Chapter 15
CHAPTER 15
C aleb sat on the edge of the porch swing, one foot planted firmly on the wooden planks, gently rocking himself as he watched Liam chase bubbles across the lawn. The little boy’s laughter rang out, pure and bright, stirring something deep in Caleb. He’d never known that a child’s laugh could bring such joy.
The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow over the yard, turning the grass into a shimmering green carpet. Liam darted back and forth, his tiny legs carrying him with boundless energy, his curls bouncing with every step. Caleb had seen that grin before—the dimpled smile, the way his eyes lit up when he was excited.
But where?
He rubbed the back of his neck, the unease that had been simmering for days creeping back into his thoughts. Something about Liam tugged at him, a feeling he couldn’t quite pin down but couldn’t ignore.
“Do it again!” Liam shouted, running back toward Caleb with his bubble wand held high.
Caleb smiled, pushing the thoughts aside as he reached for the bubble solution. “You got it, buddy,” he said, his voice steady despite the knot tightening inside him. He dipped the wand into the liquid, pulled it out, and blew gently, sending a stream of bubbles floating into the air.
Liam squealed with delight, darting after them again.
Through the kitchen window, Caleb could see Taylor moving around, likely finishing up the lemonade she’d promised them earlier. She glanced out the window once, her gaze catching his for a brief moment, and she smiled.
Caleb smiled back, but the questions swirling in his mind made it harder to hold the expression.
He’d been spending more time here with Taylor and Liam, and it felt... good. Like something he hadn’t realized he’d been missing. But the more time he spent with Liam, the harder it became to shake the feeling gnawing at the edges of his thoughts.
Liam was two and a half years old. Taylor had said his father wasn’t in the picture, but Caleb had never pressed for details. It wasn’t his place—or at least, that’s what he’d told himself.
Now, though, he wasn’t so sure.
The way Liam furrowed his brow when he was concentrating. The way his laughter filled the air, unrestrained and contagious.
What was it about this kid that felt so familiar?
Caleb couldn’t put his finger on it, but there was something about Liam that tugged at him, something that went deeper than the boy’s easy smile or bright eyes.
Maybe it was the way Liam tilted his head when he was curious, that same look Caleb had seen in his own reflection. Or it was the natural way the boy gravitated toward him as though some invisible thread connected them.
Whatever it was, it was undeniable. Liam drew him in like a magnetic pull he couldn’t explain, and Caleb found himself unable to resist. There was a warmth to the boy, a spark of familiarity that left Caleb with questions he wasn’t sure he was ready to answer.
“Caleb!” Liam called, breaking through his thoughts. The boy ran toward him, thrusting the bubble wand back into his hands. “Do it again!”
“All right, all right,” Caleb said, chuckling softly. He repeated the process, sending another wave of bubbles into the sky.
As Liam chased them, Caleb leaned back against the swing, his thoughts racing. Was it just his imagination? A coincidence? Or was there something more?
Who was Liam’s father? The question gnawed at Caleb, an itch he couldn’t scratch no matter how hard he tried to push it aside. Who was the man she’d been with after him, the one who had come into her life during the time they weren’t together?
It must have happened not long after they broke up. Liam was so young, yet...
Caleb frowned, his gaze fixed on the boy playing in the yard. Taylor had said Liam was only two and half years old, but the way the kid moved, talked, and interacted seemed more like his cousin’s three-year-old. He was sharp, quick with his words, and brimming with energy. Caleb shook his head, trying to untangle the thoughts swirling in his brain.
But then again, what did Caleb know about kids? His experience with parenting was nonexistent, and he wasn’t exactly a shining example of fatherly instincts. Maybe he was reading too much into everything.
And yet... the feeling in his gut wouldn’t let it go.
The possibility twisted in him, equal parts hope and fear. If Liam were his son, it would change everything. But why hadn’t Taylor told him? Was she protecting Liam? Protecting herself? Or had she convinced herself that Caleb wasn’t ready, wasn’t good enough to be part of their lives?
The questions clawed at him, growing louder with each passing minute. Yet the thought of bringing up the subject of Liam’s father left Caleb paralyzed.
What if asking shattered the fragile truce he and Taylor had worked so hard to build? What if the walls she’d carefully lowered slammed back into place, locking him out for good?
He wasn’t sure he could handle that—not now, not after they’d come this far.
Taylor was already guarded, her defenses carefully constructed after the pain he’d caused. Pushing too hard, too soon, might undo everything, leaving him standing on the outside again, this time without a way back in.
So, he stayed silent, holding the question close, even as it burned deep inside him begging to be released.
“Liam!” Taylor’s voice called from the doorway, cutting through Caleb’s spiraling thoughts.
Liam turned, his face lighting up. “Mommy!”
Taylor stepped onto the porch, carrying a tray with three glasses of lemonade. Caleb rose to meet her, took the tray from her hands, and set it on the small table beside the swing.
“Thanks,” she said, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
“Anytime,” he replied, his voice softer now.
Liam bounded up the steps, grabbing one of the glasses with both hands and gulping down the lemonade like he’d been stranded in a desert.
“Slow down, buddy,” Taylor said, laughing as she knelt beside him. “You’re gonna get a brain freeze.”
Caleb watched them, the way Taylor’s hand rested lightly on Liam’s back, the way Liam leaned into her as he drank. It was a simple moment, but it tugged at something deep inside him.
“Mommy,” Liam said, setting the glass down and tugging at her sleeve. “Can Caleb play dinosaurs with me later?”
Taylor glanced up at Caleb, her expression softening. “If Caleb wants to,” she said, her tone light but with a hint of something unreadable beneath it.
“I think I can handle that,” Caleb said, smiling at Liam. “But only if I get to be the T-Rex.”
“Deal!” Liam shouted, running into the yard.
Taylor stood, brushing off her jeans as she looked at Caleb. “He likes you,” she said, her voice quiet.
Caleb smiled and nodded. “I like him too. He’s a great kid.”
For a moment, they stood in silence, watching Liam play. Caleb wanted to ask. The words were right there on the tip of his tongue. But the weight of them, the fear of what they might set in motion, kept him silent.
Instead, he said, “How’s work been?”
Taylor glanced at him, a small smile tugging at her lips. “Fine. Busy. I’m juggling a couple of big clients, but it’s good.”
He nodded, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Good. That’s... good.”
She gave him a curious look. “You’re acting weird. What’s on your mind?”
His heart stuttered, and for a moment, he considered telling her everything—his suspicions, his fears, the questions that wouldn’t stop circling his mind. But he stopped himself, forcing a small smile.
“Nothing,” he said lightly. “Just thinking about how I’m gonna win at dinosaurs later. Thinking about when I can take the mommy of the dinosaurs out on a real date and maybe even convince her to return to my hotel room.”
Taylor rolled her eyes, but her smile lingered. “You’re terrible at lying. Though the date and the hotel room sound very satisfying.”
Her laughter was soft, warm, and it eased some of the tension deep inside him.
“Maybe,” he said, his tone teasing. “But I’m great at being a T-Rex.”
“I’ll ask Mom if she would mind watching Liam one night,” she said. “It would be good for us to get away and enjoy one another.”
But as she turned back toward the house, the questions remained, unspoken and unanswered.
Caleb watched Liam, his small figure darting across the yard, his curls bouncing in the sunlight. The feelings in Caleb grew heavier, more insistent.
He needed to know. Who was Liam’s father?