Billionaire Baby Daddy: A Second Chance Romance

by Lara Swann

  She lets out a little squeal and then jumps back down to where she was sitting before, gathering another armful of sand and promptly ignoring us again.

  I stand up next to Leah again, unable to help my own grin spreading across my face.

  “Dismissed by a four-year-old…wow. My poor ego…”

  “That’s what they do, I’m afraid.” Leah tries to give me an apologetic glance, but it turns into a grin.

  Meeting my daughter. The moment I’ve been waiting for all week. And only a brief distraction from playing in the sand for her.

  Not that I can blame her - if we’d led with Daddy it might have been a little different - but it does dump a whole load of perspective on me. Which is probably a good thing, even if that perspective is you are really not that important right now.

  “Sorry, Alistair.” Leah says, amusement obvious in her voice. “You might’ve had a better chance if we’d been feeding the ducks like I’d originally planned, but the moment she saw the sandbox…you think it’s me that gets to make the decisions ‘round here?”

  I laugh at that, watching Maddie’s enthusiasm as she pushes the sand together.

  “She really likes it, huh?”

  Leah nods. “We don’t have one near us - when she saw it, she ran right over, yelling that it was just like being on the beach. I think we’ll be spending a lot of time here over the next few days, somehow…”

  “Has she been to the beach?” I ask, unable to help my endless curiosity.

  Leah pauses for long enough before answering that I break my fascination with Maddie playing to look over at her, and I can’t quite read the expression on her face.

  “Once. I’m surprised she even remembered it, to be honest…but it was a wonderful day.”

  I give her a small smile, but I don’t ask anything else.

  “It’ll take a bit of time, Alistair, but she will get to know you.” Leah adds, and I’m surprised she thinks the reassurance is necessary.

  “I know - don’t worry, my skin is thick enough to deal with a little girl’s priorities.” I say, smiling. “And it’s okay - we’ve got time. I’m not going anywhere.”

  She reaches over and squeezes my hand, and I look down at where Maddie has started humming to herself.

  It might take time before we really know each other, but that doesn’t mean I’m not going to make the most of every opportunity with her.

  “Well, if you can’t beat them…” I murmur, giving Leah a crooked smile before crouching down against the small wooden edge of the sandbox.

  “Hey, Maddie.” I say. “What are you building there?”

  She looks up at me, and my smile becomes softer and more genuine as I see the excitement glimmering in her eyes.

  “It’s a castle!” She announces proudly, patting the pile of sand.

  “A castle? Wow…can I come and have a look at it?”

  She thinks about it for one brief moment, and then nods enthusiastically. I grin back at her, and step over the small barrier to kneel next to her in the sand.

  “Alistair! Your suit…” Leah’s voice is caught somewhere between laughter and dismay, and I glance up to see her staring at me.

  I glance down at where the finely tailored fabric is sinking into the sand and shrug. “It’s just a suit.”

  She’s looking at me in bemusement, but then Maddie tugs on my arm and starts telling me about her castle, which is enough for me to forget all about the suit.

  At first I’m just nodding along, too wrapped up in the idea that this is my daughter to listen to all the different parts of the castle - caught between the disbelieving fascination that she’s really mine and the slight edge of terror that I might do something wrong and upset her.

  But then, I start getting drawn into her imagination anyway, curious about everything she’s telling me and wanting to see what she does when she looks at the pile of sand in front of her. The things that she’s made up for herself are amazing, and after a few moments, I want to be part of it.

  So Maddie and I start talking about castles, while Leah watches from the side. As if this is perfectly normal - something I do every day.

  Business meetings. Negotiating difficult people and complex deals. Expensive lunches with new clients. And talking about sand castles in the park.

  I can feel part of my mind looking on, amused at the contrast and wondering what the hell I’m doing. But the larger part of me is just…thrilled by something so different - this normal little girl, and the things that matter to her.

  I start offering suggestions, and we poke little holes in the sand wall to make a door and windows. She dismisses my idea of a moat, but when I talk about making a tower on the top, her eyes light up.

