Page 21 of Stick Play

“Well, I’m an Ash fan,” Callie pipes in, and everything about this situation suddenly makes me uncomfortable. “I’m going to your home game on Thursday.”

“I’m an Ash fan too. I want to go on Thursday, too,” Zoe says, and lifts her eyes to me. “Ash, will you sign a jersey for me?”

My gaze flies to Gina’s, and I spot worry there. “Ah, we’ll see. I’m not sure they make them in your size.”

“Oh, they do,” Camryn so helpfully provides. “They even make them in Tate’s size. Right, Tate?” Tate nods emphatically.

I hand everything back to Callie and she pulls on the jersey. “Give me a call and…” Her voice falls off, her gaze going back and forth between Gina and me. “Wait, you two aren’t?—”

“No,” I answer quickly, as Gina grabs a hat from the closet beside her.

“I didn’t think so. I’ll see you soon, Ash.”

Being the mother that Gina is, she quickly hands her a hat. “At least put this on. It’s freezing out there.”

“I’m only going next door.”

“I know…I just can’t…”

“Stop being a mom?” Callie provides.

“Yeah.”

“Well, when Mom and Grandma get together for bingo, I’ll have them call you.”

She laughs and pulls the hat on as she heads back out into the cold. As she gives me a little finger wave and a come-hither look, I can’t stop thinking about why she didn’t think Gina and I could be a couple. Sure, I have a reputation as a player—who likes to drink and drive and bang numerous bunnies at the time, all thanks to my ex—and I’m not much of a parental figure, but is it so outside the realm of possibility in people’s minds that I could be with a woman like Gina?

I guess it is, and I guess I can understand why. But it does leave me wondering, does anyone out there besides my teammates believe the truth?

7

Gina

I spent the better part of the morning letting Callie live in my head rent free which is insanely ridiculous. Sure, I took what she said personally. How could I not? She was basically saying any woman with a child should be doing old lady mother things like playing bingo with her mother and grandmother. There is nothing wrong with bingo, and yes, I’ve been known to play shuffleboard and cards a time or two.

God, am I an old lady who does old lady things?

I don’t know, but I do know Callie is the type of girl I’d seen Ash hanging out with in the past. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen him out much lately and I’m not sure why he bailed on the Caribbean. Hating the heat seems like a poor excuse, if you ask me. But no one is asking. What I’m asking myself, however, is what’s going on with Ash. Why isn’t he out with the bunnies, lately? Maybe it’s because it’s regular season and he’s trying to concentrate.

But will he take Margot up on her suggestion and show Callie around town? My stomach cramps. When she asked if we were a couple, he quickly shut that down. Then again, so did I when Margot asked. When it comes right down to it, we do not have claims on each other, and he can do whatever he wants. I have no right to feel jealous.

Then why do you?

Ugh.

I shut that down and focus on what’s going on here and that once this weekend is over, we’re over. I guess a part of me thinks that if we’re going to be sleeping together until everyone gets back from the Caribbean, then maybe I’d like for us to be exclusive. Is that too much to ask? Jeez, I just don’t know the rules of dating. Not that we’re dating. We’re hooking up. And believe you and me, I’m out of my comfort zone and have no idea how any of that works anymore.

A fork clangs on the floor, and pulls my thoughts back to the present. I glance around to take in the last couple of customers, lingering over coffee. With the lunch crowd dying down, I put Callie out of my brain and begin to clear tables. As I do, I check my phone for the hundredth time. Ash might be afraid of kids, and might not think he’s good with them—there really is no one-fits-all manual, and I too had to learn through trial and error—but he totally stepped up this morning, and did a great job. Of course, they’re all great kids, happy and easy to be around. My heart tightens a little in my chest at the way he ushered them all into the kitchen so I could get some extra sleep.

The man really isn’t what I thought he was, and I’m not sure if that’s a good or bad thing. But he was right about me needing the sleep. After the delicious, and somewhat risky, sex on the kitchen table, I really wanted the extra time in bed. I just wish he’d been in it with me. If we’re going to do that again, we’re going to have to be careful. We can’t, under any circumstances, get caught kissing. With Camryn planting the idea of marriage and kissing in Zoe’s head, I don’t want her getting the wrong idea.

The bell over the door jingles and I glance up, half expecting it to be Ash and the kids. They’ve been gone for hours now, and he did text me earlier, letting me know he wanted to stop at his father’s place to check on him. I might never meet the man who raised the Mountain, but the three kids are going to have the pleasure. My stomach takes that moment to tighten. I just don’t want Zoe getting attached to Ash. But I guess if he’s only watching her for a weekend, that’s not likely to happen.

Heck, I don’t want to get attached, either. But sex before bed, and pancakes and coffee upon awakening—while he tended to the kids. Yeah, I could get used to that.

My gaze goes to the gentleman searching for a seat. “Hello there,” I greet as I scoop up a menu. “Table for one?”

He nods and blue eyes that seem a bit familiar light up as they land on me. “Just one.”

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