At two in the afternoon the following Tuesday, the doorbell rang. Freddie, more nervous than usual, opened the door. He already knew who was waiting on the other side, but that didn’t stop his heart from skipping a beat when he set eyes on Luke standing in the sunlight. He was dressed up just a little from the time Freddie had seen him at the site of the arson — he’d traded a casual t-shirt for a button-down shirt with rolled sleeves. The jeans he wore today were a darker wash than the ones Freddie had seen him in before, and they framed his body a little better without being overly tight.

“Hey,” Luke said as he smiled. “Looks like I got the right house. That’s already a win in my books.”

“I...” Freddie pulled himself together and smiled back. “If I didn’t give you a fake phone number, I wouldn’t give you a fake address.”

“I don’t know.” Luke shrugged, but the glint in his eyes was playful. “You might have come to your senses after texting me. I wasn’t going to write it off.”

There was no universe in which Freddie would have ever done that. Not only was Luke gorgeous, but he was kind, too, and real in a way that Freddie wasn’t used to finding in other people. He was laid back and charming, naturally funny, and the way he smiled...

Freddie stepped back from the doorway. He gestured into the house. “Do you want to come in?”

“Sure.”

“Reagan Ann is still getting ready,” Freddie explained. Most times, he wouldn’t have worried about justifying himself, but something about Luke made him want to make everything perfect. Whether it was his blond hair, his cocky grin, or the look of mischief in his eyes whenever he looked at Freddie, Freddie didn’t know. What he did know was that Luke was a dream come to life in a time when he was living through a nightmare. He still couldn’t believe that they were about to go out on a date. Everything felt so surreal.

“No rush. The park isn’t going anywhere.” Luke came inside and closed the door behind him. “So, this is your brother’s place?”

“Yeah. Reagan Ann and I are staying here until we can find another place to live. Aaron has been great to us. I couldn’t have done this without him.”

“When I see him, I’ll have to thank him.” Luke flashed Freddie his cocky grin. “I’m glad that you’re both safe. Recovering after a fire is tough. I’m glad you have family to fall back on.”

“If you know Natalie, you know the Masterson’s.” Freddie chuckled. “We take care of our own.”

Some of Luke’s cockiness faded, and Freddie frowned. He hadn’t thought he’d said anything wrong. But before he could comment, Luke snapped back from whatever hard feelings he was having. He smiled. “Support networks are important, especially with that little girl of yours. What did you say her name was again?”

“Reagan Ann.” Freddie perked up. “She’s five years old, heading off to kindergarten at the start of the school year.”

“Proud daddy.”

Freddie’s cock twitched.

Goddamn, that’s sexy...

Before Freddie could comment, Reagan Ann flew down the stairs with all the enthusiasm of a five-year-old about to spend a day outside. She latched onto Freddie’s thigh and beamed up at him. “I’m ready!”

“That’s great.” Freddie smoothed her hair. “Do you want to say hello to my friend Luke?”

Reagan Ann glanced at Luke. She let go of Freddie’s thigh and reached up to hold his hand instead. “Hello Mr. Luke.”

“Luke is fine,” Luke said. “It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Reagan Ann.”

Reagan Ann giggled. It looked like they were going to get along just fine.

“Are you two ready to go?” Luke asked. “I don’t have a booster seat, so I figured we’d take your car, Freddie, if that’s okay.”

Freddie smiled. He’d been on a few dates since he’d split with Laura, but none of his dates had been so conscientious about his daughter, let alone invited her along for their day out. Luke had already impressed him and they weren’t even out the door yet. “Sure. You’ll have to give me a second to plug the location into my phone, but otherwise, I’m ready.”

“Then let’s get going.”

They left the house together. Freddie locked the door behind them and triple checked it wouldn’t open. After learning about the arson attack, he was more paranoid than ever about forgetting to lock a door. While he waited, Reagan Ann bounced on the balls of her feet. She looked up at Luke curiously.

“How long have you been my Daddy’s friend?” she asked.

“Just a little while.”

“I don’t remember you,” she said suspiciously.

“I’m a friend of Aunt Natalie’s,” Luke said. “She talks about you all the time, you know. And she talks about your dad, too. I met him when I was over visiting with her.”

“Aunt Natalie!” Reagan Ann exclaimed. She clapped her hands together, and when she spoke next, she did so conspiratorially. “Did you know Aunt Natalie isn’t actually my aunt? She’s my Daddy’s cousin. I don’t have any cousins. Not yet. But one day soon, Uncle Aaron says, that maybe I’ll have a cousin to play with.”

Freddie finished checking the door. He set a hand on top of Reagan Ann’s head, and she hopped up to push against his palm. “Don’t hold your breath on that one.”

“He said!” she insisted.

Luke chuckled. He met Freddie’s gaze, and Freddie smiled at him. They started to head for the car. “Adults say a lot of things, but sometimes, even if they mean what they say, they can’t always follow through.”

“Not you though, Daddy.”

