-life happily ever after would look like, but she did now. This. Lying with her son and a man who wanted to protect them, making wishes and whispering conversations. One day, she would have this. This is what Ryan would want for Matt—and her, if she were honest. It’s what she would’ve wanted for him if the roles had been reversed.

Chapter Nine

Though Wes had wanted to linger after pizza and a night of firefly gazing, he prepared to leave when Bailey declared it was bath time. Matt tried to convince his mother it was unnecessary, since he’d showered the day before, but alas, his mom won the gentle battle of wills. Wes wasn’t surprised. If Bailey was a persuasive force with the general public, she was a masterfully fantastic mom who somehow made Matt think it was his idea to wash off before bed. The woman was truly a wonder.

As she ushered Matt upstairs, Wes said goodbye with dull heaviness pressing on his chest. Tonight had been nothing like he could’ve dreamed and everything like he didn’t know he wanted. Downtime. Laughter. Relaxing with a beautiful woman by his side. It would have been better if relaxing wasn’t the only thing they did, but as much as it surprised him, it was exactly what he’d needed. Not to mention laughing. Bailey’s kid cracked Wes up.

He paused as he backed out of the driveway, rolling his window down as Officer Dougherty did the same.

“Are you here for the night?” Wes asked.

“Just until ten.”