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Davis attempted to pluck Marley out of my arms once I stepped inside the house, but she burrowed against me and whined.
“She’s shy,” I explained.
“It’s cool. I get it.” He looked down at Olivia and then at Jenna when she walked in behind her daughter. His brows lifted. “Well, hi there.”
“Hi,” Olivia squeaked, stepping closer to my leg.
I reached down and placed my hand on her back, thinking she was nervous. Strange man. New environment. I understood her reserve.
Olivia peered up at me and smiled easily.
“Davis, this is Jenna and her daughter, Olivia,” I said.
“Nice to meet you guys.”
“Your house is beautiful.” Jenna shoved her glasses to the top of her head and blinked widely at her surroundings. “Thank you so much for having us.”
“No, thank you for coming.” Davis slid his gaze to me and shot me a look. Are you fucking kidding me? You have so much to explain.
I shook my head and braced for the interrogation of a lifetime. What is wrong with me? I could’ve predicted this shit. But had I prepared for it? Of course not. Just like the looming bikini reveal. I was wide open for this.
“Oliver, are you coming inside?” Jenna asked.
Stepping over, I looked back at Oliver and saw him frozen on the porch.
Eyes round above his aviators, which were now near the tip of his nose. Mouth gaped open. Shoulders dropped. His duffle sliding down his arm.
I grinned into Marley’s hair.
“You’re Dave Davis!” he screamed, slapping his cheeks. “Oh my God! I am not here right now. I am not at your house…Mom! Somebody pinch me!”
Everyone started laughing, except Oliver. He was still in shock, and scrambled into the house, nearly face-planting on his way in. He hoisted his duffle against his stomach and started digging through it.
“You brought a fan? God, I love you.” Davis slapped my shoulder.
Jenna smiled at him. “I’m sorry…Nathan didn’t tell us who you were. And I—I’m still not sure who you are.” She winced. “Sorry. Should I know?”
I threw my head back and laughed. Davis looked ready to punch me.
“Oh, please. The fountain. You need a good hit to your ego.”
“Hey, it’s pretty,” he argued.
“Mom, really? This is Dave Davis. Starting tight end for Carolina. First-round draft pick!” Oliver shook his head. “Oh my God, this is embarrassing…How can you not know? How are we even related?”
Laughter shook my chest.
Jenna blushed hard and bit her lip, looking to Davis then. “I don’t watch a lot of sports,” she explained.
“It’s cool.” Davis stood tall and smirked. “I’ll make sure you know all about me before you leave.”
“I wouldn’t doubt that,” I threw out.
Oliver let his duffle hit the floor after retrieving his football out of it. He stepped around Olivia. “Could you sign this, Mr. Davis?”
Davis took the ball. “Sure. You got a pen?”
“Uh…” Oliver looked absolutely panicked. “N-no. Sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it, kid. I got tons of pens. Come on.” Davis moved around us to close the door. Then he led the way through the foyer toward the back of the house.
The twins followed quickly behind him after Oliver retrieved his duffle. They spoke closely, their voices racing with excitement. Jenna flanked my side.
“Just some friend you went to college with?” she whispered.
I peered down at her and grinned. She elbowed me, shaking her head, and we laughed together.
Once we reached the back of the house, the room opened up. Music poured in through open French doors. Guests filtered in and out, adults and kids, wearing swimsuits and carrying plates of food. Oliver and Olivia pointed outside and whispered with each other. They bounced on their feet and high-fived. It was so fucking cute. Jenna called them over to the kitchen, where Davis retrieved a Sharpie out of a drawer. He bit the cap between his teeth and signed the ball for Oliver. Then he tossed it to him across the counter, saying, “There you go, kid.”
Oliver stared at the signature. “Wow,” he whispered, lifting his head. He pushed the glasses up his nose. “Thank you, Mr. Davis.”
“Just Davis. That’s what my friends call me. We’re friends now, right?”
Oliver nodded fast and hugged the ball. “Y-yes, sir. We’re friends.” Then he looked at me and mouthed, Oh my God.
When Jenna instructed him to put the ball away for now, he hesitated until she tagged on a warning of accidentally dropping it in the pool and smearing the signature. That got him moving.
“You guys wanna head outside?” Davis asked. “The party’s already started.”
“Sure. Sounds good.” Jenna slid her smile over to me, then giggled at Olivia, who shook her hips to the music.
“I love this song!” Olivia shrieked.
We padded outside, stepping onto the large, covered patio. There were a few tables set up there for shaded seating, along with coolers filled with ice and beverages. The patio opened up to a lavish outdoor kitchen, which overlooked the pool. Everything was made of stone and marble. Two grills flanked a large swim-up bar. I knew Davis got a lot of use out of his setup, but he wasn’t cooking anything today. The food was catered, and there was plenty of it. Ladles stuck out of rectangular, aluminum tins, with fuel canisters beneath them to keep everything warm. The pans covered the island.
