Page 29 of Second Down Scrooge

She ducks her head a little. “Six. I hope that’s okay.”

“Six?” I repeat, my jaw dropping nearly to the ground.

“They already paid, so you need to get on making some more.”

“I need someone to invent about four more hours per day if that’s gonna happen,” I say.

“Do it here,” Ava suggests. “You have the space anyway.”

I hold up the paper with the tasks she just rapid-fired to me. “After I tackle these.”

“Tackle, ha-ha, get it? Because our men are football boys.” She snorts, and I giggle. “Speaking of your football man, what’s going on with you and the baby daddy?” She whispers the end as if Mia is listening to us in her little corner, but she’s very busy bouncing like a kangaroo in her baby bouncer as she slaps at all the buttons and knobs that make different sounds.

“He came over last night,” I admit.

Her eyes light up. “And?”

“And he spent the night.”

“And?”

I roll my eyes. “And he banged me like a screen door in a hurricane.”

“Yes!” She punches her fist into the air.

“And then this morning, he asked Mia and me to move in with him.”

Her jaw drops, and she’s at a loss for words. This girl isneverat a loss for words. “Uh…what?”

I close my eyes as I nod. “Yep.”

“Whoa. Are you going to?”

I lean back in my desk chair as I glance up at her. “I have no idea. The question came totally out of left field, but at the same time, I didn’t say no. I mean…would it be nice not to have to pay rent? Certainly. But we’ve barely reconnected. I’m still working on trusting him. I’m still scared as hell.”

“Of course you are, babe. And that’s fine. But what if you let yourself be scared with him instead of without him?” she asks.

“I know. It’s just…it’s a really big step, and it felt like he was asking because he’s tired of missing time with Mia.”

“Did he say that?” she asks.

We both hear a loudmoofrom Mia’s bouncer.

“I mean, partly. But he assured me he wants me there, too. It’s not just about Mia, and I have to admit, he made me feel like he valued me this morning. He made me breakfast. He told me he wanted a more active role and didn’t want me to have to do all the work.” I shrug. “I don’t know. It seemed like he meant it. But I feel like I need a second to think it over, you know? So we had one great night. So he apologized to you two. How do I know he’s really changed and it’s not just an act to get between my legs again?” I lower my voice, too, even though there’s no way Mia would catch any of that over all the mooing in her corner.

“Has he ever made you feel that way?” she asks.

“Never,” I admit.

“Then do it. What do you have to lose?”

Only my heart.

I sigh. Maybe she’s right, but I don’t want to jump into this without thinking it through.

“My lease isn’t up for a while, so I have time to decide,” I say.

Ava sits across from me and studies me. “Do you want this?” she asks.

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