Page 63 of Golden Goal

Shit.

Hazel lets out a gurgle, pulling me out of my thoughts.

Becca is not Kat. Becca would have told me she preferred not to walk around a lot if she really didn’t. Becca is not Kat.

I repeat that mantra over and over to myself as I finish getting ready.

“Ready for an adventure, baby girl?” I ask my daughter a little while later as I strap her into her car seat, and attach it to the stroller.

I sling her diaper bag over my shoulder. She yawns in response. I’m crossing my fingers she naps during the drive. I grab the rest of my stuff and head to Becca’s. She opens the door before I can even raise my hand and knock.

“Hey, you.” She greets me with a quick kiss.

“Oh, no you don’t.” I pull her back, wrap my arms around her, and kiss her. “Hi, Sweetheart,” I say when we pull away from each other, my arms still wrapped around her.

“I’m ready to go. Unless you’re not. We could always go inside.” She winks.

“As appealing as that sounds, we have an adventure to go on. Lock your door, and let’s go.”

She does, and a few minutes later we’re walking out to my G-Wagon. I buckle Hazel’s car seat into the backseat. Her eyes are getting heavy, so I’m pretty sure she’ll nap, at least for the drive. Closing the door gently, I turn, intending to fold up the stroller, but Becca’s beaten me to it.

“Ready?” I ask once we’re both buckled in.

“Yep.” She bounces in her seat. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”

“Nope,” I say, popping the p. “It’s a surprise.” I guide the SUV out of the parking lot and down the road toward the highway. “But I’ll give you a hint. Put on the play list titled Surprise.” I hand her my phone.

“It’s locked.”

I rattle off my passcode. After a minute, “A View to a Kill” by Duran Duran comes on.

“Are we going to see a James Bond movie in a theater?”

I raise a shoulder in a half shrug, smiling. “You’ll have to find out when we get there.”

“Humph. Fine, then.” She crosses her arms and sticks out her bottom lip.

I snort. I can’t help it, she’s cute when she pretends to pout. “Relax and enjoy the drive.”

Forty-five minutes later, I’m parking in front of our destination.

Becca leans forward to peer at the building in front of us. “Did you bring me to a James Bond museum?”

“I did.” I swallow, tugging at the neck of my shirt. “If it’s too much, we can always—”

She cuts me off by leaning over, and kissing me on the cheek. “It’s perfect. I didn’t even know there was one here. Have you ever been?”

I shake my head, pulling a hat out of my door and putting it on. It’s not the best disguise, but hopefully, it’ll make it harder for people to recognize me. “No. I found it the other night when I was searching for day date ideas. There’s a bar and a restaurant too, so we can get lunch. I’m hoping it’s as cool as the pictures online made it look.”

“Let’s find out.” Becca unbuckles her seatbelt and climbs out.

“Next time, wait for me.”

“I can open my own door.”

I shake my head, getting the stroller out of the trunk while Becca grabs Hazel’s car seat.

“I didn’t say you weren’t capable of doing it, but when you’re with me, I open your door.”