Page 71 of Stick Play

From my peripheral, I spot the gift shop. “I’ll meet you in there. Save me a seat.”

Brady nods and makes his way into the restaurant where the guys are all gathering. I hurry to the gift shop and take a fast look around. What the fuck does one buy a little girl? Shit, I’m really out of my element here. Although I do know she loves books and games. I also know she’s not as scary as I once thought she was.

My gaze falls upon the jewelry section and I see a beautiful dolphin gemstone pendant necklace.

“Can I help you?” I glance up to see the clerk behind the counter smiling at me. “That’s a beautiful piece.” I nod in agreement. “For someone special.”

“Yes.”

As I answer quickly, she picks it up and holds it out for me to see. “Do you know the dolphin represents protection and guidance?”

“No, I didn’t.” Could that be Gina’s draw to dolphins? I’m not sure but what I do know is now that I’m in her life, she can always count on me to protect her.

“It’s exquisite. I’m sure the special person in your life will cherish it.”

“I’ll take it.” She nods. “I also need a special gift for her little girl. I don’t think she’ll appreciate jewelry.”

“No, probably not. What’s on her wish list?” the clerk asks and I laugh.

“If I could give her what she really wants, it’d be a daddy and a baby brother.”

She grins at me. “Oh well, we don’t sell those here.” A wink and then, “But something tells me she might get those wishes in the future.”

“Do you think?” I ask, like a goddamn idiot. But honestly just hearing a stranger say that to me, has my heart racing a million miles a minute because the truth is, Gina and Zoe are everything I never knew I always needed.

“Yeah, I think so. For now, how about a plush toy or a puzzle?” She waves her hand toward the kid section, and I walk over and spend far too much time looking at all the toys. It just doesn’t feel right, though. Nothing about these things are special enough. I can’t go home empty-handed though, so I reach for a plush toy, but when I do, something on the counter catches my eye. I switch focus and pick up the oval box, opening it to inspect the contents.

“I don’t think a little girl would want that,” the clerk kindly points out. “Here.” She picks up a stuffed unicorn. “I don’t know a girl who wouldn’t love this.”

I’m sure she would love that, but this…I examine the contents again, and grin. This is the absolute perfect gift for Zoe. I’m not one hundred percent sure Gina will agree with me, and I probably should run it by her first. Either way, I put it on the counter.

“I’ll take this.”

The clerk eyes me like I might have taken one too many hits to the head, and while that is true, I have full clarity and know exactly what I’m doing. She finally shrugs, and picks up the gift, taking it to the cash register.

“I guess you know her better than I do.”

“I do.” Squeals sound in the hall and I guess a few of the players have been spotted by their fans. Will I be able to make it to the restaurant unscathed?

“Well then, that’s one lucky little girl and a very lucky mom,” the clerk tells me as she rings up my purchases. I smile, all the while knowing that I’m the lucky one. A few minutes later, gift bag in hand, I head into the lobby. My phone rings again, and I snatch it from my pocket, hoping it’s Gina. Once again that unknown, but now familiar number shows up and I shake my head.

Who the fuck keeps calling me?

That’s when I realize I should probably answer it. What if this has something to do with Gina, and who might be following her. I’m about to slide my finger across the screen when a bunch of women rush me, and my phone is knocked out of my hand. It takes a hard hit to the floor, and while I want to get behind who’s calling, after selfies with fans, the rest of the day is spent in a whirlwind of events before the game, leaving me with no time to myself.

And that’s not fucking good…

23

Gina

I’m in a very good mood by the time I make it home with the groceries. Talking to Ash this afternoon made me feel so much more secure about this whole stalker situation, and he said he’d take care of it, even though I’m not sure there’s anything he can do. Still, his protective nature over me, my daughter, his father and friends, gives me such a sense of comfort, I can’t help but feel warm inside on this cold February day.

I ease into my spot outside my place. Hugging myself to ward off a chill, I step from the car and once again a strange, eerie feeling wraps around me. I search the sidewalks and find people bustling about, going about their Saturday afternoon shopping. No one particularly stands out, so I head inside the café and breathe in the delicious scent of cinnamon.

I chat briefly with the servers and when I notice the place is almost empty, I turn the sign from open to closed and let Carla know they can all head out early. Yes, I’m in a generous mood today and my staff work hard for me on my days off.

Hopefully come Monday, Margot will be available to watch Zoe after school, and I’m thinking about hiring new staff so I don’t get bogged down on weekends with the flu season upon us. I make my way back outside to grab the bags of groceries for tonight, and for Zoe’s lunches this week.

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