Page 27 of Face Off

The candy in her pocket wasn’t as surprising now. It explained her maturity. She looked to be around my age but acted much older.

Dating a woman with a child was something I’d never, ever considered. Was that something I could handle? Was that something I was interested in?

“She’s yours? We were trying to figure it out,” Lance mentioned.

“Yeah,” Holly said quietly.

She was smiling, but I noticed her shoulders tense up.

“She’s three and adorable,” Amelia added.

“Food’s ready,” Chloe called from the other side of the room, and Reese walked in, leading most of the guys.

Before I had a chance to say anything else, Holly was moving away from me, going with the flow of the crowd, leaving me with Lance.

“Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?” he asked.

“What do you mean?” I shoved my hands in my pockets. That was normal, right?

“You went all pale and silent. What’s going on?”

I glanced around, but nobody was paying attention to us. “I didn’t know she had a daughter.”

His eyes narrowed. “Why does that matter to you?”

“It doesn't,” I said much too quickly.

He grinned and crossed his arms across his chest. “Thou dost protest too much.”

“It’s doth,” I corrected. “And we agreed to no more old-time talking. It’s gotten us in trouble one too many times.”

“Fine.” He rolled his eyes. “But I still don’t believe you. You like her.”

I clenched my jaw but didn’t bother arguing. He was my best friend and knew me too well to let me lie.

“Well, well, well. Our bachelor seems to have met his match.” He slapped me across the back with a cocky grin.

“Why are you talking like that? Just be normal.”

“Fine. I just never thought I'd see the day when you grew feelings. I thought you would be a single man forever.”

I shrugged. “Maybe you’ve been a bad influence on me.”

I didn’t want to admit how honest I was being. How watching him, and Parker and all other guys on the team, trade in their exciting, wild lives for marriage and babies made me long for what they had.

“I think it’s a good thing. I never expected to meet someone like Jess or to want to be with one woman forever, but everything changes when you meet the right person.”

“I know.” I’d seen it happen over and over but never to me.

“But getting involved with someone who has a child? That’s a whole different ball game. It’s way more complicated and something you shouldn’t take lightly. You shouldn’t even think of asking her out without knowing whether or not her being a mom is a deal-breaker. I’m not saying that to be mean. It’s just a fact.”

I nodded. “I get it.”

“Good.” He clapped me on the shoulder, and we merged into the end of the line for food.

I glanced back outside one more time. What was her story? She never wore a ring, and Reese wouldn’t have warned me away if she was married. He would have just said that. So was she divorced? Where was Sadie’s father? Was he still in the picture?

That was more drama than I could handle right now. I had more than enough problems to occupy my time.