Falling For Her Billionaire Baby Daddy

True to his promise, Derek became a constant part of Zoe's life. He was around for daycare drop-offs and pickups, play dates at Rachel's place, and weekly picnics at the neighborhood park.

He also made himself available for every other activity that the toddler wanted him to participate in.

Rachel noticed how his presence made their child happier than ever and how Zoe never hesitated to tell whoever cared to listen that her daddy was the best.

While the bond between father and daughter grew, Rachel became increasingly uncomfortable with having Derek around at her house even at very late hours of the day. He had bought a house a few blocks away from her apartment which made it convenient for him to show up at her place whenever Zoe called for him.

After that odd statement he'd made at Zoe's birthday party four months ago, he had made conscious efforts to remain friendly yet distant from her.

That made it clear to her that he had no intention of pursuing an intimate relationship with her if she wasn't interested. His emotional distance was supposed to be comforting for her but she rather found it... unsettling and that feeling confused her.

One part of her wanted him to woo her but another part didn't. She wanted him to notice her but she also didn't want his attention. This weird internal struggle was driving her crazy but she didn't know what to do about it.

She had cut two inches off her back-length hair and added light brown highlights that made her hair glisten like polished brass when she moved her head. She'd told herself that she only did that to switch up her look a little bit. Deep down she knew she partly did it to get a reaction from Derek. When he complimented her new look yesterday, she'd been so delighted that she felt like a princess for the rest of the day.

Rachel knew she needed to tread carefully. If not, she might find herself falling for her billionaire baby daddy who once broke her heart and is now back in her life for the sake of their daughter.

They were great co-parents but when it came to the two of them, it was a silent bedlam. Although she couldn't tell if Derek felt anything for her beyond respect.

Her phone rang and it was her friend, Fiona, video calling her.

"Hello, Mama Bear," said Fiona. "Howdy?"

"I'm doing good," Rachel grinned.

"Wow, your hair looks fabulous," Fiona commented. "I don't blame you, I'd probably do the same if I had a hot billionaire camping out in my apartment every day."

"Shut up, Fiona," Rachel laughed. "And for your information, he's not camping out in my apartment as you put it. He has a mini-mansion all to himself where he lives."

"Which is a stone's throw away from where you are, meaning you can sashay to his apartment this evening wearing a see-through nighty with a bottle of wine in one hand and a casserole dish in the other."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not going to do that," said Rachel, dismissively.

"And why not, if I may ask?"

"Are you kidding? He's only here for Zoe, not me."

"Now, you are the one who's kidding if you think that the only reason Derek Fraser is constantly sniffing around you is that he wants to be with Zoe. You're the main catch, darling."

"You sound as if you know this guy more than I do," mused Rachel. "Look, I'm not interested, ok? Once bitten, twice shy. Does that sound familiar to you?"

"Don't be such a sour puss, Rachel. Don't you think this is an opportunity for you and Derek?"

"What do you mean?"

Fiona sighed. "He's there co-parenting with you perfectly and Zoe is happing having him around. Don't you think it would be great if both of you could get together for real?" "Well, um..."

"He's single and you're single, and that to me is the perfect recipe for a smashing relationship. Come on, babe. Give the guy a chance, get to know him, and see if he wants what you want." "Look, if I'm being honest, I don't know what I want. I want Derek and I don't want him. It's hard to explain," Rachel confessed.

"That could be guilt kicking in," said Fiona.

"Guilt?"

"Yeah. You don't think you should feel attracted to him after how much hell you gave him for throwing you out of his life when you needed him. And now you even feel a tiny bit jealous of Zoe for getting all of his attention." "Uh, the last time I checked, Fiona, you are a realtor, not a shrink. Stop trying to analyze my feelings."

"But you know I'm right, don't you?"

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"You're not. First of all, I'm not jealous of Zoe for getting all of her father's attention as she should.

"Second, I don't like Derek like that. I'm just glad that Zoe has a father figure in her life and that she has both of us with her to give her all of the love she deserves. And third, I don't even know if this guy is even single." "Why don't you just ask him?"

"Are you nuts? Why would I do that?"

Fiona groaned. "Why are you acting like a shy virgin all of a sudden, Rachel? What do you have to lose?"

"My pride," replied Rachel before rolling her eyes.

"Girl..."

"Stop it, Fiona. I'm not going to embarrass myself like that."

"Ok, if you insist."

"I do."

"At least I tried," said Fiona with a shrug.

Rachel laughed. "Let's change the subject. What's up with you and the girls?"

"Oh, we good. We had a girl's night out last night at The Black Hat."

"Really? What were you all celebrating?"

"Nothing really. We just felt good and wanted to hang out. It was odd without you, you know. But we saved a seat for you, as we always do."

"Aww... I wish you guys would come over here for a visit to us one of these days though. I miss you guys so much."

"And we miss you too. Don't worry, the chicks and I are planning something soon. Once we can all get a break from our jobs, we will pack up our stuff and fly to Atlanta to paint the streets red."

"Oh, I would love nothing more!" Said Rachel, excitedly.

"OK, love. I gotta go. Talk to you soon."

"Bye, darling."

After the call ended, Rachel had to confront her jumbled emotions. Was Fiona right?

Was she hesitating to explore her feelings for Derek because of guilt or was she just afraid that he might reject her again?

Besides, she didn't know for certain if he was single or if he had a girlfriend in New York or whatever.

With a sigh, she withdrew the cookies she'd been baking from the oven and laid them out on the island to cool. In a few minutes, she would go to the daycare to pick up Zoe.

Having her there every day gave her ample time to run errands and film her YouTube content without interruptions. Especially for the videos that she didn't want her child to feature in. She almost couldn't believe how nearly perfect her life

was now.

She had a career that she enjoyed, which earned her a sizeable income every month. She had her own apartment, a healthy child she adored, and family and friends who loved and genuinely cared for her.

It was everything she had always wanted since she was a teenager, except that she had dreamed that it would be in a different order - love, marriage, and then, family.

"Oh, well," she said with a sigh and made her way to her bedroom where she changed from her housedress into a purple playsuit decorated with tiny pink flowers.

Zoe loved it when she wore this outfit and Rachel was eager to see her daughter's bright smile when she saw her in this look. She should be satisfied with having only Zoe in her life, shouldn't she? Why did she still feel as if something was missing in her life?

She should probably take her aunt's advice and go to the next speed dating hangout this Friday at the local pub in the area. Who knows, she just might meet an interesting guy and they just might hit off.

And before you knew it sparks could fly and they could fall madly in love with each other and live happily ever after together.

"Snap out of it, Rachel," she told herself as she brushed her shiny hair. She was letting Fiona and her obsession with love get to her.

She would figure her feelings out and find her balance soon, there was no need for her to make rash decisions just yet. Right?