“Don’t you dare do it.”
Whether Lottie was talking to me or her dad, I had no idea. Probably both of us.
The boxes had been unloaded, the minifridge filled, bed made, yet we were still hanging around. We’d reached the point that there were no more ridiculous excuses for us to be here, and I expected she’d have thrown us out of her dorm room at least an hour ago if she’d been physically able to move us on.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Eddie glanced away, staring pointedly out the window. Without a doubt, I knew tears would be threatening. The urge to tease fell flat, my own emotion sitting high in my throat.
“Geez. I mean it. I’m going to be known asthatgirl with two blubbering dads. It’s hardly like you’re doing a great job of blending in.” The exasperation in her voice was strong, but since I hadn’t looked away, her struggle wasn’t as invisible as she hoped.
That was my cue to step up, wrangle her dad, and let her start living her college life.
Without tears.
At least until we were three blocks away.
“Right.” I clapped my hands. “It looks like you’re all settled. You know how to organize your app for campus meals, right?”
Rather than rolling her eyes at me, Lottie’s gaze softened. “I’m all set, Pop-Tart.” Before I could ask the next question on my mental list, she stepped into my space and wrapped her arms around me. “I’ve got this. I know what to do in an emergency. I have a campus map. I have my schedule. I’ve got the credit card in my Apple Wallet.”
“Emergencycredit card,” I said with a smile, hugging her hard.
“I promise I’ll be fine. I’m more worried about you.”
I dotted a kiss on her head and pulled away chuckling, aware since I’d indicated it was time to leave, Eddie had faced us. “Me? Why?”
“You’re going to have to put up with the old man. You know he’s going to pine, right?”
“Pining. Pfft…”
I smiled at Eddie’s attempt to deny her words. “Yeah, there’ll be pining, but I have ways to distract your father.”
“Ew.” She stepped out of my hold, wrinkling her nose. “And that’s something I am so not going to miss.”
I gasped, keeping up with the levity. Anything was better than tears at this point. “We’re adorable.”
“Uh-huh. You guys keep telling yourselves that. You know how much I’m looking forward to not having to wear my headphones at night?” Lottie arched her brow high, looking scarily like her mom when she did so.
“Uhm…,” I said with a laugh, trying to cover up the mortification of even thinking about our daughter hearing me and her dad going at it. “Now that’s our definite cue to leave.” I shot a glance at Eddie. The poor guy looked miserable as hell.
Lottie wasn’t wrong about the pining. Eddie was going to be a nightmare. But I really did have all the best plans to distract him.
“Go say goodbye to your dad, and then I’ll get him out of here.”
She sent me a grateful smile and hugged me hard. And fuck if a new wave of emotion didn’t sweep over me. Who knew letting go could be so damn hard?
When I’d left the Eagles seven years ago, it had been an emotional, bittersweet goodbye, but being able to spend more nights at home than not with my family, once I’d joined the Jetts, had been worth it.
And the Championship I’d won with the Jetts five years ago had been even better.
Even then, with my emotions high, they’d been nothing like this. Add in my retirement three years ago, which had taken Eddie some work to convince me didn’t mean I was past my due date, and each of those moments had been a breeze.
A black hole of fear sat in my chest that Lottie would be at college eight long hours away. Fuck, I was going to miss her so damn much.
“Dad.”
Lottie’s strangled voice caught my attention. I pursed my lips, understanding Eddie’s inability to release her, while trying to hold on to my amusement at Lottie’s panicked plea for help as she stared my way.
“Come on, Ed. Time to let her go.” I reached out and rubbed his back, my palm landing on the nape of his neck where I gave a reassuring squeeze. “We need to leave. Lottie will be fine. She’s got this. You know that.”
