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Piper looked back to see if she could find it on the path There it was, about sixty feet froed away to pick it up When he returned, she tucked it into her tote bag “I can’t tell you how many shoes I’ve lost in this park”

She walked around to the front of the stroller and pulled Ty’s sock back onto his foot, tucking his blanket around his feet to keep him warm Ty held up his arms and sent her his patented, hard-to-resist, please-pick-er reached down, popped the button to release his five-strap safety belt and lifted the baby to his chest Ty sent her a See how irresistible I aer pulled Ty’s blanket from the stroller, draped it over Ty’s shoulders and tucked it under the baby’s butt Ty just patted Jaeger’s face with tiny, excited hands

Jaeger smiled at him “Happy now?”

Ty blew hi past His hand narrowly er’s nose

“He’s happy,” Piper said, her tone dry “And you’re a sucker”

“He’s a very cute kid,” Jaeger said as they resumed their walk

“I think so,” Piper softly replied

Jaeger ran his free hand down her hair, over her back “I think you are pretty aweso a kid on your own, and you seem to have it all under control”

“I don’t have a choice,” Piper stated “Life gives you what it gives you, and you have to handle it as best you can”

“And his father? Does he have any contact with Ty?”

She’d dodged this question last night, and here it was again After Jaeger fell asleep last night, she’d rehearsed answers for when he asked again All those carefully constructed responses were forgotten as she stared at the pathway in front of her

She didn’t kno to tell him the truth

“I never told him,” she admitted

Jaeger jerked to a stop She knew that behind his aviator sunglasses, he was frowning “Why not?”