Page 15 of Librarian for the Jock

Chapter Fifteen

PAIGE

The next day, after my workday was done, we decided to test out our first “Operation Fool the Paparazzo” plan. I was still a little shocked at my children’s idea to be a pretend family, but I was proud of my sweet kids for wanting to help. I knew it would be fun, so I agreed to go along with it. They were right; I never turned down the opportunity to help someone in need.

We decided to start with a family activity at the park and a sunset picnic dinner. It was a very public plan, and if it worked, Rigs wouldn’t recognize Chet at all, so we were all praying it would succeed. I imagined it must be so hard for Chet to live this way, constantly looking over his shoulder.

As we were getting ready to leave for the park, the excitement in the house was palpable. Jenny and Brandon buzzed around, gathering everything we needed for our evening out. I was in the kitchen, packing the picnic basket, when Jenny suddenly stopped and looked at Chet and me with a serious expression on her face.

“If you guys are going to fool Rigs, you need to look like a real couple,” she announced, hands on her hips like a tiny drill sergeant.

Chet raised an eyebrow, glancing at me with a smile on his lips. “Oh? And how do we do that, Jenny?”

Jenny grinned, clearly loving every moment of this. “You have to hold hands. Real couples always hold hands. And not like how you hold my hand, Mommy. You have to interlock your fingers like this!” Jenny held up her two hands and interlocked her fingers to demonstrate what she meant.

I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks as I looked at Chet. He stepped closer, extending his hand toward me, his eyes twinkling with amusement and something else—something warmer. “Well, if the expert says we have to hold hands, who am I to argue?” he said, his voice playful, yet sincere.

I took his hand, feeling a little self-conscious, and it felt like electricity ran through our fingertips as they touched for the first time. His hand was warm and strong, and he made me feel safe.

“Mommy, you have to stand closer to Chet! You are standing too far away, like he has cooties or something!” Jenny scolded. Brandon chimed in, nodding in agreement with his sister. “Yeah, you two need to look like you really like each other. It’s part of the plan.”

Which plan, I wondered. I was starting to think that the kids had a completely different plan in mind here.

“Alright, alright,” I laughed nervously, moving closer to Chet and giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “We’ll hold hands and stand closer. Does this look better? Anything else, General Jenny and Sergeant Brandon?”

Jenny giggled, satisfied. “Nope, that’s it. Just make sure you act like you’re having fun together. Oh! And Mommy, you have to look up at Chet once in a while like he is all that to you. I think you should practice that now too.”

I glared at her as she grinned widely. She was enjoying this a little too much, and it was clear that she was more interested in Chet and me getting together than in our plan to avoid Rigs. But I had to admit, I wasn’t minding it so much. I did my best to relax and play along—this was all for Chet, after all. I took a deep breath and looked up at Chet. He was already looking down at me, grinning, which made it a lot easier to smile back. This was all so silly, and yet it felt oddly natural and easy.

“Okay, now hug,” Jenny demanded.

We let go of each other’s hands, and Chet brought me in close. We hugged, still grinning goofily at each other. This was starting to get out of hand.

“That’s great! Now kiss!” I could hear Jenny grinning with excitement.

I dropped my arms and backed away from Chet. “Okay, Jenny, you are going a little too far now!”

Jenny, Brandon, and Chet burst out laughing. I had to take deep breaths to calm my pounding heart. That was not funny!

We finished gathering everything we needed for our dinner picnic. With our new “couple” directive in place, we headed out to the park. As we walked, hand in hand, with Jenny and Brandon leading, I couldn’t help but steal glances at Chet in his baseball cap and sunglasses. There was something different about this—something that felt real, despite the fact that what we were doing was just supposed to be a scheme. Part of me was freaking out just a little bit inside, and I wondered if he felt it too.

At the park, we set up our picnic in a beautiful spot near a group of trees. I had never seen Rigs before, so I wasn’t entirely sure what to look for. I noticed Chet scanning the area discreetly, but he didn’t seem to find what he was looking for, at least at first. Then, Chet leaned in close. When he did this, my heart started to beat a little faster. I felt his warm breath tickle my cheek, his voice low and casual, as he said, “See the guy on the bench over by the oak tree, pretending to read a newspaper?”

I struggled to act normal, doing my best to casually turn and glance in that direction while also trying to be subtle. As I spread out our picnic blanket, I spotted the guy. “Yeah, I see him.”

“That’s Rigs. He’s pretty young, probably late twenties. He’s got dark hair, and he’s wearing a baseball cap pulled low. He’s known for hiding in unique places to get his shots.”

I took a moment to observe Rigs. He was lean and wiry, with an air of alertness that didn’t match his casual pose. The way he occasionally peeked over his newspaper with a camera ready confirmed Chet’s description.

The kids claimed they were too old for the playground, so we had planned something more fitting—a frisbee game before we enjoyed our picnic dinner. Although it occurred to me now that we had this plan in place, a game of frisbee didn’t exactly make us less noticeable for anyone watching.

“Hey, Chet,” Brandon said, pulling out a bright red frisbee. “Think you can keep up with us?”

Chet laughed, ruffling Brandon’s hair. “Oh, you’re on!”

We started a lively game of frisbee, with the kids running around and Chet and I making exaggerated throws and catches. Every now and then, I glanced toward Rigs, who briefly looked at us but didn’t seem to recognize Chet because we didn’t hold his attention for long. It was working—he thought we were just an ordinary small-town family.

“Nice catch, Paige!” Chet called out, giving me a high-five that seamlessly transitioned into holding my hand. It felt natural, and I noticed that the kids were pleased with how well we were pulling this off.

After a while, we moved to the picnic area. We took our seats on the blanket and laid out our feast. The kids chatted animatedly about school and their favorite shows, keeping the conversation lively and normal. Chet and I sat close, our hands intertwined as we enjoyed the food.

“Mommy, please pass the grapes,” Jenny said, reaching over.

I handed her the bowl, smiling at how effortlessly we were blending in. Rigs was still there on his bench looking around, but there was nothing scandalous or interesting for him to capture. He was starting to look a little bored.

As we finished our picnic, Brandon suggested, “How about a walk around the lake?”

“Great idea,” Chet agreed, standing up and helping me to my feet. “Ready for a stroll, Honey?” I made a face at him, but I didn’t say “no” or correct him either.

I nodded, and he jumped up, reaching out to help me up. I gratefully took his hands and got to my feet. It felt so nice to have someone wanting to help and support me in little things like this. We started walking, still holding hands. The kids walked ahead of us, chatting and laughing. We walked around the lake at a leisurely pace, enjoying the scenery and the feeling of togetherness.

As we passed by the spot where Rigs was sitting, he barely glanced at us, clearly not recognizing Chet. The simple disguise and the family dynamic were working perfectly. Rigs actually sighed loudly as we walked by, and we saw him gather his stuff and leave the park. Victory! When he was gone, we continued our walk around the lake, sharing stories and enjoying the day. I noticed that Chet and I continued to play our parts, even though Rigs had already left.

As we headed home later, it was clear that our plan had been a success and everyone was thrilled.

“You guys were amazing,” Chet said, his voice filled with gratitude. “Thank you.”

Jenny grinned. “Operation Family Picnic was a success!”

Brandon nodded. “Yeah, and it was actually a lot of fun.”

Chet squeezed my hand as we walked. “Thanks for playing along, Paige. It meant a lot.”

I smiled back, feeling a warm glow. “Anytime, Chet. Anytime.” And I meant it.