I have to admit I’m not crazy about that scenario either. Abigail seems way too innocent to date one of those guys who strolled up on my lawn, but I’m curious what her rationale is. “Why’s that?”
Her blue eyes sear into mine. “Because I read a statistic about how many of them cheat.”
Knowing she dated Ezra, I can’t blame her for feeling that way, but it’s unfair for her to lump all elite athletes together. “I never cheated on my long-term girlfriend.” I never bring up Gemma, and honestly, I don’t know why I do now, but it’s too late to take it back.
Her expression softens. “Then she was lucky.”
Conversation is a little stilted after that, but fortunately, Paige brings up the game this weekend, and I can talk about football on autopilot. After dinner, I throw away the paper plates and toss the plastic water bottles in the recycling bin as Paige chats with my daughter.
Abigail is at the sink washing her hands when I tap her on the shoulder. “Can I at least pay for your glasses to be repaired? That happened when they fell behind the couch, right?”
“It’s fine. I was planning to get new frames anyway.” She shrugs. “Sometimes things break for a reason, you know? It’s like the universe’s way of making the decision for me.”
“I like your attitude.” I smile down at her. Damn, she’s so pretty. Abigail’s not wearing any makeup, but her big blue eyes are stunning nonetheless. She has beautiful full lips and creamy skin. And Christ, she smells good. Like ripe summer peaches. “Just so you know, I feel like I owe you a favor now.”
“Let’s call it even. I ruined your bumper, after all.”
I chuckle, which is a first for me. Until this moment, I hadn’t found that bumper very amusing. Maybe it helps I finally got it fixed.
Her blush deepens. “I’m just glad I could help Hazel.”
My attention drifts to my little munchkin, who’s still chatting with Paige. “I didn’t want to say this in front of Hazel, but I’m interviewing for a new nanny. Oksana and Hazel don’t gel, and the incident this week underscored this issue. Hazel tends to listen to music when she’s upset, but once she heard the fire alarm, she got scared and hid in the closet.” I’m just so fucking grateful there wasn’t a full-blown fire. “If she had a good relationship with Oksana, maybe she wouldn’t have been trying to block out the world with those headphones. In any event, Hazel and I have talked about not listening to music so loudly because she needs to be able to hear me or her babysitter if there’s an emergency.”
Abigail gives me a sympathetic smile. “I know that was scary, but I’m sure she learned a valuable lesson. It sounds like you’re teaching her all the right things.”
“I can only hope.” I feel like I fuck up a lot, and I really don’t wanna mess up my child. I jam my hands in my pockets. “By the way, if you’d like the job, if you’re still interested in the nanny position, I’d be okay with that.”
Her eyes widen, and she shakes her head. “I don’t think it would be a good idea.”
My heart sinks. It’s obvious my daughter likes her. Hell, the woman crawled through a window to help my kid. What more do I need to prove she’d be able to keep Hazel safe? But Abigail and I got off on a bad foot, starting with the car accident. And yeah, I wasn’t terribly friendly during that interview. She was just so nervous, I thought she was a football fangirl, and I’m not interested in hiring someone who’s here for the wrong reasons. “You think I’m an asshole.”
She laughs, and the smile she gives me makes my heart beat hard for some reason. “You’re a good dad, and I’m sure you’re a great employer, but I don’t think I want to work for anyone who’s”—her voice drops to a whisper—“seen me ass up, tits out, hanging over their window.”
I don’t let my eyes drop beneath her gorgeous face, though, Jesus, I wanna look. Unfortunately for both of us, I remember that moment down to the light berry color of her very hard nipples as they streaked across the glass.
I’ve thought about that more than I’m comfortable admitting.
But she makes a good point. I have seen a lot of Abigail, and I don’t want things to be weird between us.
Her cell rings on the counter, and I frown when I see the name. “Clark Kent Fireman is calling.” Is that the guy who was flirting with her after they evacuated my daughter? While I’m grateful the emergency crew was there that day to help, I’m not excited about him calling my sweet neighbor. I don’t know why I feel so protective of her all of a sudden.
She rolls her eyes. “Paige entered his info. I changed it from Hot Firefighter.”
“Are you going to answer it?”
“What’s the point? If you’re not going to swing at the ball, why take an at-bat?”
Damn, she knows her sports references too. My smile widens. “Why, Abigail Dawson, are you a baseball fan? I thought for sure you’d only be a diehard football fan.”
She shakes her head. “I’ve given up on football.”
I hold my hand over my heart. “That pains me to hear.” Her cheeks turn that lovely rosy color. “If you ever change your mind and want to come to a Bronco game, let me know. I’d be happy to score you some tickets.”
“Truthfully, I’m weaning myself off the sport. Too many good memories have been tarnished.”
What the fuck is wrong with Ezra? He had the whole world in the palm of his hand. Not only did he have a bright football career ahead of him, but he was dating this beautiful, smart woman. And he blew it. For what? A seedy blow job at a dumb party? What an idiot.
I want to tell Abby that not all men are like that, but it’s not my place. I don’t want to make things more awkward between us.
