Chapter 7

Carter spent another day recovering with the help of his trusted son and Nanny. Eli called to inform him that they had started the hiring process for an assistant who'd take half his workload, although, not without his permission.

Feeling a little sore and in desperate need of fresh air, Carter suggested that all three of them head to the park for a quiet and nice picnic, to which Karter bounced up and down on his chair excitedly.

The next morning, Paisley woke up really early to prepare the lunchbox for the picnic and was greeted with Carter who exited his room quietly.

"Good morning", she greeted with a smile and he smiled back.

" Morning. What are we making?", He asked, rubbing his hands together.

Paisley rose a brow. "We?"

"Yup. We. I cook too, remember?"

She rolled her eyes. " Yeah, but you're-"

" Healthy enough to make simple meals", he cut in with a smirk.

"You're really stubborn", sighed Paisley as she moved over a bit for him to wash his hands. She stared at his arm and his slender, pretty fingers as they got doused in water.

"What are we making first?" He cleaned his hands with a towel.

" We're making beef sandwiches and some egg rolls"

"Nice, nice. I'll take care of the egg rolls then"

They both got to work, rinsing and cutting side by side. Paisley watched Carter mince the vegetables for the rolled eggs and couldn't stop her jaw from dropping.

"How do you cut that fast?"

"It takes a lot of work and talent" he boasted and stood behind her, grabbing her hand and beconing to the knife. Paisley grabbed it and the green bell pepper.

"Cut, cut", Carter said as his hands remained on hers. He leaned his face closer to hers and she felt his cheek brush against her ear.

Her breath seized and she stopped cutting, his hands holding hers.

"Too close?" He whispered and Paisley's heart thumped against her chest; the butterflies in her stomach erupting.

She shook her head and felt him inch even closer, a knowing smirk on his face as she began to squirm.

She shook her head and gulped.

"I need to be this close if you're gonna learn to cook like a master" he explained and pulled away, gently grabbing the knife from her and shooting her a smile.

Paisley exhaled shakingly and returned his smile weakly. Her legs felt wobbly and she could hardly think straight.

"Player" she muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing" she rushed and grabbed the lunchbox from the counter.

Carter snickered at this, having heard what she said.

They packed the home made snacks along with water, drinks and fruits.

They waited till Karter awoke before Paisley bathed and dressed him. 

The park sat in the middle of town. Several play areas for children and benches placed on every corner of the grass-filled area. Very few people enjoyed the calm and serene nature of a picnic and due to that, the park was almost never crowded.

Paisley helped Carter spread the mat and unpack the lunch boxes while Karter sat still and quietly in his booster seat, staring at the both of them. 

"Here, Karter. Daddy helped Paisley with the meals, so it's safe to consume" Carter said and earned a glare from Paisley who cut a little bit of the sandwich and smiled sweetly at Karter.

"Chew softly" she said and beamed when Karter took it from her, stuffing it in his mouth. Carter's jaw dropped.

"It's your favorite fruit!" He exclaimed, referring to the apples cut in bunny form.

Karter stared at his dad mutely as he slowly chewed on his food.

"That's on being too confident" said Paisley with a smirk.

"Carter, one, Paisley, one" he replied.

They both dug in, helping Karter eat at times and playing with him. Paisley watched as Carter cleaned his sons mouth, shooting the kid a wink and carefully feeding him water.

There it was again. A sight she loved more than anything. It felt like the most beautiful portrait she'd ever seen. Watching them smile and communicate with one another in the most adorable way always put a smile on her face.

"So, it was all an act?" She asked and both of them looked at her.

"What?"

"Being irresponsible. It was all an act?"

" Haven't we talked about this before?" He breathed with a small laugh and she shrugged.

" Not really. Besides, I'm just starting a conversation"

Carter sighed. " I don't act. I'm horrible at it"

" You didn't answer my question"

" I told you I was tired"

" Yes, the first time. We met again, remember? At the cafe where you left Karter all alone"

" Oh, yeah", he breathed in realisation and earned an eye roll from her.

