Chapter 294: A Date Arranged By The Kids

I closed my eyes, massaging my temple. "I'll handle it. Please tell the children their uncle is picking them up instead."

When I later learned what happened, I couldn't help but picture the scene: James standing proudly beside a gleaming helicopter, arms outstretched to welcome the twins—only to watch in dismay as Theo spotted him, grabbed Harper's hand, and ran in the opposite direction. They'd dashed straight to Nathan's waiting car, diving into the backseat as if escaping danger.

"What were you thinking?" I asked James that evening.

"All kids love helicopters," he replied, sounding genuinely baffled by his latest failure.

"Not when they're angry at the person offering the ride," I pointed out gently.

James ran his hands through his hair, disheveling his normally perfect appearance even further. The pristine CEO was gradually giving way to something more human, more vulnerable—a man willing to look foolish if it meant reaching his children.

By the end of the second week, even James's legendary stubbornness showed signs of wear. I spotted him at the park on Saturday, keeping a respectful distance as the twins played on the swings. His hands were shoved deep in his pockets, tie abandoned for once, his expression reminiscent of a rejected puppy watching its family through a window.

When Harper took a tumble from the monkey bars, scraping her knee, James started forward instinctively—only to freeze when she scrambled up and ran straight past him to me instead, tears streaming down her face.

The flash of pain in his eyes was almost physical.

Later, as we walked home, Theo asked me in a whisper, "Is James going to give up on us soon?"

Something in his tone made me look closer. "Do you want him to?"

Theo shrugged, suddenly fascinated by his shoelaces. "Just wondering."

***

The following Wednesday, James called to tell me he had to fly to Chicago for an emergency board meeting.

"I'll only be gone two days," he promised. "Will you tell the kids? I tried to explain, but they walked away when I started talking."

"Of course," I said, hearing the weariness in his voice. "Don't worry about us."

That afternoon as I picked up the twins from school, Harper tugged on my sleeve with unusual enthusiasm.

"Mommy! Sam is having a birthday party tomorrow, and he invited me! Can we please go?"

"Sam?" I tried to place the name among her numerous classmates.

"Sam Grande," she clarified, practically vibrating with excitement. "He sits next to me in class. His party is after school tomorrow. Please, please, please?"

I checked my calendar. "I think we can manage that. We should get him a present."

"Yes!" Harper clapped her hands. "Let's go shopping right now!"

We spent that evening selecting what Harper insisted was "the perfect gift"—a deluxe art set that seemed excessive for a five-year-old's birthday. Harper was unusually invested in the wrapping, insisting I wear my "pretty blue dress" for the party.

"It's just a kids' birthday party," I reminded her, amused by her excitement. "I don't need to dress up."

"But you should look nice," she insisted cryptically.

The next day, Harper practically dragged me to Sam's home address—a tasteful brownstone in a quiet neighborhood. I was surprised to find only one car parked outside what I'd assumed would be a noisy gathering of kindergarteners.

When a tall, dark-haired man opened the door, Harper beamed triumphantly.

"Mr. Grande! We're here for Sam's party!"

The man smiled warmly. "Harper! Sam's been waiting for you. And you must be Ms. Lewis." He extended his hand. "Dan Grande. Please, come in."

I stepped inside, immediately noticing the suspicious lack of other children. "Is... is Sam's party a small gathering?"

Dan laughed, a pleasant, rich sound. "Very small. Just the four of us, actually."

Harper tugged on my dress. "Mommy, Mr. Grande is a lawyer. He wins almost every case he takes."

I blinked at the non-sequitur as Dan led us to a living room where a small boy—presumably Sam—was arranging action figures.

"Harper!" Sam called, abandoning his toys to run over. "You came!"

"Of course!" Harper replied, then looked back and forth between me and Dan with an exaggerated wink that was about as subtle as a fire truck. "Look, I brought my mommy!"

A slow, horrifying realization dawned on me. "Harper, sweetie, is this... are there other kids coming to this party?"

Harper shook her head, pigtails swinging. "Nope! Just us! It's a special party!"

"Mr. Grande came to our class for show-and-tell," Harper explained, bouncing on her toes. "When Sophie throwed up her lunch, he carried her all the way to the nurse! He's super strong and nice." She leaned in and whispered way too loudly, "Much better than James the fibber."

My cheeks burned as Dan discreetly busied himself in the kitchen, pretending not to hear.

"Harper," I hissed, "did you and Sam plan this so your mommy and his daddy would meet?"

She grinned proudly, showing her missing tooth. "Sam showed his daddy your picture from the class paper! His daddy said you're really pretty! We made a super good plan!" She tugged on my dress excitedly. "Now you can be friends and then maybe get married and we can all live together and have a dog!"

"Harper!" I whispered, utterly mortified.

Dan emerged from the kitchen, apparently oblivious to my discomfort. "Ms. Lewis, please have a seat. I'll whip up a couple of dishes."

While Harper and Sam disappeared to play, I discreetly pulled out my phone and snapped a quick picture of the elegantly set table for two adults and two children.

I sent it to James with the caption: *Your baby girl has arranged a blind date for me today.*

His response was immediate: *???*

"Who? Where?" James's second text arrived almost immediately after the first.

I quickly typed back a brief explanation of Harper's elaborate matchmaking scheme and Dan Grande's tastefully prepared dining table.

His response was unnervingly fast: "Is that Dan Grande from Parkside Associates?"

I blinked at my phone in surprise. "You know him?"

"The New York legal circle is smaller than you'd think. Coincidentally, Thornton Group just acquired a company that needs extensive legal paperwork handled. I'll arrange something immediately."

My fingers hovered over the screen. "James Thornton, you're not planning to..."