*****
A light breeze blew through the pine trees, rustling the falling oak leaves from their branches. Autumn’s brilliant colors floated around Renner and Landon, as they huddled over the campfire.
The kindling lit, and finally, the flame caught hold of the wood, and spread to the rest of the logs. Sparks crackled to life, filling the evening air with pine and maple.
“I did it!” Landon’s grin filled the lower half of his face. The exact same as Cassie’s smile.
“Well done, champ.” Renner gave him a fist-bump. “You’re an expert now.”
“All by myself.” He grabbed a seat on an old stump, and prepped a stick with a marshmallow. “S’mores. My favorite!” With the recent haircut nearly to his scalp, he looked older than his nearly-seven-years. And with every day, he looked more and more like his father, Kyle.
He rubbed Landon’s head, and kissed his forehead.
“Ugh!” He wiped his head with his arm. “Kissing is for girls!”
Renner chuckled. “When it’s just you, me and Mom, it’s okay, pal.”
He shrugged. “Okay. But not in front of my friends.”
“Oh, of course not,” he mocked with a smile.
The screen door to the cabin banged shut, and Cassie appeared, carrying a tray of hot chocolates for them. Her jeans hugged her hips perfectly, and her scarlet cowl-neck sweater outlined her frame in the cozy, delicious way meant for health magazines. Her boots shuffled through a new layer of leaves, crunching beneath her soles. “Ready for the sugar overload?”
“Mommy, we made a new rule.” Landon stuck his marshmallow in the flames. “No more kissing. Not around other kids.”
“Oh, really?” She handed him a mug, and raised her eyebrows.
Renner threw her a wink and set the tray aside.
“But it’s just us. So I can do this—,” Cassie grabbed their son’s head and peppered kisses all over his face, “—all I want.”
The kid squealed and laughed, giggles filling the camp air with love. A love that warmed Renner down to his toes.
“Daddy, help me!”
His heart stuttered.
Daddy.
Cassie’s expression was just as stunned.
The boy had called him by his name ever since they’d met, and well after the wedding. He knew his real father was Kyle, and talked about him with so much pride.
“Cassie,” Renner murmured, careful to keep his voice calm and positive. “Are you okay?”
She took a deep breath, and kept looking at him. But no words came out.
“He’s my dad, too.” Landon stood and blew out the fire that had wrapped around his marshmallow. “I have two. A daytime dad, and a nighttime one.”
Cassie pulled Landon onto her lap, and gave him a hug. She helped him pull the melted, burned sugar off the stick with two graham crackers. “What’s a nighttime dad, honey?”
“Daddy comes to me when I’m sleeping. He said everything will be okay. I can talk to him in my dreams. I told him all about Renner. He was happy.”
Renner’s heart squeezed in.
Cassie’s eyes watered, which she hid by kissing Landon on the cheek.
He could tell by the way she pinched her lips together, she couldn’t get any words out.
The fire sparked again, and the smoke climbed higher among the pine trees.
Landon accidentally dropped his s’more on the ground, and gasped. Then pouted with that adorable bottom lip jutting out.
“Come here, big guy,” Renner patted his leg. “I’ll help you with a new one.”
The little boy complied. Before long, he had another marshmallow completely charred in the flames.
Cassie watched them, silently sipping her hot chocolate.
“I’m glad you talk to your daddy in your dreams.” Renner squeezed Landon’s shoulder. “He can still tell you a lot of things, and watch you grow.”
He shrugged, his oblivious smile focused on the sugary treat in front of him.
“Will you do me a favor?” Renner asked.
“Sure,” the kid replied.
“The next time you talk to your daddy, tell him your mommy loves him very much.”
Cassie smiled, her gaze glassy in the firelight locked on him.
“Okay,” Landon answered.
“And that I said thanks.”
His stepson frowned, his little forehead crinkling. “But he already said thanks to you.”
Renner blinked, and tilted his head. “For what?”
“For making mommy smile. And making blueberry muffins with me.”
Cassie’s grin widened, her pearly white teeth easily visible in the shadows. After a one-shoulder shrug, she continued sipping from her mug.
Renner gave her a wink. “Making blueberry muffins with you is my favorite.” He helped Landon gobble down the s’more, chocolate smearing down his chin.
The hard Marine, and former Knight escort had never imagined having a kid in his life. He didn’t feel qualified. Or worthy. But little Landon had not only grown on him, he completely flipped his world upside down. He was the sweetest, most genuine thing Renner had ever seen, and a carbon copy of his mother in both heart and soul. Who knew a six-year-old could teach him how to be a loving father? All it took was a smile.
Funny, that was the same kind of thing a former Knight believed. To charm a client with only a smile. Only now he knew it’s real worth.