Page 85 of Stick Play

“I don’t want to go to school today. I want to go to the garage with Grant,” Lucas says when Maria enters the kitchen.

She blinks rapidly and since I haven’t touched my coffee yet, I hand it to her. She needs it more than I do. She opens and closes her mouth, worry lines tightening on her forehead.

“I’m not going until later,” Grant pipes in. “How about I pick you up after school, and take you with me. We’ve got a nice sports car in I think you’re going to love.”

“Can I go too?” Josh asks.

“Of course. You can all come.”

“Me too?” Zoe asks, her eyes wide and hopeful.

“Of course.”

I tap her nose. “We’re going shopping, remember? Remember we’re in charge of markers for next week’s bingo night at school.” Bingo. Ohmigod, what would Callie say? Oh, she’d probably ask what a guy like Ash, one of Boston’s hottest bachelors, is doing with an old lady mother, who does old lady mother things like bingo.

“Oh right,” she murmurs before taking a big drink of juice. “Sorry, Grandpa, I can’t come.”

He chuckles and rustles her hair. “Next time, chicken nugget.” Grant casts me a glance. “Ash not up?”

“Doesn’t appear to be. We should let him sleep in after his game last night.” I think about leaving him a note, but then breakfast and the chaos of the morning begins and the next thing I know, I’m out the door with Zoe, driving her to school.

After I drop her off, I find myself singing along to the radio as I head to work. I park and practically skip inside, inhaling the delicious scent of cinnamon. “Good morning,” I greet Andre, who is pulling a fresh batch of cinnamon buns from the oven.

“Morning,” he greets, and I grab my apron from the hook, ready to hit the day running, even though I’m a little sad that I won’t be going home to Ash tonight. Maria shows up around a half hour later, and starts taking orders with me. We work nonstop until about eleven, and then take a break before the lunch crowd starts.

The place is still quiet as I sip my coffee in the kitchen, but when I hear the bell over the door jingle and familiar voices filling the café I jump from my stool. In the dining room, I spot Tuck and Theo grabbing a seat, and I look outside to see if Ash is with them. He’s not, and while I’m disappointed, I shouldn’t be so needy. He’s probably spending time with his dad before hitting the road later. Okay, I love being the object of his sole focus, and I can’t help it. But I’m an adult and realize others need him too.

“Hey guys. Coffee?”

Tuck glances around the room, and his gaze stays on Maria for a second too long before he answers. “Love some.”

“Great. I’ll have Maria bring it over. I’ll grab your menus.” His eyes dart to mine, and I work to keep the grin from my face. Someone has a crush, and I think it’s cute. Although I’m sure Maria is not looking to date anyone after her trauma, and she has her boys to focus on. I understand her mental state all too well.

“Hey,” Theo greets and tosses me a grin. I know Ash isn’t a fan of his. In fact, not a lot of the guys are.

“What’s up, Theo?”

“I know what I want.”

An icky feeling crawls over my skin as he stares at me, his gaze dropping to the top button on my blouse. I’m almost afraid to ask him what he wants. “Sure.” I pull my notepad from my apron. “What would you like?”

He grunts, and Tuck must kick him under the table, because he jumps in his seat and curses. “I’ll have the meatloaf,” he grumbles as I wave to Maria. He snorts out a laugh as she comes our way with the coffee. “Ash is a lucky man,” he blurts out with an almost insidious grin.

“Tuck, do you know what you want?”

“Chicken salad,” he tells me, his angry gaze latched on Theo. Jesus, I think steam is about to come out of his ears.

“A really lucky guy,” Theo says again, and I just smile. No way am I going to allow him to bait me and I’m pretty sure that’s what he’s doing.

They both sit back as Maria fills their mugs, and Theo is still smirking at me.

Tuck pushes Theo’s mug closer to him. “Drink your coffee and shut your mouth.”

Okay, clearly Tuck is worried Theo is going to say more, and everything tells me it’s not something I’m going to like.

I’m about to leave, when Theo explains, “I mean, the coach told Ash to be seen with you and your kid because it was a good look for him and his fucked-up reputation, which he was told to clean up after Liza, but now he has Maria and her kids living with him too.”

My feet stall, and my gaze flies to Theo’s. What the hell did he just say? Coach told Ash to be seen with me?

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