Page 134 of Coach Me
“You’ve got growing to do before you can get tattoos, bud.” I step around him to get a better look at Lucie’s arm. “Jensen did a good job. It’s very you, Luce.”
“I thought so.” A small blush comes to Lucie’s cheeks, and she shrugs. “It was for me.”
“Even better. I love when you’re selfish.” I wink.
Lucie gives me a little shove as her cheeks let out a full blush. “Hey, why does it smell like paint in here?”
“Ope!” Miles grabs Lucie’s hand. “Come on, we have a surprise!”
While Miles drags Lucie down the hallway, she angles her head back. “What did you do?”
“Guess, baby.”
Lucie scrunches her nose at me, then lets Miles drag her the rest of the way. When we reach the doorway, Miles lets go of Lucie’s hand and jumps into the room, yelling “Ta-da!”
“Oh my goodness.” Lucie looks back with wide eyes. “You painted a wall yellow?”
“I helped,” Miles says with this proud grin.
“I can see that.” Lucie flashes her eyes to me as she bites back a smile, then lets it go when she kneels in front of Miles. “It’s perfect. I love it so much.”
“I really wanted to keep painting, but Daddy said we had to take a break.”
I shake my head. He might have tattled on me, but at least he didn’t ask her to paint more.
Lucie boops his nose. “You know your dad has a point. We should let it dry then we can do another coat of paint. Maybe I can help this time too?”
“Yes! Yes!” Miles squeals. “Can we do it tomorrow morning?”
Lucie laughs. “We’ll see. We also have some stuff topick out for school too. I promise we’re going to have so much fun decorating this place together. We have plenty of time.”
I know she didn’t mean to, but Lucie’s words hit me hard.We have plenty of time.It’s a strange feeling. Everything over the past five years has felt like the only way I could operate was on a day-by-day basis.
Thinking of what my life would be over the years, I just saw Miles. I still do, but now I see Miles in little league practice with me, and whichever one of my teammates wants to help me make some kids' day by coaching. I see Lucie in the stands holding another member of our family, along with, I’m sure, the rest of Miles’s fan club.
I see Lucie in my hat at every single game. I see our kids falling asleep with her on our couch, waiting for me to carry them to their beds. I see them all hating my food, but loving Lucie’s. I see the fucking turtles in this classroom. I see Lucie and I on the balcony every chance we get.
Shit, all of that just because she slid me her coffee cup.
“Lucie.” Miles fiddles in front of her. “Can we learn something today?”
Lucie stands back up. “Of course, we can. Why don’t you go grab a box of crayons and some of the construction paper, and meet me at the counter?”
“Okie!” Miles takes off around me, then right out the door.
Lucie gets one shake of her head before I’m right there, pulling her in for a kiss. My hands caress her cheeks as her arms wrap around my back. I kiss her slow, because she’s right—we have plenty of fucking time. Well, sort of.
“Lucie! Where are the crayons?” Miles yells all the way from the other side of the penthouse.
Despite her stress about meeting my parents, Luce was her usual ray of sunshine, which they adored. Not that anyone but Miles’s opinion would change my mind about Lucie. I know it mattered more to her.
We barely make it to Callie and Will’s place on time. Every glance at Lucie in that yellow dress I love had me seriously considering Beck’s car sex text.
By the time we make it to the elevator, I can’t stand not touching her for a second longer. I pull her to me by the jean jacket she threw on before we left.
“So, if we were to skip out on game night…”
Lucie rolls her eyes toward me. “Dex, can I not wear yellow ever?”