They’d arrived at the car. Freddie opened the door and helped Reagan Ann in, then buckled her up. “I always try my best to make sure I’m true to my word — we should all try our best to do that — but sometimes, even I fall short. That’s what being a grown-up is all about... failing, but then being strong enough to try again. That’s the only way you get better.”

Reagan Ann looked at him thoughtfully. He kissed her cheek, then carefully closed the car door. Luke hadn’t gone to sit — he stood a respectful distance behind Freddie.

The butterflies in Freddie’s stomach went wild. He wondered how it was that a man like Luke — childless, as far as he knew — could be so thoughtful. Freddie was sure Luke was a few years younger than him, yet he was more mature than many of the men and women who’d entertained Freddie’s company in the past.

“The park?” Luke nodded toward the car. “I wouldn’t mind standing here all day looking at you, but I think Reagan Ann might get bored.”

“R-Right.” Freddie snapped back to reality. Cheeks heated, he went to set up his phone and get the car started while Luke joined him in the passenger seat. Reagan Ann sat quietly in the back, tracing her fingers along the window. It felt strangely whole in a way he didn’t think he’d feel after Laura had left — like they were all a unit.

Freddie plugged in the coordinates, checked through his rear-view mirror that Reagan Ann was still strapped in, then began their drive. An excellent day at the park awaited, but he was already having a great time. Just having Luke there with him was a treat, and after so much struggle, Freddie was ready to let loose and indulge.

* * *

“So, you’re a single dad.” Luke sat beside Freddie on the park bench. Their eyes were both on Reagan Ann as she climbed the rope netting that several other children were playing on. “What’s your story?”

“It’s not much of a story,” Freddie admitted. He didn’t think his life was anything too spectacular. “I met a girl in college. We moved in together, and after we both graduated, she got pregnant with Reagan Ann. She wasn’t ready to have kids, but I wanted to settle down and raise a family, so she saw the pregnancy through and granted me full custody. We broke up, she moved across the country to chase her dream job, and I stayed here close to my family to raise Reagan Ann alone.”

Reagan Ann had met a little boy her age, and they raced to the top of the spiderweb jungle gym together.

“That can’t be it,” Luke said. “I know you’re a family man, but there’s more to you than being a dad. Who are you on the inside? What are your hopes, your dreams?” Freddie saw Luke look his way out of the corner of his eye. “That’s only a small sliver of who you are, but I want to know the whole truth. What else can you tell me? What else should the world know about who Freddie Masterson is?”

Freddie ran his hands down his thighs and capped his knees. He watched Reagan Ann beat her friend to the top of the spiderweb.

“I have a business degree,” Freddie said. “It’s not specialized or particularly fancy. After I graduated, I went to work for a big company, but I got laid off after corporate decided to trim off the fat. When that happened, I was lost. I knew that working as a drone wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life — and the commute from here to work was too long, and it was stealing time away from my relationship with my daughter — so I decided that the best thing I could do was use my schooling to set up my own business. Now I bake and decorate cupcakes from home, and Reagan Ann gets to come with me on deliveries. We don’t have to be apart anymore. When she starts school, that will change... but for now, life is good.”

Reagan Ann hung upside-down from one of the higher ropes of the spiderweb.

“Reagan Ann, be careful,” Freddie called out to her.

She scrambled back on top of the structure and waved at him sheepishly. Freddie let a moment of silence pass to clear his head, then he continued.

“Well, life was good. Then our house burned down, and I lost everything. Our home, our belongings, my business... all of it, up in smoke.”

“You made those cupcakes for Natalie’s party. They were great, and they looked fantastic.” Luke’s thigh brushed his. The affection was subtle, but to Freddie, it was a loud, bold gesture that made his heart race. “It looks like you’re keeping on going, even though the circumstances are awful.”

“But I’m intruding on Aaron’s space, and I’m used borrowed goods. I can’t keep doing that forever. I’ve recovered some of my bakeware from the house, but not all of it was salvageable. Somehow, I’ve got to find a way to afford replacements for what I’ve lost while simultaneously finding a new home and fulfilling orders. It’s not easy.”

“It can’t be.” Luke’s thigh pressed a little more firmly against Freddie’s. “But if anyone can do it, it’s you. Thank you for coming out to spend some of your time with me today. I know how precious it is to you, don’t think for a second that I don’t value your sacrifice.”

Freddie watched as Reagan Ann dropped down from a lower rope and landed on the woodchips below.

“There are some things in life that are worth the sacrifice,” Freddie said softly. “I think you’re one of them.”

“Is it a good time to ask if you’ll go out with me again next week?” Luke asked. He moved his hand slightly, just enough so he could trail his fingertips along the side of Freddie’s thigh without looking suspicious. “Because I think you’re one of them, too, Freddie, and I’d like to get to know you a little better.”

“Yeah.” Freddie smiled. The butterflies were back stronger than they’d ever been before. “I’d like to get to know you better, too.”