Page 13 of Just One Season
“Gross. Whose dog was it?” Bri asks from the kitchen sink.
“Atticus’s sister.”
Lucy’s face pops into my mind, a vivid image of curly red hair, light freckles, and pink cheeks.
Ava groans. “Daddy, why can’t I get a dog?”
“Because I travel too much.”
“Mommy doesn’t travel.” Ava sits back in her chair and crosses her arms.
“Not this again, Ava.” Bri shakes her head. “What was Atticus’s sister doing with a dog on the ice?”
I stand and head over to the coffee machine, grabbing a clean mug and helping myself to the fresh pot.
“She’s working for the team for the season. PR stuff.” What’d she say? Something about how if I need anything to do with PR, she’s my girl? I hold back a chuckle at the memory of the conversation.
“Daddy, what was the dog’s name?”
“That’s another funny story.”
“Why?”
“Because she—Lucy—didn’t even know its name.”
“What? That’s weird. She sounds weird.” But Ava’s grinning from ear-to-ear.
Bri hands me a container of pumpkin spice creamer. I make a face but pour it into the coffee anyway. I won’t tell the nutritionist.
“It was either Zeus, or Waffles, or Max.”
“I like Waffles!”
I lean against the counter, sipping from the steaming mug.
“Why are you smiling like that?” Bri narrows her eyes at me.
“I’m smiling?”
“Yeah. It’s weird.”
“So now I can’t smile?” I press my lips together.
“I want to meet Waffles!” Ava stands and jumps up and down.
“Well, maybe I can arrange that.”
And then maybe I can see Lucy again. Not that I have any real interest in that woman. Or any woman, these days.
But Lucy was… well, interesting. She was kind of babbling and flushed and not at all what I expected from Atticus’s sister.
And she was hot. Hot mess hot.
“Yay! I love Atticus!!”
“Ava, honey, go grab your backpack so you can pack yourlunch and water bottle, okay?” Bri waves our daughter out of the room, and I gather up Ava’s breakfast dishes and walk them over to the sink.
“Did you decide to apply for that role?” I run the lake of maple syrup off Ava’s plate.