  I get about halfway through it before she stops me, pushing at my arm and scowling up at me.

  “No, no no!” She stomps, sending more sand all over us. “You’re doing it all. I want to do it! It’s my castle!”

  Oh…

  I glance between her and the sand castle and realize she has a point - somewhere in there, I’d taken over building it how I thought it should look. Which is ridiculous, because it’s not like I care about that at all.

  It turns out, maybe that part of me that wants to take over and do things right simply because I know I can do it well…not so good when it comes to building sand castles.

  “I’m sorry.” I say, matching the serious expression on Maddie’s little face. “You’re right, it’s your castle. Would you like me to show you how to build a tower?”

  She gives me a highly suspicious look for a long few moments, then nods decisively.

  “Yes, thank you.” Her voice turns cheery again just like that, and I marvel a little at how quickly her mood seems able to change.

  So we start again, and I try and show her how to do it. I’m not nearly as good at that as I am at doing it, and we make more mess than we succeed with, but it’s more fun this way. And I feel like an idiot for missing the point of playing with a child.

  When we’re done with the tower, Maddie starts talking about all the other things we could build - from a moat (her idea this time), to a cannon, to a spaceship and an elephant.

  When I ask her why her castle needs a spaceship, she looks at me as if I’m stupid.

  “So they can fly to space.”

  I try hard not to laugh, and decide not to ask about the elephant.

  Instead, I look up at Leah and ask if she wants to join us. She’s been giving me the most bizarre glances this whole time, but I haven’t even tried to read them - playing with Maddie seems to need far too much attention for that. Still, I’ve felt her eyes on me - on us - and she hasn’t said anything while we’ve been playing in the sand.

  If Maddie has noticed anything strange about her Mom - or noticed her Mom at all - she hasn’t said anything.

  “No, that’s okay.” She smiles, though her expression is impossible to read. “I’m happy watching.”

  “Mommy doesn’t like sand.” Maddie announces.

  Leah laughs, shaking her head. “That’s because you put it in my sandwich, baby. I don’t like sand in sandwiches.”

  Maddie pauses for a moment, frowning in sudden concentration.

  “Then why are they called sand-wiches?” She says, almost accusingly.

  Leah blinks at that, and I laugh. I’d never thought of it that way.

  “I don’t know, Maddie.” She says. “But I don’t think it has anything to do with sand.”

  “They were invented by the Earl of Sandwich.” I explain instead. “He wanted to eat meat without getting his fingers dirty, so he put the meat between two pieces of bread, like we do with sandwiches now. So it was named after him.”

  Neither Leah or Maddie look impressed at my answer.

  “What’s an Earl?” Maddie still has that curious expression on her face.

  Leah groans. “You just had to do that, huh? Believe me, when I actually don’t know the answer…that’s the best response.”

 
I give her a confused look, not sure what the problem is.

  “An Earl is…a person who owned a lot of land, a long time ago. Someone who was rich and powerful.”

  “Why doesn’t he own it anymore?”

  “Well, Earls don’t really exist any more. A long time ago, they had to sell their land, and then they just became ordinary people - like you and me.”

  “I’m not ordinary!” Maddie objects, then adds. “Why did they have to sell their land?”

  I glance at Leah again, starting to see her point - to find her watching with an entirely too-amused expression on her face. One that looks suspiciously like ‘I told you so’.

  Totally unfair. It’s not like I have any experience at this.

  “It’s, err, complicated. It would take a long time to explain.” I try. “Do you want to build that moat now?”

  Leah stifles what is probably a laugh, but I’m refusing to look in her direction right now.

  Maddie considers it - she seems to spend more time weighing things up than I’d expect for a four-year-old - before finally nodding, and I breathe a sigh of relief.

  “You got off easy there.” Leah says, and this time I do look at her.

  “Next time, give me a little warning, huh?” I murmur, and her eyes sparkle just a little.