"You weren't tired then"

"To be fair, I was. But I also needed to take an important business call"

" And you left your child in a cafe?"

" Geez, Paisley, a cafe filled with people eating and sharing gossip about who had sex with who in highschool. It wasn't a big deal. Besides, I had my eyes on him the entire time"

Paisley paused. " You what? "

Carter laughed. " Wait, did you think I'd leave and turn my back on my *child*?"

Paisley widened her eyes in realisation.

" Meaning you saw me go in?!"

Carter nodded.

"Wow" Paisley scoffed in disbelief. " You're unbelievable. Really, unbelievable"

"I hear that a lot" he shrugged.

" Why didn't you say anything?"

" *Someone* didn't give me a chance to"

" That's because I was under the impression that you were extremely irresponsible! You should've explained yourself"

"I could've.... But I didn't want to" he trailed off, lost in his thoughts for a few seconds and smiled at her. "Don't know why though"

Paisley stared at him, a part of her feeling guilty for misunderstanding him and another part wanting to smack him hard. Just then, they heard Karter cooing and pointing towards the swings.

"He wants to play?" Paisley asked and looked at the play area one more time. "Over there?! Is that safe?"

"Technically, it is"

" He's one", she argued.

" He is" he affirmed.

" What the hell are you going on about?"

The next thing, Paisley found herself sliding down the playground slide with Karter on her laps. The baby boy giggled loudly while clapping his hands and bouncing up and down.

Whenever Paisley stood up from the slide, Karter would point at it and squeal, signifying that he wanted another go at the fun ride.

"This is good for him and all", Paisley started as she climbed the ride and slid down. "But I'm too grown for this"

"A parent is never too grown for anything when it comes to their child" was all Carter said as he watched them in amusement.

"Day four of being a nanny, and I'm already sliding with kids", she sighed.

Karter squealed for the hundredth time, grabbing her attention and she looked down to see his toothy smile, his beady eyes shining in excitement.

She smiled. *I don't mind it though*

Karter wanted a go at every swing/ride in the park and that didn't surprise Carter at all. He'd been through something similar with his son. Whenever Karter was excited and hyped, he never stopped playing.

He would play until he fell asleep.

He followed behind them and watched his son laugh out loud in the arms of the beautiful woman he couldn't stop staring at.

"Wonna go for another ride?!" Paisley beamed and when Karter nodded excitedly, she entered the merry-go-round again. Carter gave the ride a little push, sending tremendous joy through Karter once again.

Paisley was already bored of the ride and literally everything else, but as she watched the child and the smile on Carter's face, she forgot.

**

To cool off from the stressful afternoon, Carter drove them to an Ice cream cafe and upon arrival, Karter cooed towards the display glasses holding several flavors.

"Exactly how many times have you guys been here?"

"This should be the fourth time this month" he replied as they walked up to the display glass.

" What would you like?" Carter asked.

"Vanilla and chocolate mix" she replied.

" Three vanilla and chocolate mix ice cream. Make one a small cup" he ordered with a smile and the waiter nodded.

Carter led them to a table by the glass walls, giving them a clear view of the road and the street.

"You've been stuffing a one year old baby with ice cream?" Paisley sighed once they settled down.

" When you say it like that, I sound like some kind of criminal"

"Yes. You are. Is he allowed to have ice cream?"

" He's one years old, he wasn't born yesterday" replied Carter sarcastically.

The waiter returned with their orders and left after shooting them a polite smile.

Carter placed the small cup of ice cream and spoon before Karter, watching the little boy dig in.

"I've always wanted to ask..." Paisley trailed off. "Where is Karter's mom?"

She expected a frown or some kind of negative reaction, but was shocked to see a small smile on his face.

