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Quickly, I reply that I need three tickets, two adults and one child. I had forgotten all about the event and wasn’t even sure I was going to go. A single guy at the zoo isn’t much fun. A single guy, the girl he wants to get to know, and her adorable daughter… that sounds a hell of a lot more appealing. Instead of calling Mom, I call Larissa.
“Hello,” she answers, and her voice is gruff from sleep. Looking at the clock, I see it’s just after eight in the morning.
“Did I wake you?” I ask, trying not to think about her all snuggled up in her bed.
“I was just lying here. P woke me up about ten minutes ago.”
“She’s an early riser?”
“Pretty much.”
“Who is it, Momma?” I hear her sweet, angelic voice ask.
She hesitates. “It’s Easton.”
“I wanna say hi.” There is a rustle with the phone. Then I hear, “Hey, East, whatcha doing?”
“Morning, princess. I was just calling your mom to plan for us to spend the day together next Saturday.” I know it’s a dick move to get Paisley excited before I run it past Larissa, but I’m hoping that works in my favor. I can’t have her backing out on me.
“Are we gonna play catch?” she asks.
“Nope, but I need to ask your mommy first. Can you hand her back the phone?”
“Mommy, Easton wants to talk to you.”
“Hey,” Larissa says, and I can hear the smile in her voice.
“So, I have this thing on Saturday, and I was wondering if you and Paisley would come with me?”
“What kind of thing?” she asks cautiously.
“The Blaze are having a team family day at the zoo. They close the place down for us, and we pretty much have free rein. I thought Paisley would enjoy it.”
“She’ll love it,” she admits. “What time?”
I throw my fist in the air in silent celebration. “I’ll pick you ladies up at eleven.”
“Okay,” she whispers.
“Okay,” I repeat. “Great. Send me your address.”
“I can do that. I have to get moving and make breakfast. Then I have to work this afternoon.”
“Just when you have time. Have a good night at work.”
“Thanks, Easton. I’ll talk to you soon.”
“Bye, East!” Paisley yells as the line goes dead.
I can’t wipe the smile off my face. I spend the rest of the day lounging and getting caught up on things around the house. We have two home games this week, hence the reason for the team day at the zoo on Saturday.
By nightfall, I find myself sitting on the back deck, untouched bottle of beer sitting on the table. I was antsy in the house, pacing, not sure what to do with myself. That’s not something I’m used to. I was tempted to go to The Vineyard for dinner but didn’t want to push my luck. Now here I am wishing I had gone, while cursing myself inwardly for not doing so.
Pushing the home button on my cell phone, I see it’s a little after ten. I’m not sure what time she gets off work tonight, but the last time it was eleven. I’m in the house, locking the patio door, grabbing my keys, and heading to the garage before I can talk myself out of it.
The closer I get to the restaurant, the calmer I become. The antsy feeling slips away completely when I pull into the parking lot. The spot next to her Escape is open. Just like last time, I take a seat on the tailgate of my truck and wait for her.
I check the time what seems like every thirty seconds. I realize she might get out later than eleven, but I’m hoping that’s not the case. Three minutes after eleven, the back door opens, and I lay eyes on her for the first time today.