  I missed that. And I realize how much I’m really enjoying this - it all feels like the same fun and laughter we used to have together.

  Of course, the causes of it were rather different back then. But even so, this feels…good. Strange, of course. Totally strange. But also, more welcome than I can quite explain.

  Maddie tugs on my arm again to get my attention back - I thought she was a little shy, earlier? - and we set about improving what now looks far more like a castle, even if I do say so myself.

  I have no idea how much time we spend there like that, but I know my legs are numb and I’m starting to run out of ideas for what more we can do when Maddie finally springs up and announces that we’re done.

  “It’s finished!” She jumps over to where Leah is sitting on the grass just outside the sandbox, pulling on her hand. “Come see, Mommy. My castle is finished.”

  Leah laughs and stands up, letting herself be dragged as I shift out of the way of Maddie kicking her way back through the sand.

  I get up and stretch as she starts point out all the little parts of it to her Mom - some real and some entirely in her mind - unable to help smiling down at them both. I can’t believe how tired I seem to be just from playing in the sand, but it’s a good kind of tired. Satisfying. Like when I know I’ve done something real and made a difference with one of my business deals, only a little more…wholesome, I guess.

  “Take a picture! Take a picture, Mommy. I want a picture of my castle!”

  “Hey, what do you say, Maddie?”

  “Okay, okay. Please take a picture, Mommy!”

  Leah smiles at her and reaches for her phone, ruffling Maddie’s hair.

  “Good…because I want a picture. It’s a beautiful castle, baby girl.”

  Maddie beams up at her, and one moment I’m stood watching as she poses by it - then the next, she’s dragging me into the photo too.

  Surprise flits across Leah’s face, but she takes a few pictures, and as I smile with my little girl I try not to think about what this is - the first photos we have together. The first memories. Because if I think about that…god help me, I won’t be able to hold that thought back.

  When we’re done, Maddie’s still holding my hand, and as she looks up at me I see a glimmer of that initial shyness I saw before. She rubs one shoe against the sand and gives me a small smile.

  “I think…it should be your castle, too. Because you helped.”

  I smile back at her, trying not to think too much about how adorably sweet she is right now. “Okay. Our castle, then. Thank you for letting me help you, Maddie.”

  Her small smile becomes a grin, and she jumps a couple of times. “Thank you for helping.”

  She runs back to Leah, then pauses a moment, and turns back to me.

  “What’s your name again?” She asks, and this time I do laugh out loud.

  “I’m Alistair.” I repeat for her, and she nods, looking like she’s trying to commit it to memory. “Aaannd…I think you’re…Elizabeth, is that right?”

  I grin at her as she squeals in outrage.

  “Noooo!” She stomps her foot again. “I’m Maddie. Maaadddiiiieeee.”

  “Hmm…” I stroke my chin in an exaggerated gesture, surprised how much I’m enjoying this game. “…Mary, okay, I’ll try and—”

  “Maddie! I’m Maddie! It’s short for Madison!” She’s yelling now, intent on making sure I get it right.

  It’s totally adorable, but I can feel a few disapproving looks in our direction. I don’t really care, but I take the hint anyway.

  “Maddie, then? Your name is Maddie?” I ask.

  “Yesss!” She stomps her foot again, this time in approval.

  “Ohh, well you could’ve just told me that—”

  “I did! I did, I did. You didn’t listen.” She objects furiously, and I grin again.

  I’m not sure where the playful spark came from - I never would’ve thought I was that kind of guy to indulge in silliness or games like this, but I’m enjoying this way more than I’d imagined.

  Maybe you just like the teasing…god knows, you’ve had more than enough fun provoking Leah…

  Okay, that’s probably an entirely inappropriate thought. But I’m not used to just letting go and being silly - I haven’t had this kind of light-hearted feelings since…well, the last time Leah and I were getting along, I guess.

  “Really? Okay then…” I make a show of being convinced. “Well, Maddie it is then. You might have to remind me of that a few times.”

  “Ughhh.” She makes an aggrieved noise and turns back to Leah with a huff.

