Page 74 of The Strawberry Patch Pancake House

Olive leaned in closer. ‘We used a mix for the biscuits and whipped cream in a can.’

Archer leaned in and whispered back. ‘Well, it tastes better than my strawberry shortcake.’

‘Really?’

‘Yep.’ He planted a kiss on Olive’s nose. ‘Good job, chef.’

He didn’t think it was possible for Olive to smile any bigger, but somehow she was doing it. And when he glanced at Iris, she was smiling at him, too. That soft smile she only did when she thought he wasn’t looking. His favorite smile. The one that wasn’t playful or mischievous. The one that he thought,hoped, showed her real feelings.

She looked away. ‘Wow, Olive. Now I’m dying to try one.’

With that, they all dug into their cakes and washed them down with pink lemonade in delicate teacups. Archer complimented Olive’s dress and the whole picnic-surprise idea, and she told him about her day, with Iris popping in to fill in pertinent details, and the sun warmed the earth beneath them and the flowers bloomed and the birds chirped and Archer once again felt his life flip upside down.

Because helikedthis.

He liked coming home early. He liked talking to Olive. He liked having a picnic in the damn sunshine. He liked it a hell of a lot more than striving and pushing toward some unachievable career goal. This day, this life, felt like a different type of achievement. The type that only required his presence not his perfection.

And hereallyliked Iris sitting next to him. He liked that by the time the sun was getting lower and the air chillier that her body leaned against his. He wanted to pull her closer, to tuck her under his arm. He wanted to put Olive to bed together and talk about their day.

The man who had once only thought about his goals. About being the best. About perfection. Abouthimself.Now just wanted a sunny afternoon picnic with his favorite girls.

How was that for a surprise?

* * *

‘Okay, good. Now we’re going to practice putting your face in the water,’ Iris said, gesturing at the pool. Archer had left work early to rush over to the Y to catch some of Olive’s swimming lesson with Iris. The girls hadn’t noticed him yet, though. They were the only two in the pool and Iris’s voice echoed in the big space.

Olive looked at Iris like she had lost her mind. ‘I don’t want to.’

‘Trust me, it’s important.’

‘No, it’s not. I can swim with my face up like this, see.’ Olive doggie-paddled around the shallow end with her little face above the water and Archer had to stifle his laugh.

‘That’s nice, but what if you want to jump in?’

‘Then you’ll catch me.’

Olive’s blind trust in Iris made his heart swell.

‘What if you want to jump in by yourself?’

Olive shook her head. ‘I don’t want to.’

‘I think you should at least try…’ Iris trailed off as she glanced up and caught Archer lingering by the door.

‘Hey.’ He raised his hand in a sheepish wave. ‘I hope it’s okay I came. I left a little early so I could see some of Olive’s lesson.’

He left work early. That was a monumental statement from him and judging by the look on Iris’s face she thought so, too. But everything had slid into place over the last few weeks. He was all in with Olive. This was right and heknewit now. He wanted to be a dad. He wanted this life.

‘Of course it’s okay,’ Iris said, still studying him with a mildly surprised look on her face. Olive scrambled up the steps to greet him.

‘Hey, Liv.’

She hugged him around his legs, completely soaking his pants with her wet body.

‘You came to see me swim?’ she asked, gazing up at him so adoringly that Archer was sure Iris was right about his face turning soft and gooey when he looked at his kid. He was basically a human puddle at this point.

‘Yeah, let me see what you’ve learned,’ he said, detaching her arms from his knees.