Part 1Lost in His World

The first day of preschool.

My darling boy was clinging to a police officer, bawling his eyes out.

"Help me! I don't wanna go to school!"

Sigh. I stepped forward to pry my son off the poor man, and then… I froze.

Because this wasn't just any cop. It was my damn ex.

* * *

I’ll admit, a man in uniform has a certain appeal.

My son, Theo, was attached to him like a little koala, his arms and legs wrapped tight. His little nose and eyes were red and puffy from crying, his breath catching in hiccuping sobs as he buried his head in the officer’s neck, completely secure.

The officer, however, looked anything but secure when he saw me. His face changed instantly.

My own heart lurched. Four years since the breakup, and of all the places to run into him, it had to be here. All I could think was, what rotten luck. I’d sworn four years ago that if I ever saw him again, I’d be struck by lightning. Looks like my karmic retribution was just around the corner.

But before divine justice could smite me, I had to get my son back.

"Theo, honey, come here. You're getting the nice officer's uniform all dirty," I tried, hoping a little white lie would do the trick.

The little traitor didn't even spare me a glance, having already defected to the enemy.

Chace’s eyes, sharp and intense, were fixed on me. His brow was furrowed, his lips pressed into a thin line. He was staring at me like he was aiming a sniper rifle right at my soul, and it was making my skin crawl.

I just prayed my son would get the telepathic message and come to me.

"No," Theo mumbled, tightening his little arms. He looked at me with tear-filled, mournful eyes.

"I…" Forgive my inner brute, but at this rate, I’d never get this kid into school.

This… this little rebel!

He was forcing my hand.

"Listen up, kiddo. Police officers are here to catch naughty little boys. You want a shiny pair of silver bracelets? A nice, hard bed at the station? Little Joey from next door has been eyeing your Super Wings collection for a long time. The second you're hauled away, I'm giving it all to him."

It wasn't just Theo; Chace's expression darkened even further. His handsome face was like a storm cloud rolling in.

He always looked like that when he was angry. I used to be able to gauge the exact level of his fury by the shade of his scowl. Right now, we were at DEFCON 1, probably because I was slandering his entire profession.

I know, I know, you're not supposed to use police officers to scare children. But I was desperate.

"Officer, do you really arrest little kids?" Theo asked, cupping Chace's face with his chubby hands, his eyes brimming with pitiful tears.

"No," Chace answered firmly.

Excuse me??

Alright, fine. So much for my authority.

I glanced at my watch. If I didn't get Theo into that school soon, I was going to be late for work, and there went my perfect attendance bonus for the month.

"But," Chace added, his tone softening, "officers don't like boys who don't behave. Are you a good boy?"

My little fool nodded obediently, his voice milky. "I am. Theo is the bestest boy."

"Good. Then I'll take you inside," Chace said, his voice shifting. With a single fluid motion, he strode past me, carrying Theo into the preschool.

I scurried behind them, marveling at how easily he’d handled it. A kid was just a kid. How could he possibly outsmart Chace? The memory of how thoroughly Chace used to run circles around me still brought a sting to my eyes.