Love In The Fast Lane Part 10

"Does he come over often?" he asked, feeling only slightly guilty for grilling his child. What did it matter to him anyway? It shouldn't matter to him. It wasn't like there was anything there between him and Brielle. He certainly didn't need that baggage on top of everything else.

Noah shrugged. "Sometimes."

They worked in silence for a while before Noah asked, "Do you know your daddy, Mr. Wolfe?"

Where the h.e.l.l did that come from? "My dad pa.s.sed away, Noah."

Noah looked so sad at the revelation. Nate was sure that he was going to cry but he reeled himself in and instead said, "My momma says that my daddy is a super hero and is so busy saving the world and that's why he can't be with us."

Nate instantly choked up. What the h.e.l.l was going on today?

He needed to tell his child who he was. He needed him to know that he hadn't abandoned him. "Noah, I-"

"Hey, Bucket," a tall, dark-haired woman interrupted. He recognized her as Brielle's friend from Brazil.

"Yes, Aunt Emma?"

"Your mom wants you to finish up and get ready for the bath, Kiddo."

"Five more minutes, Aunt Em. Come help us to finish so we can have a few jumps before bed."

Emma looked disapproving.

"Pleeeeease," Noah begged and again he used the wide-eyed pouty gaze and the other woman caved like a ton of bricks.

She sat beside them and followed their cues for a.s.sembling the trampoline.

"So why Bucket?" Nate asked, trying to fill the silence.

Emma actually smiled. Nate was stunned.

"Aunt Em, no, you can't!" Noah begged.

"Come on, Squirt. I can either tell the story and finish the trampoline or I keep my mouth shut and you go in and have a splash."

He put his head down in silent resignation.

"Don't be embarra.s.sed, Kiddo. It gives you character." She retuned her attention to Nate. "When Noah was potty training, Bree and I had taken him out to the beach one day. He didn't have a diaper on, just his swim trunks and he all of a sudden decided that he had to go," she emphasized the word so Nate would catch her meaning without her saying it crudely.

He nodded his understanding and she continued. "Well, we couldn't get him to a toilet in time so little Noah here just dropped his pants and made it in the sand bucket, right there in the center of the beach."

Nate threw his head back and laughed. When he recovered he looked at Noah and the child looked gutted. "Wow, Noah," he soothed. "That takes some guts for what you did. Put it there." He held out his fist and the child b.u.mped his much smaller one with Nate. He didn't want to give him a greater complex now that he'd laughed so best to turn a negative experience into a positive one. "Takes guts for what you did, doing it in public and all. So, wear the name Bucket with pride, ok?"

He gave a shy smile and Nate took it as one step closer to him regaining his dignity.

"Ok, let's give this baby a jump," he stood up and positioned the now large trampoline in the center of the yard. He had double and tripled checked all the fittings and nettings around the sides his child's safety was of utmost importance.

Noah got on and gave it a tentative jump. It didn't take him two minutes before he was leaping high in the air.

"Come join me, Mr. Wolfe!" he encouraged. "You too, Aunt Emma."

"I'll pa.s.s kiddo. I just ate and I wouldn't want to decorate your new trampoline with regurgitated birthday cake."

Nate stepped on and the two of them bounced, the only sound was their laughter high into the air.

Brielle watched Nate and Noah on the trampoline. They were shrieking with glee, each trying to out-leap the other. They looked so right together. Like father and son. Brielle didn't know whether that thought made her happy or sad. Nate had come today and played the perfect father figure but how long would that last. How long until the image Nate had of fatherhood, and the reality, collided? He'd already expressed resistance to playing Daddy.

She gave them five more minutes before calling Noah in to the bath.

"Come on, Baby, I see some potatoes growing in those dirty ears."

"Oh, Mom!" he breezed in and headed straight for the bath.

"We're going to head out, Babe," Emma said, picking up her purse and car keys. "See you on Monday, ok?"

"Thanks, Em," she hugged her and turned to Matt. "Thanks for your help today, I couldn't have done it without you." He kissed her cheek and gave her a long hug.

"Take it easy, ok?" he whispered in her ear before releasing her. She nodded and looked out after them as they walked out.

She was now left alone with Nate in the kitchen and she suddenly felt shy. "So, um, thanks for Noah's gift. Did he thank you for it?"

"Yeah, he did. He's got impeccable manners for a five-year-old. You did a good job with him."

Brielle wasn't expecting a compliment. "Thank you. He's an amazing child all on his own."

"I can see that." He put his hands in his pocket and seemed deep in thought.

"Why are you still here, Nathan?" she asked bluntly.

Looking her in the eye, he said, "I don't know. I liked spending time with Noah and being here." He looked at her a long time before saying, "I'd like to get to know him Brielle."

"To what end, Nate? Now that a blood test suddenly proves that you're his father, you want to act like one?"

"I'm sorry about the way I handled the blood test. I was just trying-"

"You were trying to protect your reputation your celebrity. I don't care what you think of me, Nate. I just can't stand for one second to see Noah sad or disappointed or hurt. How long before you get tired of playing dad and up and leave?"

"Think what you will of me, Brielle, you don't know me any better but I will prove to be a decent father to Noah." And speaking so quietly that Brielle could barely hear him, he said, "I won't be like my father."

"Look," she sighed. "Let's test this out on a trial basis, ok? Let's do supervised visits and see how he interacts with you as a family friend. I want to ease him into the news of you being his father."

"You mean you want to see if I stick around before telling him the truth.

Brielle nodded. "Let me put Noah to bed and then we can map this out, ok?"

Nate nodded.

Nate knew Brielle's end game. She figured that he would grow bored of this role and take flight. She had little faith in him. h.e.l.l, he'd had little faith himself up until a few hours ago. He could be better than his father, he didn't have to follow in his footsteps. Being a bad father was not a part of his genetic makeup. He would prove everyone, including Brielle and himself, wrong. He would be a great father to Noah.

Nate heard the two giggling in the room down the hall and he found himself drawn to the sound.

"Did you have fun today, my love?" he heard her ask Noah.

"Yes, Mom, thank you, it was the best birthday party ever."

Nate stood in the doorway, blocked from both their view, and watched as Noah's tiny arms encircled Brielle's neck. The exchange between mother and son stirred something odd inside him.

"Mom, please sing my song."

"Oh, Sweetheart, it's so late."

"Pleeeeease," he begged and there were those big doleful eyes again. He was such a good manipulator.

"Ok my love, but only because it's your birthday."

Noah leaned back against his pillows and snuggled in.

Brielle started to sing softly and Nate was amazed at how beautifully melodic her voice sounded as she sang the rendition he recognized by Ellie Goulding.

"It's a little bit funny this feeling inside

I'm not one of those who can easily hide

I don't have much money but boy if I did

I'd buy a big house where we both could live

So excuse me forgetting but these things I do

You see I've forgotten if they're green or they're blue

Anyway the thing is what I really mean

Yours are the sweetest eyes I've ever seen

And you can tell everybody this is your song

It may be quite simple but now that it's done

I hope you don't mind

I hope you don't mind that I put down in words

How wonderful life is now you're in the world

If I was a sculptor, but then again, no