Page 30 of Verdict

“Totally." Ava snickered.

I glared at my sister. “Ha. Ha.”

"Well, I should take off and let you two catch up." Ava rubbed her hand across Ellie's hair.

Callie glanced up at Ava. “You’re leaving already? You should come to dinner with us.”

Ava turned toward me, navy eyes hopeful—as if asking for permission.

How the fuck do I say no when she looks at me like that?

I relented. “Yeah. You should join us. We’re going to that burger spot down the street—Torrie’s.”

She grinned, clasping her hands together. “I love Torrie’s!”

Callie smiled. “Then we can open that bottle you brought when we get back.”

Wait. When we get back? What the hell?

Between dinner and then my sister and Ava polishing off a bottle of wine at my place, I felt like the third wheel all night.

At least I had my daughter to hang out with.

As annoying as it was, I had to admit it was nice to see my sister and Ava get along so well. Callie usually hated the girls I dated. Granted, none of them were ever serious, so that probably didn’t help.

But it was hard to ignore how easily Ava fit into my life.

I’d just gotten out of the shower and was getting ready for bed when I heard movement in the kitchen. Curious what Callie was up to this late, I headed that way.

When I entered the kitchen, my sister was seated on one of the stools, dark waves in a low knot, and a strawberry Pop-Tart in hand. I chuckled and shook my head. "I don’t know how you eat that crap this late. It’s pure sugar—how are you not up all night?"

She took a bite, eyes never leaving her processed pastry treat. "Some things are better left a mystery. Plus, you're the one who bought them for me."

I settled onto the stool next to her. "Fair enough." She offered me the other Pop-Tart, but I declined.

"What are you doing, Coh?"

I tilted my head, "I’m sorry—what? I’m sitting here watching you eat a sugar bomb before bed. What do you mean, what am I doing?"

"I mean with Ava, you dumb jock." She leveled me with a glare.

"Again. Not tracking."

I was totally tracking, I just didn't want to fucking talk about it.

Callie let out an incredibly dramatic sigh. "I'm not just saying this because Ava is awesome, and I love her. But I watched you two tonight. With each other. With Ellie." Her lips pulled up in a grin. "You moved together as a unit for your daughter. Ellie got fussy—you handed Ava a bottle without being asked. When she finished, you reached for a burp cloth. She dropped it, and you immediately grabbed another and passed it to her. No discussion, just automatic."

She paused a moment. “I’m so impressed by the dad you’ve become. You never wanted kids, and yet you stepped into this role without hesitation. Without letting fear win. But I think your fear is winning when it comes to Ava. You don't look at anyone the way you look at her. I've known you my whole life, Coh… she means something to you."

I blew out a breath and scrubbed a hand down my face. "Of course she means something to me, Cal. She's the mother of my daughter."

Callie shook her head. "I'm not buying that bullshit. And I don't think you do either." She placed a hand on my shoulder. "I know why you keep everyone at arm's length, I know why you never wanted to have kids—trust me—I know. But I just don't want your misplaced fears to ruin your chance at happiness and a family of your own… one I know you've always craved but never knew you could have." She pushed herself off the stool. “Just… think about it. I’m going to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.” She placed a kiss on the top of my head and made her way down the hall towards the guest room.

Leaving my head in a far bigger mess than when I’d walked in.

The rest of the weekend with my sister was relatively uneventful. She got a lot of bonding time in with Ellie and got to come to my game. It was always tough saying goodbye since I never knew when I’d see her again, but she swore she’d be back sooner rather than later.

With my sister gone and a win tonight against Minnesota, the guys and I decided to go to our usual bar to celebrate. Once we all settled onto the couches in our roped-off section, a server brought us our drinks. I took a long pull from my beer and glanced at Drake Cooper, my close friend and our catcher. "Elle coming tonight?" I asked.