"Somewhere", he simply replied, shoving the spoon full of ice cream in his mouth. Paisley felt the need to push further, but something about his answer scared her into avoiding questions about Karter's mom.

"How long have you been with Karter?"

"Two months and two weeks now"

"Oh? It took such a short time for you two to become best buddies"

" Of course. I'm his dad. I'm sure he could sense it"

" So did you change his name or-" she paused, regretting the way she decided to phrase her question.

"Or, did his mother choose the name?"

*Shit*

"Um..." She trailed off and earned a laugh from him.

"She did, actually. She said he looks a lot like me. Took almost nothing from her"

" And....that's a bad thing?"

" Yeah. A little" he gave a small smile. " She's an amazing woman. Strong, smart and confident"

Paisley felt something bite at her heart when she heard his words. *strong, smart and confident, huh?*

"Is she pretty?" She blurted without thinking and smacked herself internally.

"Yes, she is" he smiled.

"Oh. She sounds amazing" Paisley smiled and looked down at her ice cream. Carter glanced at her with a knowing smile and scooped from her ice cream.

"What the-" she looked up at him. "You have yours!"

" But I wanted to taste yours"

" They're the same flavour"

" Not really"

She rose a brow. "Meaning?"

" Meaning nothing. I just don't think it's the same flavour" he shrugged.

" You're just doing this to annoy me"

Carter smirked. "Bingo"

She glared at him and took a huge scoop from his cup, sticking her tongue out at him childishly.

"You're acting like a child"

"I have to. You took from my ice cream"

" I bought it"

"And I'm grateful, but no touching my ice cream"

He reached for her cup again and she blocked his spoon, using hers.

"It's not a war" he chuckled.

"It is now"

They both played 'sword fight' with their spoons, both guiding their ice creams like it was their territory.

"We're acting like children before a child", Paisley pointed out.

" He's entertained" Carter defended and poked his spoon to the right, confusing Paisley before successfully digging into her cup.

"Oh, c'mon!" Paisley exclaimed when she watched her ice cream reduce and earned a laugh from him.

"Who's the best?" He boasted, turning to Karter who replied with a giggle, his ice cream spilled on the table and halfway finished.

"Your dad is cheating, Karter. Reprimand him!" Paisley whined.

" Geez, Paisley, he's one years old, not a scholar"

She shot him a playful glare and grabbed Karter's cute little hands.

"Who's the best, your dad, or me?"

Karter stared at them blankly and went back to eating his ice cream.

"He chose ice cream over us" Carter deadpanned.

"It's your fault"

They argued over silly matters while trying to divert Karter's attention from his already finished ice cream to their arguments. For the first time in what felt like centuries, Paisley felt the closest thing to completion.

**

By the time they got back home, Karter was  fast asleep. Paisley let Carter tuck him in as she put the dirty dishes in the dish washer.

She leaned against the kitchen counter and folded her arms, letting the entire day play through her head and she smiled unconsciously when she thought back to the  ice cream war.

"Someone would assume you were thinking about a lover" Carter said as he approached her with his hands in his pockets and Paisley breathed a small laugh.

"They'd be wrong" she replied and they both walked to the living room and sat down, both letting out deep breaths from exhaustion.

They both laughed when they looked at each other.

"Being a parent is exhausting"

"You experienced one day and you're already complaining" he teased.

" Exactly. Imagine how hard it must've been for you"

"Wasn't that hard" he snorted.

" Oh, c'mon. Your son loves you. Balancing work and time for a kid is no joke. I know that because I had a hard time choosing between writing and watching movies"

" Are you comparing my son to movies?"

" No.... Yes" she chuckled, earning a small laugh from him.

They both stayed in silence, Carter staring at the wall and Paisley staring at him.

"Today was fun" she said and Carter looked at her.

