“Dude, don’t call me Daddy.”
The guys laugh.
I chuckle and lay down the money. Abby takes out her phone. “Y’all, stand closer so I can grab a photo.” My teammates and I huddle up, and Hazel leans over to put her arm around my shoulders. “Oh my God, that’s adorable. Smile!”
The girls then squeeze together to take a few selfies.
After everyone’s done taking pics, Mav, Finn, and I step up to the basket toss. It’s ten bucks for ten balls. The basket isn’t too far, but the angle is tricky. If you throw too hard, the ball pops right out, as Mav just illustrated. You need a pretty soft touch, and a little backspin wouldn’t hurt.
Mav ends up with five in the bucket and a small bear, which he gives Baylee, and Finn gets seven, so he lands a medium-sized prize, which he hands to Paige.
When my first ball pops right out, Jinxy hisses, and I shoot him a dirty look, which only makes him laugh.
Hazel leans over to kiss my cheek. “Come on, Daddy! You got this!”
I nail the next nine balls, which makes my daughter squeal with glee when she gets the giant pink unicorn. She can’t even hold the damn thing, it’s so heavy. I help her heave it into the air, and the guys all cheer.
“Daddy, I have to pee,” she announces.
That’s the thing about kids. They constantly eat, pee, or puke. I’m hoping nothing she eats tonight upsets her stomach.
Abby offers Hazel her hand. “I can take her to the bathroom.”
After I hoist the unicorn under my arm, I wink at her. “Thanks, babe.”
I don’t mean to call her by an intimate nickname. It just slips out, but Hazel’s too busy jumping up and down on one leg like she’s about to burst to notice my slip-up.
Hand in hand, Hazel happily trots off with Abby. They look so sweet together. Almost like Hazel is Abby’s daughter, a thought that immediately makes me feel guilty.
I probably should’ve gotten therapy in the aftermath of what happened to Gemma. I justified it because I was so busy trying to keep my child fed and diapered while attempting to piece my life back together, but now I wonder if it was smart to put that off. I definitely have issues I need to work through at some point.
It’s concerning that the only way I feel like I have a shot at football is if I stay in the present. I can’t think about the past or worry about the future. It’s like I need blinders so I stay in the moment. I’m not sure that’s healthy.
And this thing with Abby? The sex is insane. We combust whenever we come together. I’ve never experienced anything like it. I vacillate between feeling grateful as hell I found her and guilty as fuck that the sex is so damn good.
Gemma and I had sweet sex. I was the only guy she’d ever slept with, and it’s not like I’d had a ton of experience when we started dating in high school. But I wouldn’t describe it as feral, the way Abby and I get sometimes.
Granted, we’ve only been seeing each other for two weeks, but I feel like Abby and I have been dancing around each other for a while. We’ve had a connection from the beginning. It’s been easy to work together and be friends, so leveling up with her feels like the most natural thing in the world.
The guys wait with me. Everyone’s shooting the shit. I’m leaning against the booth, about to check my messages, when Tiffany wanders up to me with a few of her friends.
“Hey, stranger,” she purrs as she drags her hand down my arm, which I promptly move.
“What’s up?”
She holds open her arms. “Don’t I get a hug?”
“Kinda have my hands full here.” I show her the unicorn, and her eyes widen.
“That’s fucking adorable. Can I have it?”
“Sorry. My daughter already called dibs.”
I look to the guys to get me out of this, but they’re heatedly debating some fantasy football regulation.
Tiffany sidles closer while her friends stay back. This can’t be good.
“Jinxy,” I call out. “Didn’t you say you were looking for Tiffany?”
