Page 47 of Game Changer

“I wanna stay with you, my Syd.”

I pull her even tighter. “We will have to ask your dad about that, but I would love to have my very first sleepover with you.”

“You’re my best friend.” She shivers.

“Oh, Lily girl, you’re mine, too.”

I hold her little hands that are like furnaces as she rubs her little feet on my leg, like she’s kneading me.

Within minutes, she’s asleep, and a few moments later, her little palms are cooler and she’s sweating.

I look up and see Dad walking into my room with a bag, and I whisper, “Her fever broke.”

“Think you should head down and let Boone know that. Heads-up, Lindsey’s parents are here, demanding to see Lily.”

I slide out of bed, pushing my sleeves up. “Over my dead body are they waking this sick little girl up.”

Mom walks into the room. “You and Dad go down. I’ll watch her sleep.”

I walk into the storefront of the shop and look at Beau. “Hey, how is she today?”

“No change,” he says, looking at me as if he’s curious about something.

I look at the couple standing in my shop with pinched faces. “Welcome to Sugar Rush, what can I get for you?”

“Our granddaughter, please.”

I look at Beau. “Are these Lindsey’s folks?”

He nods once, and I look back to them. “We’re praying for your daughter’s quick and complete healing, Mr. and Mrs. Bellemont.”

“That’s lovely. We’re here to see our granddaughter.”

“I apologize, but Lily’s got a fever and is asleep right now.” I look at Beau. “Not sure she should go back to the Hart house with Riley there.”

“All right then, I can?—”

“We’ll make it work here.” I look back at the Bellemonts. “I’m sure she’ll be feeling better in a day or so. The stomach bug and flu are both making their way around the school.”

“Kids get sick, Miss …” Lindsey’s mom stops and looks me up and down as if she’s a judge at the state fair looking over a damn goat.

“It’s Sydney.” I smile sweetly. “I know kids get sick, but neither you all or Beau would want to chance catching anything and then spreading it to Lindsey while she’s healing, I’m sure.”

“And what makes you think you are qualified to make decisions for our granddaughter?” she snaps.

“I’m not trying to upset you, Mrs. Bellemont; I’m trying to offer help. As far as my qualifications go, I work with children and?—”

“You feed them food that will make them unhealthy and obese?” she says, mouth filled with disgust.

Beau stands and starts to step toward me. “That’s enough. You will not speak to her?—”

I cut him off by holding my hand out, not wanting him to come any closer than he already is. “I do own Sugar Rush, and I’m also an elementary school teacher at the school Lily attends. My mother, who is sitting with Lily as we speak, is a nurse practitioner with licenses in New York State.” I walk toward the door. “Now, you are welcome to check in as much as you want with Beau, but I will not be waking Lily up when she needs her sleep to get to feeling better so when her mother wakes up, she can see her.”

“She and her mother will be returning to Georgia with her family as soon as a judge decides that is so.”

“Lindsey is an adult; her moving is her decision. But no judge is going to take a daughter away from a father who adores her.”

“No grandchild of mine will be raised by an athlete who rotates women like their pigs on a barbeque.”

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