  I can’t help wondering if she picked that up from her Mom, but I’m smiling anyway. Leah looks over as Maddie runs up to her, and our eyes meet for a brief moment of warmth, before Leah turns to Maddie with an aggravated expression.

  “Look at you - I think you’re more sand than little girl, there.” She crouches down and starts brushing her daughter off as Maddie giggles and squirms.

  “He is too!” Maddie points at me with squeals of laughter.

  I glance down at my own clothes to see that she has a point, just as Leah gives me an amused look.

  “Well, I’m not brushing you off.” She says, as she stands up from her efforts with Maddie.

  I can’t help myself, the corner of my mouth turns up and I can sense the heat flashing into my gaze.

  “If you’re sure you don’t want to, baby…” I murmur it softly enough that Maddie can’t hear me, but I don’t miss the way Leah’s eyes widen.

  She didn’t miss it. I smile as she turns away and busies herself with Maddie again, lightly brushing off some of the sand from my suit. At least the material is sheer enough that the sand seems to want to fall off it, but…it’s definitely not the same suit as it was a couple of hours ago.

  “Are we going to see the ducks now, Mommy?” Maddie asks as she squirms out of Leah’s reach and starts skipping backwards.

  I laugh, surprised she doesn’t want to lie down and nap right about now. That would be at the top of my mind…

  Leah glances over at me, raising an eyebrow.

  “Ducks sound fun.” I say easily, answering the silent question.

  “Yay!” Maddie jumps up before her Mom can say anything else, and starts running in the vague direction of the park’s path. “They’re this way!”

  “Don’t go too far, Maddie!” Leah shouts after her.

  “Yeah, gotta let the old folk catch up.” I add, and watch as she turns around and sticks out her tongue - but she does at least start running in circles that keep her close enough to us.

  “I can’t believe how much energy she has.” I say, shaking my head. “I’m exhausted.”
<
br />   Leah laughs, looking over at her with a warm fondness. “Yeah, it won’t be too long before she crashes, I think. She only seems to have two settings at the moment - jumping all over the place, or completely zoned out and tired and grumpy. No warning when she’ll switch from one to the other, either - it’s all been guesswork for me so far.”

  I smile, and reach over to squeeze her shoulder instinctively. I really want to put my arm around her, but I don’t know what Maddie will think if I start doing something like that, and I’m pretty sure Leah will object because of that, if nothing else.

  “She’s amazing, you know. Totally perfect.” I can hear the wonder in my own voice, and I know I sound stupid, but I can’t bring myself to care.

  Leah snorts. “Yeah, give it a little time. She’s a great kid, but believe me, I could list all the little frustrations for days.”

  “I’m sure you could - and when I find out about all those as well, I’m sure I’ll love her all the more for them.”

  Leah stops abruptly, and I only make it a pace further before turning to look at her. She’s staring at me with a shocked expression, and I know exactly why. Even though everything I said should have been self-evident.

  “You…you mean that?”

  “She’s my kid, Leah.” I say softly. “I’d love her even if this first meeting had been awkward and tense and difficult, and she hated my guts.”

  “But…you only just…”

  She’s blinking at me, and I know she’s trying to gather herself back behind the tightly controlled walls she’s erected between us - trying not to be affected by these brief moments where I come out and say something she’s totally not expecting. The ones that make her see me - just for an instant - as someone different from the image she’s got in her head.

  I step up to her before she can, and thread my hand through her hair the way I used to, pushing it back behind her ear and caressing her head. I smile softly, the memory of it affecting me as much as being this close to her again does.

  “I only just met her. But it doesn’t matter, Leah - I don’t need time to know that I love her. She’s mine. It’s as simple as that.”

  I withdraw before she has a chance to object - before she can fully recover - my fingertips trailing down her neck. It’s so fucking hard not to kiss her right now, but there’s only so far I can go, so I turn and start walking slowly back towards where Maddie is still dancing around - not having noticed us, I think.