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Klara tilted her head. “The grandfathers.”
A laugh from Joseph cut through the music and the kids were cheering. Sara gave my shoulder a squeeze as she drifted out to see the fun.
She wasn’t alone, Alicia and Becca followed with Carly right behind them. Chloe made a face and pulled out her phone. I didn’t blame her. Klara was in no hurry either.
Jeremy chuckled as he closed the door on his way out. Every year, there was a bet on the football game and whoever lost had to do a dare.
Apparently, the chicken dance was this year.
Hopefully someone videoed it.
CHAPTER 10
THERE YOU’LL BE
JAKE
“Did you see me, Daddy?” Josh asked as he slid to a stop on his skates.
The kid was a natural. Soccer was on break with the weather, so I’d been working on his ice skating cause he liked hockey. My little man.
“I did,” I told him, leaning against the wall with the other parents. “You should be out there though, listening to the instructor.”
He grinned, and I swore it was Frankie’s smile shining right back up at me. The “watch me do what I want smile” she wore when we were in second grade and she was more than willing to throw down.
“Go on,” I said, sending him off. I checked my watch as he went, then focused on how he was moving.
“He looks good,” a woman said as she drifted up to stand next to me at the rail. “He’s young though, yes?”
“Five,” I told her. “He’ll be six soon. He enjoys it. That’s the important part.” I’d loved sports when I’d been younger. Loved the competition, the struggle, and the work. I never intended to force Josh into any of that.
At the same time, I’d played hockey in a recreational league for a while. I’d taken a break for now. But I could go back to it in a few years when the kids were older. Or maybe I could just coach the kids. Bubba and I were debating volunteering with the local Little League in a couple of years.
“He’s good. That’s mine over there…” She pointed to one of the boys hesitating at the edges. “He does fine when he’s on his own, but in a group of kids…” Faint frustration rifled over the words.
“He’s shy. Give him time, don’t push. The kids will do that for you and once he makes a friend or two—it’ll help.” It was one perk for team sports, they did foster friendships. Of course, there were always exceptions.
The kids were moving again and I tracked Josh’s practice. He was practically vibrating with excitement. Not all of which was for the game. Frankie and Bubba were coming home today. They’d be home from now until Christmas. They had a New Year’s performance and five more stops, then the tour would end so she could be home as she edged into her third trimester.
She had a doctor’s appointment in two days to also make sure she still had the sign off to go. Thankfully, they’d saved all the East Coast stops for this part. It meant we were all going to be closer.
“I hope so,” the woman next to me said and I blinked. I’d half-forgotten she was there. “I’m sorry, I’m Jeanine Trox.”
“Jake Benton-Standish.” Still sounded weird sometimes and a hell of a lot more high brow than I felt, but the family name also fit.
“I know, Melodie told me.” She motioned to where the other moms were standing in a cluster. Yeah, I didn’t know which one was Melodie and I didn’t ask.
I shook her hand then went back to tracking Josh. He was chatting again. The kid was so damn social. I liked that for him. It made adapting?—
“So, I don’t know if you’d be interested, but Mack and I like to grab lunch after, maybe you and your son would like to join us?”
I thought I was reading too much into it until she stroked her finger down the back of my hand on the rail. Yeah. No.
“Appreciate the invite, but playdates are usually something we run past Mom before we do them and she likes to meet the other moms.”
“Oh. I thought since you have him this weekend…”
Now she had my whole attention. “This weekend? I have him every weekend.”