" It was. Karter laughed a lot today"

"Yeah, I noticed", she grinned. " Why didn't you join us though? He kept asking for you to join the rides"

" I didn't want to disturb the both of you. Besides, I've done that a million times with him"

" It must've felt weird the first time huh? "

" What? "

" Going down a slide with a kid. Knowing you, you must've been in your formal attire"

Carter laughed at how accurate her guess was.

" It *was* weird at first. Then I got used to it. Soon, I started loving it"

" Karter has that effect on people"

" He does, doesn't he"

Silence passed by once again, this time with Carter staring at her.

"Thank you, for being a mother figure to Karter today"

She looked at him, confused. "I don't mind. But...why say it like that?"

"Most kids go to the park with their moms and it's always weird for me to walk in there alone. I'm always scared of the moment he'd suddenly ask about a mom" he chuckled bitterly.

Paisley sat up on the sofa, still staring at him and he smiled softly.

"Yes. I, the great Carter Reid has fears"

"Sounds more like you're a wussy"

He laughed.

" Four days and you've already made a good impression. I'll increase your pay"

"You don't pay me" she rolled her eyes. "At least, I don't want you to"

He rose a brow. " Why?"

" Because I'm not here simply for a job"

"You're here to seduce me?" He smirked and she scoffed.

" I'm here for Karter. I'm here to spend some more time with the kid and to figure some things out"

"Figure what out? "

" Questions I've been dying to know"

" Like? "

She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. " Like the f word" she replied and earned an eye brow raise from him.

"The f word?"

"Yes"

"Elaborate"

"I can't. I refuse to say it"

This earned her a small laugh from him.

" So how am I supposed to know what it is?"

"You don't need to. Just call it that"

He peered at her with narrowed eyes, curious as to what she had going on in her mind.

The more time spent with her, the more curious he became.

"You're strange" he said.

"That's coming from "*you*?" She shot back amusingly and he smiled.

He got up from the sofa and sat by her, his eyes locked on hers.

"What's wrong?" She asked, almost a stutter and he leaned his head to the side, trying to figure her out.

"Is the word 'family'?"

Her eyes widened.

" I'm right" he added and smiled.

" Let me guess, you've lived your life avoiding intimacy, cooped up in your room writing"

" No" she lied, avoiding eye contact.

" You're not a good liar", he smirked.

"I didn't avoid intimacy. I just had a hard time *being* intimate."

"Because of your temper?"

She glared at him and looked away. " Probably. I actually never found out"

He smiled and looked up at the ceiling.

"We're polar opposites, huh?"

"You're just now finding out?"

" I'm serious" he rolled his eyes.

" How?" She asked.

" I, for one, actually love the 'f word'"

"You do? You seem like the type who'd be extremely exhausted from it. Like you are now"

" I am. But, there's something about that exhaustion that's satisfying. Especially when it comes to Karter"

" So, were you supposed to start a happy family with Karter's mom?"

" I wanted to" he nodded. " But it didn't work out"

Paisley stared at him.

"You loved her?"

"Love is a strong word, don't you think?"

"That's why it's an easy trap to fall into" she shrugged and earned a smile from him.

" True" he shrugged. "But I actually don't know if I did love her or not. I just know that I wanted a family, and she was by my side"

" You were ready for a marriage without love, just for a family?"

" I didn't say I didn't have feelings for her"

" Yeah, but, it would've ended badly"

" It did" he agreed.

She could see the memories crossing his eyes and although she had no idea what they were, she felt genuine sadness from him.

She held his hand and he looked at her, a bit shocked that she took the initiative and smirked. "Holding my hand already?"

She rolled her eyes and stood up.

" Goodnigh-"

Her words were muffled from the soft kiss planted on her lips and her eyes widened. She felt his tongue slide in and immediately grew weak in her knees, throwing her arms over his shoulders for support.

He pulled out from the kiss and planted another on the tip of her nose before smiling down at her.

"Goodnight" he said and entered his room, leaving Paisley to her thoughts and blushing deeply.

*What the hell just happened?*