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Ryan shook his head slowly. “You didn’t. Thanks for talking to him.”
“Of course.”
“This kid thing is all trial and error. Sometimes I feel good about things and then something else happens, and I feel like a failure.”
“I don’t envy you.” Even though I’d always wanted a family of my own.
Upstairs, Corey had already cleaned up and was playing on his phone. Looking up, he said, “I can’t work tomorrow. We have our first game.”
I clasped my hands together. “I loved high school football games when I was kid. Fall’s the best time of year.”
“Would you want to come?” Corey asked.
I was surprised he’d invited me and assumed he was just being polite. I looked over at Ryan to assess his reaction.
He nodded, a small smile on his face. “You should come. It will be fun.”
Excitement shot through me that Ryan wanted me there. “Just let me know where it is, and I’ll meet you there.”
“I can swing by and pick you up. Corey’s riding with a teammate because he has to be on the field earlier.”
I waved him off. “You don’t have to.”
“I want to. Text me your address,” Ryan insisted.
They turned to leave, and all I could think was that Jake wouldn’t be there as a buffer. I’d be alone with Ryan. I could handle it. I just needed to think of him as Jake’s friend and not as a sexy single dad.
ChapterSix
RYAN
When I knocked on Hailey’s door the next morning, I asked myself what I’d been thinking when I’d encouraged her to accept Corey’s invitation. I could see she was waffling, unsure whether it was her place to attend. But I knew Corey looked up to her, and he wouldn’t have asked her if he didn’t want her there. I told myself it had nothing to do with me wanting to see her.
She’d been so enthusiastic about a recreational football game. I had this vision of her sitting in the bleachers in a puffer jacket, her hands wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate. There shouldn’t have been anything sexy about that image, but there was. And it felt right that she was there, sitting next to me, cheering Corey on.
The door swung open as my arm was raised mid-air. She wore tight jeans, knee-high boots, and a forest green sweater with flecks of blue that made me notice yellow flecks in her eyes for the first time. She’d draped a puffy down jacket over her arm, and her chocolate brown hair fell around her face like a curtain.
“You ready?” I raised the hand that held a tray of coffees and pastries.
She squealed, grabbing the cup that said “caramel latte.” “You’re a lifesaver.”
She was so close I could smell the lavender in her shampoo. I mentally shook my head, trying to escape the spell that surrounded me when she was near. “Brooke told me your favorite drink.”
“Brooke’s the best.” She wrapped her hands around the cup just like I’d imagined last night. I hadn’t anticipated that her lips would be glossy or that she’d moan as she sipped the warm liquid.
I cleared my throat, turning toward the street to cover my reaction. “Let’s eat on the way so we’re not late.”
She fell in step next to me, sipping her coffee. “Thank you for inviting me.”
I smiled. “That was all Corey.”
She glanced up at me. “I was surprised he wanted me there.”
I gave her a pointed look. “You’ve made quite the impression on him.”
“I have?” Her eyes widened in surprise.
Considering my answer before responding, I finally settled on, “I think it was what you said to him the other day.”
