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"Are you my daddy?"

"Yes," Matt told him

But he spoke without eet on Gabe’s level Her son stepped back and frowned

"Are you sure?"

"Yes" Matt turned to her "We’ll be doing a DNA test"

"Sure" She’d offered it before Why would shelike this? Didn’t he plan to get to know his…

Then she reruntled Electra and knew that Matt’s actions had nothing to do with hi to do with his lack of experience with children He didn’t kno to talk to a four-year-old boy

She relaxed and put her hand on Gabe’s shoulder "It’s okay," she told her son "It’s like the first day of school, when you don’t know anyone It feels funny inside, but you know you’re going to be friends, right?"

Gabe shot her a look that spoke of disappointment She remembered how Paula had welcomed him, literally with open arms

She dropped into a crouch "He’s nervous," she whispered, although she wasn’t sure if she cared if Matt heard or not "You’re his first little boy So hed "Can I go on the slide?"

"Sure"

She watched hio and wondered if Matt cared that he’d disappointed his son She knew Gabe had been hoping for so more than a semi-formal introduction

She moved to a table where she could keep an eye on the play area Matt hesitated, then followed He’d seen his kid--did he consider theto just start talking "He’s been in preschool for a year now and it’s been great He’s highly verbal and outgoing He makes friends easily The teachers like hiet that froood at " She hesitated "This has got to be strange for you Seeing hih"

So Matt wasn’t going to ured that out?"

He stared at her "An interesting question"

"We should probably set up soet to know each other You don’t have a lot of experience with children, but that’s okay The two of you can work it out as you go"

"You sound very sure of yourself"

"He’s an easy kid to be with" She so well, Matt You’re his father That means so ht grih and stupid enough to believe her Not any to play her right back He just had to decide how

He followed her gaze and saw her watching the kid Gabe had stopped to talk to a girl about his size They were laughing, then the two of theether Jesse se

She didn’t look all that different, he thought Still blond, blue-eyed and pretty She looked like she belonged on a surfboard, or ht hiain An easy, shared s in common As if she’d never betrayed him

"Gabe has a ith the ladies," she said "I’ets older, but one probleht?"

Matt nodded, not interested in Gabe, except as a means to an end

"Why now?" he asked

She didn’t pretend toabout you for a while noasn’t going to lie and tell him you were dead, so I told him the truth That you didn’t know about him"

"But I did know You told aze to the floor "I understand why I ivenyou I loved you wouldn’t have changed anything, would it?"

She looked at hi distressed her Did she really think he would buy that?

"I hoped you’d think about it later and maybe wonder, but you didn’t," she continued "So we’re back and we’ll figure this out" She rose "Could you watch hione before he could say anything, leaving him responsible for a four-year-old kid

Matt sat in his seat, not sure what he was supposed to do What did he know about children? He turned his attention to Gabe, but the boy hadn’t noticed his irl They were playing with a big truck and laughing

A few urt parfait She handed one of the coffees to Matt Gabe ran up and pointed at the parfait "Is that for rin

She ruffled his hair "I’ll share Oh, look Your shoe’s untied"

Gabe looked at Matt, then bent down and slowly, carefully, tied his shoe Jesse watched anxiously, as if this was a big deal Matt realized he didn’t knohen kids were supposed to learn to tie their shoes Was Gabe early, late or on tied him

"Excellent job Good for you"

Gabe looked at Matt, who gave hiht smile Gabe turned away

"He’s just learned," Jesse said by way of explanation "It’s tough for little kids Their fine motor skills take a while to develop"

"Uncle Bill helped me," Gabe said as he took the ht not have any big interest in the kid, but he wasn’t happy about Jesse’s boyfriends hanging around hiaze to her left hand

"You married?" he asked

Jesse choked on her coffee "No" She cleared her throat, then laughed "Married That’s a good one I don’t have tiet to the dry cleaners, let alone date If only"

Was she telling the truth about dating? He would know soon enough She’d always had guys around She was that kind of wory and looking for ways to punish her, he noticed how the light played on her skin and the easy way she smiled If he let hi about her Childbirth hadn’t changed her body in any way that he could tell