Page 66 of Home Field Advantage
I chuckle, and Dallas gives me a playful side eye. We both know this is how it goes with kids. They’ll do anything to put off going to bed.
Sage lifts a few papers in her hand, organizing them just right as she stops in front of me. Lifting them, she hands them over to me. “These are for you. I wanted to draw stuff about baseball so you can learn and love it as much as I do. Since we love puzzles so much, we can now love baseball together.”
Together.
With each word out of her mouth, whether now or in the classroom, I fall for this little girl more and more.
She spent her time coloring me these pictures and sharing herfavorite things with me. I can’t help but swallow, fighting back the emotions because I know my students love me. They all express it in different ways. While many of them share their life outside of school with me, never has a student done something like this. Little things like this mean the world to me.
“Thank you, Sage.” My words barely above a whisper. “I still have that puzzle for you and will bring it over later this week. If it’s okay with your dad.”
Dallas nods.
“That would be so epic.” Sage smiles from ear to ear.
“I’m going to read through them when I get home. I’m so excited to learn about baseball.”
She frowns. “What about your puzzle?”
“I’ll read through these after I do some of that. How’s that sound?”
“I love it.”
“Now off to bed, bug,” Dallas says.
Sage jogs into bed, diving under the covers and bringing them all the way up until they are tucked right under her neck. Lying on her side, she nestles into the pillow. I’m standing in the doorway, feeling like I should leave. This moment is very personal to them, and I’m staring because I can’t tear my gaze away. He tucks the blankets under her legs on both sides, as if to make it snug as a bug. Then he brushes the few loose strands of hair from her braid out of her face. They stare at each other for a beat before he leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead.
My heart melts.
“I love you,” he whispers to her.
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
As soon as Dallas turns to leave her room, his eyes find mine, and I quickly turn around as if I’ve been caught staring. The last thing I want is him thinking I’m a creep for not leaving for their moment together.
My body jumps slightly when I feel his hand on the small of my back, though, guiding me out of her room and into the hallway.He doesn’t remove it until we’re in his living room. The contact burns my skin right through my shirt, and I want him to keep it there. I want to feel his hands all over every part of me if it makes me feel like that again.
He removes his hand, and I stop, scanning the space when I notice a small puzzle being worked on at the kitchen table. He doesn’t follow me as I make my way to it, running my fingers over it and smiling.
“I meant it when I told her I would bring over a puzzle for her, as long as it’s okay with you.” I turn to face him, and he’s standing where I left him, keeping a safe distance. I can’t tell if it’s for himself or me. “We can…uh…figure out a time for me to drop it off.”
“You want to come back over again?” He smirks.
I shrug, as if he doesn’t have a pull on me. As if he hasn’t tilted my universe in his direction. “For the puzzle.”
“For the puzzle,” he repeats. “Only to bring it over, right?”
The energy in the room builds with every passing second. Want. Need. Desire. A burning flame in my gut that says I can do this, that I want to do this. That it’s okay to want this.
“Dallas,” I breathe out, breaking the silence.
He takes two quick steps toward me, hands cupping both sides of my face, forcing me to look up at him. And when I do, my heart begins to hammer loudly in my chest. With eyes boring into mine, I practically melt.
He must see the effect he has on me written all over my face, and his features soften, and that signature smile stretches across his face.
Is he going to kiss me?
He’s so close.
