Page 46 of Give Me a Reason

“Then grab your stuff. You got a glove?” I asked, curious if she’d played a sport.

Aria bit her lip, and I realized my mistake. It was likely her parents hadn’t been able to afford sports equipment or the activity fees. “No worries. We’ll get you one for next time, or you can use mine.”

Aria nodded. “Thank you.”

“No problem. We’re just glad you can join us.” There was nothing better than a family day out. I loved spending time with Paisley and Ireland, and I was looking forward to seeing Aria today.

We piled into my SUV since it had three rows, Ireland in the front and Aria and Paisley in the middle row. Aria asked Paisley questions about her week at her mother’s.

“It’s a perfect day to spend outside,” Ireland said to me.

It was sunny and cool, a light jacket kind of day. My favorite kind. “Great company too.”

Aria’s eyes met mine in the rearview mirror, and I wondered if she was thinking about what happened last night. How it felt when I was inside her.

I ripped my gaze away from her and drew in a deep breath. Thinking about our time together wasn’t a good idea, not when we weren’t alone, and I couldn’t act on what I was feeling.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Aria

How did I find myself in Finn’s SUV a day after he screwed me senseless up against a wall? For the first time in my life, I wasn’t sure what I was doing. I could have refused to go. Maybe. I wasn’t sure I could say no to Paisley.

Then Ireland stepped in, and she was someone I couldn’t argue with. She had this way of manipulating a situation to get you to do exactly what she wanted, but you still felt good about going along with it. The thing was, she had pure intentions. She wanted to spend the day with her family and me.

Somehow, we hadn’t discussed me contributing to rent and utilities. Anytime I brought it up, she skillfully changed the discussion to something else, and by the time I remembered what I asked her about in the first place, it was too late to bring it up.

We pulled into the half-full parking lot in front of the stadium.

When Finn parked, Paisley unhooked her seat belt, opened the door, and said, “Come on.”

We piled out and walked the short distance to the entrance where we were given tickets for food.

“Want to eat first?” Finn asked.

Everyone agreed, and we got in line for hot dogs and soda. When the attendant handed us the food, we sat in the front row behind the first baseline.

Finn kicked up his feet and took a large bite of his hot dog. “This is the best seat in the house.”

“But you can’t catch foul balls here.” Paisley gestured at the large net separating us from the field.

Finn nodded as he chewed thoughtfully. “That’s true. Definitely something to consider.”

“You go to a lot of baseball games?” I asked, curious to know more about him.

“We hit a few minor and major league games each year,” Finn said before taking another large bite of his hot dog.

“They’re fun. I love the hot dogs and the popcorn.” Paisley sipped her soda.

“What about the baseball? You like that?” Ireland asked, her tone amused.

“Eh,” Paisley said, setting her soda in the cup holder and unwrapping her hot dog.

“I hope she will grow to enjoy the game so I have someone to go with me,” Finn said.

“I’ll go with you, Daddy,” Paisley said in a sweet voice.

I think my heart melted at the look Finn gave her in response. I had a feeling he’d be happy to go with her to a princess ice show, as long as he was with his daughter.

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