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Jenna to the rescue. “Billy was already a great father before he quit drinking. So maybe it’s a factor, but it’s not the only one.”
“A great father. Interesting. But not a great partner?”
“You’re twisting my words. I didn’t say that.”
“So he was a great partner?”
Jenna grabbed for the glass of wine and took a nice big swallow. Billy knew she didn’t drink much either, but she hadn’t quit cold turkey like him. She hadn’t needed to.
“He was a great parenting partner. Is a great parenting partner. That’s what we’re talking about, right?”
Nice save. Under the table, he patted her on the knee.
“We’re talking about anything that comes up.” Lacey lifted her glass and tipped it at Jenna. “Cheers.” She watched as Jenna took another swallow.
Was she trying to get Jenna drunk? Billy knew it wouldn’t take much. Jenna was a lightweight and usually needed a nap after at most two glasses.
“Okay, let’s switch gears.” Lacey slipped her glasses back on and checked her notes. “What have you found to be the most important thing in terms of successfully coparenting?”
“Communication,” said Jenna. At the same moment, Billy said, “Patience.”
Then they both switched words, almost as if they’d planned it. “Communication.”
“Patience.”
Lacey smiled that wolfish grin. “Final answer?”
“They’re both super-important. You have to remember, Billy’s gone a lot, so staying connected is a challenge. The kids need to know he’s always thinking of them. Do you know about the sign he gives them every time he plays?”
“No. Tell me.”
“Well, this is an exclusive. No one knows about it except the boys, but I think it’s really sweet and I don’t mind sharing. Do you, Billy?”
A little bit, maybe. It was something personal between him and his boys. But then again, it was aired on television, so how private could it be? “It’s fine. At least once a game, when I know the cameras are on me, like during an at-bat or after a good play, I tap two fingers to my heart. One for each of my boys. They always look for it.”
“It makes their day, every time,” said Jenna. He felt something against his calf and realized it was her boot. She was deliberately rubbing her foot against him.
That wine must be kicking in.
“Adorable,” Lacey cooed. “Our readers are going to love that.”
Billy moved his leg toward Jenna to signify that he was perfectly fine with how she was touching it.
“What about you, Jenna? Did he ever do a sign like that for you?”
“Oh yes,” she began, but Billy jerked his leg to stop her before she spilled that secret. “I mean, no, not for a while. We used to…but that was a different…never mind. Next question.”
“I don’t know, I’m kind of liking this one. Our readers love romantic gestures. The name of the magazine is Love plus Life, after all. There must be something I can share with them.”
“No,” Billy said firmly. “There’s nothing.”
“I suppose I could always tell them how the two of you played footsie under the table all through lunch.”
Billy snatched his leg back to its proper position. How had she known? This reporter ought to be working on top secret investigations, not profiles. “That’s ridiculous. I have long legs, that’s all.”
“Whenever he did a post-game interview, he would make sure to use the words “love” “you” and “forever” at some point,” Jenna blurted. “That’s the secret. That’s all. We’re not playing footsie. Why would we do that? Why would you even put that in your story? Why would anyone care?”
“Love. You. Forever.” She scribbled the words into her app. “That didn’t bear out, did it?”
