Page 59 of Just One Season
“Did you see Paul when you got here? I’ve been behind the booth for two hours.”
She nods. “Yeah, he was over by the drinks tent with Savannah.”
“Well, let’s get a drink.” I don’t let go of her hand. No way I’m gonna do that tonight, when I have the perfect excuse to act like her boyfriend. Besides, her hand fits perfectly in mine. Might as well leave it there.
“Ava with Bri tonight?” Lucy steps closer to me to let a group of kids in knight costumes run by, and her body presses against my side.
“At a birthday party. Bri brought her earlier, and she shoved her face with s’mores. Just like you.”
“Hey.” Lucy squeezes my biceps with her free hand.
“Ouch! You’re strong for a soccer player.”
Lucy laughs and relaxes her grip on my arm.
“Bri likes you, you know,” I say.
“Thank goodness.” I feel her look my way. “Were you guys married? Together long?”
“No.” I glance back at Lucy. “The short story is that Bri was in town for a weekend. She’d been broken up with her boyfriend for a month. We just had a one-night thing but then she realized she was pregnant a few months later. She did the math and knew it was mine.”
“Wow.”
“Showed up at my house six months pregnant. And neverleft.” My complicated life with Bri is one of the reasons I’ve never wanted to deal with dating. I have too much on my plate, and I don’t want to be with someone who will end up jealous or not understand how our co-parenting relationship works.
“You didn’t think about getting back together?” Lucy’s voice sounds curious, not jealous.
“No. We were never together to begin with, and we just focused on Ava once she got here. We’re family now.”
I love Bri like family. Sheisfamily. We work well as co-parents. I don’t want anything more with her and she feels the same.
“Oh, mulled wine!” Lucy exclaims and pulls me to the right. Lachlan’s working the drink table, and he raises his eyebrows when we approach.
“Well, there’s Kellcy, looking cozy.”
“Hush. Can we get two mulled wines?” I hand him cash and look around the crowded tent. “Is Paul around?”
“Just walked out.” Lachlan points out the other side of the tent to a group of people standing around high tables.
“Ready for this?” I look down at Lucy, who nods.
“Let’s do it.” She accepts a steaming cup of mulled wine from Lachlan and takes a sip. “Wait.” She looks back and forth between me and Lachlan. “Are we kissing?”
“Abso-fucking-lutely,” Lachlan immediately replies.
“Only if necessary,” I say, because I can’t read Lucy.
“Help me, help you, mate,” Lachlan says with a giant eye roll and Lucy giggles.
“Fuck off.” But I’m not really mad, because Lachlan at least made Lucy laugh.
“If you don’t do it, I can.” The Aussie tucks a blonde curl behind his ear, hair loose from his usual man bun.
Lucy takes a deep breath. “Okay.”
“OkayIcan do it? Or Kellen?” Lachlan plasters an innocent look on his face.
“Kellen, if it comes to that.” She bites her lip, and I follow her out, avoiding Lachlan’s knowing smile.
