Free Secret Agent Father by Laura Scott Page B

to help. But he wanted to see Shelby. To talk to her.
    To reassure her that he’d never hurt her. He only wanted to protect her, and his son.
    Soon he heard Cody’s giggles and the clickity-click of Clyde’s toenails on the hardwood floor. Seconds later, Clyde dashed down the stairs with Cody on his heels.
    “The puppy needs to go outside,” Alex warned.
    “I know.” Cody didn’t seem to have suffered any ill effects from his nightmare as he let the dog out. The kitchen was empty, and he realized his sister must be with Brianna.
    “You’re taking really good care of Clyde,” he said to Cody, trying to strike up a conversation so his son would feel more comfortable around him.
    Cody’s smile brightened his tiny face. “Can I feed him, too?”
    “Sure. I’ll have to help you with the bag of dog food, though.” Alex lifted the thirty pound bag and carefully poured the contents into the dish Cody held. “See? We make a great team.”
    “Will I be as strong as you someday?” Cody asked, when Alex had set the bag down.
    “Absolutely. I bet you’ll even be stronger than me.” He couldn’t help wondering if Cody’s desire to be strong had anything to do with what the boy had witnessed two nights ago with Trina. But he didn’t ask. This wasn’t the time or the place. Besides, he wanted Cody to be comfortable, not afraid.
    “Where’s your aunt Shelby?” He glanced up toward the loft.
    “She’s coming. I’m hungry.”
    He glanced around the kitchen. “Well, I could trymaking breakfast,” he started. But just then Kayla hurried out.
    “I’ll make breakfast. Cody, do you and Brianna want to help me make French toast?”
    “Yeah!” Cody exclaimed, following Kayla and Brianna over to the cupboard where Kayla kept the powdered sugar.
    Considering they’d only arrived yesterday, it was good to see the boy was already making himself at home. Kids were often more resilient than adults gave them credit for.
    He heard Shelby coming down the stairs, so he went out to meet her. Her footsteps faltered on the stairs when she saw him. She smiled but her smile didn’t quite reach her beautiful blue eyes.
    Swallowing the lump of bitter regret in his throat, he tossed the foam ball onto the sofa and stood. He slid his hands into his front pockets to appear nonthreatening. “Good morning. Did you sleep all right?”
    “Of course.” The dark circles under her eyes belied her words and likely matched his own. “How about you?”
    “Sure.” If she could stretch the truth, so could he. “Ah, do you have a minute? I wanted to talk to you for a moment, about Cody.”
    “All right.” Although she nodded, her eyes remained wary. She sat on the edge of the sofa, as if prepared to bolt.
    He regretted their argument yesterday evening and wanted to find a way to reassure her about his intentions regarding Cody. He reached over and picked up a photograph off the end table. He handed it to her. “Here. Kayla found this in the attic.”
    Shelby’s mouth dropped open as she looked at the small boy who was the mirror image of Cody, aside from the color of his hair. “Is this you?”
    “Yeah. When I was about Cody’s age.”
    “The resemblance is amazing.” She raised her gaze to his. “Is this your way of telling me you believe you’re Cody’s father?”
    Trust Shelby to get right to the point.
    “Yes. I’m convinced.” He took a seat across from her, still giving her plenty of space. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I wanted to let you know, I do want Cody in my life, but I’ll never keep Cody away from you. I’ve seen you interact with him and it’s clear how much you love him. And he loves you, too. I would never take that away from either of you. You will always be an important part of his life.”
    “I—thank you.”
    For a moment his chest tightened when her eyes shimmered with tears.
    “I’m the closest thing he has to a mother and