Page 48 of Waiting for Friday Night

“Thanks.” He walked over toward the fridge, but stopped by the table. “Gregory brought that over?”

She glanced at the book Gregory had dropped off. Considering her daughter’s feelings about the situation, Halle wasn’t even sure if Shania would read the book since Gregory had gifted it to her. “How did you know?”

“I ran into him in the bookstore. I was going to get it for Shania.”

“Really? How did you know she wanted it?”

“I noticed she’d sometimes read the first book in the series while she waited on you to pick her up after practice. Last week she mentioned being excited about the next book releasing. I thought I’d do something nice.”

Halle held up a hand and smiled. “You actually lucked out not buying it. She thought Gregory was being weird and trying too hard by getting it.”

Quinton cringed. “Would she have said the same thing about me?”

“Who knows, but I don’t think you have to worry about bringing her gifts or anything. Just come watch football with her and she’ll be good.”

Quinton had nothing to worry about. Shania had already looked up to him. Halle would bet money that if Shania had a list of men she wished could be her father that Quinton would have been somewhere on the list.

“I’ll do that.” He went to the fridge and opened the door.

He bent over to open the bottom drawer. Halle’s eyes dropped to his ass. Then she jerked her gaze back up when she realized what she was doing.

She cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck. “Do what?”

He pulled out two cans of soda and straightened. “I can come over on Saturdays or Sundays and watch football with her.”

“Wait. What?” He wanted to do this every weekend?

He stood next to her and put the sodas on the table. “It’s a good way to spend time with her and do something we both enjoy. Do you mind?”

“Uh...no, but what about you? You don’t hang out with your guy friends to watch the games?”

The corner of his mouth quirked. “My guy friends will be okay. This is about building a relationship with Shania. I’m good to do this. If you are?”

She tried to think of a reason to say no. A reason why she didn’t want him in her house once a week, bonding with her daughter over a sport that she only knew enough about to be dangerous. But what else was she going to offer? To say that he could only come over and do activities that interested her? That they could read together, watch documentaries and discuss current events? That wasn’t helping him get to know Shania; it was getting to know her.

“That’s fine,” she said lightly.

Quinton’s eyes narrowed. “We can do other stuff, too.”

“No, you both like football. It’s football season. That’s fine with me.”

“I don’t want to leave you out. How about we switch things up. One weekend we’ll watch football, another weekend we’ll do something you pick. Deal?”

She waved a hand. “That’s not necessary.”

Quinton took her hand in his to stop her dismissive wave. “It is. I’m not here to butt in. I’m here because I want to be around if Shania wants me around.”

His hand was large and still cool from when he’d held the sodas from the fridge. Despite that, warmth spread up her arm. Halle pulled back and he let her go. His touch lingered.

“I thought you wanted this, too.”

He flexed his fingers before settling his hand on the back of one of the kitchen chairs. “I do, but I’m still finding this entire situation surreal.”

“Tell me about it.”

“I know what I did. And I knew what they were going to use my sperm for, but still. I never expected to meet her.”

“Do you wish it had stayed hidden?” Yeah, he’d accepted the situation and was willing to have Shania in his life, but that was because Quinton was a decent person. He wouldn’t have pushed Shania away. That didn’t mean he’d wished to ever be revealed.

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