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Flippantly, she waves her good hand in the air. “Really, I’m just, well, obviously, I’m shocked, but I’m not mad you didn’t tell me or anything. I don’t know you all that well, and as I said, you don’t owe me anything. I need to get going, as do you.” She gives me a quick, awkward side hug since I’m holding Fen and her wrist is hurt. “I won’t say anything to anyone.”

The sincerity in her eyes cuts the breath from my lungs. Keegan is probably one of the sweetest and most loyal people I’ve ever met. I don’t want her to go. Not like this. But I can’t stay, and any feeling I have that’s urging me for more isn’t a voice I should heed.

“Thank you. Please take care of your wrist.”

“I will.”

She gives Tinsley a hug and walks off, and that’s that. I watch her for a moment, her red curls bouncing behind her as she carefully manages the sidewalk, and something inside me pulls in the worst of ways. Something more than guilt or worry.

I look at Tinsley. “I feel dreadful.”

“Don’t. I’ve known Keegan my entire life. If she were truly mad or upset, she’d let you know it. She’s a big girl and nostranger to wild stuff. Remember, she’s a Fritz. Text her later and leave it at that.”

I nod. Tinsley is right, and I know it. Keegan said she was fine, and I have to believe her. Even if I can’t help but feel I’ve made a total cock-up of everything. Again.

“Come on,” Tinsley continues. “My mom’s waiting.”

I walk over to Tinsley and wrap an arm around her, shifting Fen to my other side. Tinsley has been my best friend since we first met on a set a few years ago, but she’s become more than that to me since Fen was dropped on my mum’s doorstep four months ago. Her help has been immeasurable, and not just in being there or offering me a shoulder to lose my sodding mind on.

Her connections and friends have been lifesaving, and between her and Mum, I’ve slowly been getting my bearings. Except Mum is back in London, and I’m here, and things are about to get very serious for me. I’ve notified no one. Not the police or anyone in the four months I’ve had him. Was that wrong? Likely, but my life isn’t so simple. It’s extremely public, and with that, a nightmare for both Fen and me would have ensued.

He's only a little boy. He doesn’t need that kind of public scrutiny and chaos taking over his life.

But now it’s getting to the point where I’ll have to announce publicly that I have a son, and with that, American Child Family Services will get involved since I’m living here for the next few months and working on a visa. I’ll also have to figure out his citizenship.

Before that happens, I want to make sure I look like the picture of a perfect father, and single fathers with a reputation of a Hollywood bad boy who work bastardly long hours aren’t that.

“How was your meeting with the production team?” she asks, both of us keeping our heads down and avoiding eye contactwith anyone. Fen’s tucked into me, and I’m glad because these sidewalks are slippery and I’d hate for him to slip and fall the way Keegan did.

“It went well. My film sidekick, Tommy Hardgrave, was there, and the female lead, Kierra Thorn, is to come in next month.”

“How was Tommy?”

I shrug. “Fine. Seemed nice enough and enthusiastic about the project. He asked about my disguise.”

She winces. “What did you say?”

“That I prefer to keep a low profile. What else could I say? Regardless, they want to start shooting next month, which will hopefully be enough time for me to get things sorted out. It’s going to be long hours, though, and a lot of physical demands with the stunts they want me to do.”

“Action hero by day, diaper-changing maverick by night,” she quips.

“So it seems. Balancing the scales of career and fatherhood is like juggling chainsaws. Though in my case, the chainsaws are on fire, and I’m blindfolded.”

“We’ll figure it out, Loomis. We will.”

Despite the uncertainty tugging at my gut, I lean over and kiss her temple. “Thank you for thewe. As always, you’re my star.”

We reach the building where Dr. Fallon Monroe, Tinsley’s mum, practices. She’s a pediatrician and has been quietly helping me, likely at her own risk. Tinsley guides us in and through the back, where she punches in a code on a keypad on a door that says Employees Only. We enter, meandering along the pale green halls until we reach the room we used the last time I brought him here.

I close the door behind me and sit on the bed, the white paper crinkling beneath me. I glance down at Fen and chuckle lightly.He’s out. No surprise there. The lad hasn’t slept well this week since we’ve come from London, and I’m afraid he’s fighting a bit of a cold if his runny nose is any indication. If I hadn’t helped my mum with my two younger brothers growing up and had a basic sense of what to do with a child, I’d be losing my mind.

More than I already am.

Tinsley climbs on the bed beside me, and a few minutes later, there’s a knock on the door, and Tinsley’s mum pops her head in, spots us, smiles, and scoots in, closing the door behind her.

“Hi!” she greets us, coming over and hugging Tinsley. “I trust you had no issues getting in?”

Tinsley shakes her head. “Nope. Easy-peasy.”