Page 13 of Teasing

Noah

Who’s in for drinks tonight?

Jamie

West End?

Killian

Sounds good to me. I’ll check with Lilah.

Maddox

Make sure the Mrs. gives you permission, Killer.

Killian

Fuck off, Madman. Don’t be jealous.

Maverick

I can’t. I haven’t found a new nanny yet.

Maddox

I thought Aurora was there until you found someone.

Maverick

She’s here to help while I’m at practice. I’m not asking our twenty-year-old cousin to stay late to watch my kid so I can go to a bar.

Jamie

Don’t wait up then.

Maverick

Dick.

With a cup of coffee in hand, I look through the kitchen window at the massive backyard my daughter has quickly turned into her fairy kingdom, then over to the shady corner of the property where Briar Rose has somehow convinced my father to have a tea party with her and Butters. The damn dog is lying in the old man’s lap with her belly up as he pets her. She might as well be purring like a cat while she’s at it.

Guess both girls have him right where they want him.

Yup... just lumped my kid in with the dog.

Father of the year.

“He misses her,” Mom muses as she tucks her arm in mine and leans her head on my shoulder. “We both do.”

“I’m twenty-six years old, Mom. It was time.” Past time, if you’re asking me. But nobody’s asking. I’d only been out of college a few months when Rosie was born. Her mother was never going to be a permanent part of my life or the parent my baby deserved. So at twenty-one, with the world by the balls and a brand new, multi-million-dollar contract to play for my family’s football team in my hand, I gave up the fancy new condo I’d just purchased to go with that shiny new contract and moved home. Because while I might not have been smart enough toavoid knocking up Rosie’s mom, if I was going to be responsible for a living, breathing human being, I was sure as shit smart enough to know I needed help.

“Trust me, Maverick. I know exactly how old you are. I was there when you were conceived, and I was there when you were born.”

“Mom—” I groan, unwilling and definitelynot wantingto think about my parents having sex. They snuck off to their bedroomto put away laundryoften enough when Ryker and I were young. We figured out what they were actually doing in there pretty quickly, and it may have scarred me.

I don’t care how old you are.

Nobody wants to think about that shit.

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