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“She is to me too.”
If he knew how much I imagine his daughter inappropriately, he might not be so complimentary.
“Well, let’s get this show on the road. You’re the front man, let’s go find our girl.” He claps me on the back.
Mr. Wallace has always been kind to me, but maybe that’s because I’ve only been presented to him as being in the friend zone. He brags about me to his friends. I’ve overheard him at parties. “My daughter is best friends with Cooper Rice. He’s a great guy. Gets us tickets whenever we want. Sure, I’ll take you sometime.”
Her mom makes me my favorite meals and spoils me like my mom never had time to do.
Ellery comes out from a room in the back, smiling when she sees me and looks at her watch. “Right on time.” Then she approaches her dad and hugs him and gives him a kiss on the cheek. “Hi, Dad, thank you for being here.”
“Miss my baby girl’s shining moment? Never.”
She hugs me, and I hold her a little tighter than normal. I’ve been missing her since she started dating Bradley. Her usual fruity-scented shampoo has me inhaling a second time. She pulls away faster than I want, but who am I to complain? She’s not mine.
“Let’s go get that shot, big guy.” She walks ahead.
Her dad’s eyebrows are scrunched as he looks at me. I ignore him and follow her to a station where cameras are already set up. But there’s a commotion over by the door. When the crowd clears, I spot Bradley with his hands in his pockets, answering questions.
What the hell is he doing here?
“Oh,” Ellery says.
He spots her and breaks the distance, the press following him. “I hope you don’t mind, but you mentioned attendance being low last year and thought maybe two Grizzlies might help drive more people in.” He glances in my direction. “What’s up, Coop?” He holds out his fist to bump mine, and I do, though reluctantly.
“Bradley,” I say with a nod.
“I don’t think we’ve met.” Mr. Wallace approaches Bradley with his hand out.
“Oh, Dad, this is Bradley. Bradley, this is my dad.” Ellery’s eyes find mine because if we’d wanted more Grizzlies, I would’ve asked my best buds, the MVPs from the past two years, Miles and Damon.
Bradley talks to Mr. Wallace as though they’ve been friends forever, telling him how he’ll score him some tickets to a game. Mr. Wallace looks at me, then back at Bradley.
I liked the guy and respected him for asking me if he could date Elle, but now that it actually seems as though it might become something, I’m starting to lose my shit. He’s treading on my territory.
“I heard you were coming over for dinner tonight.” Mr. Wallace says to Bradley.
I clear my throat, and Elle’s eyes find mine again.
“Mom insisted,” she mouths.
“I’m eager to meet the other half of the couple who made such a great daughter.” Bradley puts his arm around Elle’s shoulders.
I turn around to be anywhere but here, running right into a nurse. Fuck.
“Jeez, I’m sorry.” I squat to help her pick up the boxes of Band-Aids she dropped.
“It’s okay. Cooper Rice can run into me anytime.” She laughs. “God, did that sound as lame as it did when I heard it back in my head?”
She’s younger than me, probably in her early twenties, and her flush is cute, but the flirting isn’t doing much for me.
“I’m Jewel.”
“Nice to meet you, Jewel. I guess you already know who I am.”
We both stand, and I hand her the boxes I picked up. “Of course, and don’t worry, it isn’t me giving you your shot today.”
I laugh. “It’s okay, I bumped into you.”
