The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 412

Felix happily scampered off.

Now that they were alone in the living room, Clara looked down at the sunflowers in his hand. "You should put those in water. They won't last long otherwise."

Rhys's eyes lit up. She hadn't thrown them out.

"Okay." He turned and strode into the kitchen.

Clara watched him work. He rinsed the stems and trimmed the ends one by one with a pair of scissors as the water ran.

"Did your chief approve the transfer?" Clara asked.

Rhys arranged the trimmed sunflowers in a glass vase filled with water. "Yeah, it's approved."

"When do you start?"

"After the New Year. The department gave me an extended leave to focus on my recovery."

Clara murmured, "That's good."

A desk job at the command center meant no more facing unknown dangers on the front lines, no more life-or-death situations. It was better for his health.

And for Felix's sake, it removed the looming risk of one day losing his father.

Rhys carried the vase over, placed it squarely in the center of the coffee table, and sat down.

"Did you eat dinner?" he asked.

Clara found the question absurd. "You didn't come home. Did you expect me and Felix to starve while we waited for you?"

Rhys fell silent. He glanced at the clean kitchen counter. He had planned to come home early to make dinner, but he'd ended up spending the entire day at the hospital.

Even though he didn't have Clara's number, he realized he probably should have come home first to let her know.

"Let's take Felix to the indoor amusement park tomorrow," Rhys suggested, testing the waters. "A new kids' play center just opened in Brighton City. It's huge, with lots of activities for boys."

"You're taking him?"

"Let's all go together."

The moment he said those two things, Felix's eyes visibly lit up. Guns and balls. No boy, no matter how young, could resist that.

Simon had taken him to the beach to collect shells and catch crabs. Noah had taken him to the museum to see dinosaur skeletons. But he had never, ever tried shooting or bowling.

Felix scooted forward, dropping his towel.

"Soft-tip guns?" His voice rose with excitement. "The kind where you get to shoot?"

Rhys nodded. "Yeah, for kids. They're very safe, and there are lots of different guns to choose from. Dad will teach you how to hold it and how to aim."

A police officer dad personally teaching him how to shoot—the temptation was overwhelming.

Felix got even more excited. "What about bowling? Are the balls heavy?"

Rhys gestured with his hands to show the size. "Not heavy at all," he answered patiently. "Just big enough for you to hold with both hands."

Felix was completely sold.