The Goal (Off-Campus #4)(59)
They’re always thoroughly disappointed when I inform them that the mother is very much in the picture. Then I’ll flash a polite smile, bid them good day, and keep on walking. The one time Logan joined me for one of these strolls, he’d shaken his head in amazement, remarking that it was a shame none of us were single, because Jamie’s a chick magnet.
My friends adore her. I know they wish they got to see her more often, but we’ve all got our own busy lives to lead. Since the hockey season started, Garrett’s been practicing hard and is constantly on the road for away games. Logan’s training equally hard with the development team, and he and Grace are still settling in to their new apartment. Despite that, they all drive out to see Jamie any time they have a free moment. Hannah, especially, who’s only working part-time at the moment and writing songs on the side.
“Hey, look at that, little darlin’,” I tell my daughter as we stop at the crosswalk. “It’s a doggie.”
Said doggie tries to sniff the stroller as he and his owner sidle up to us. And damn, I should’ve kept my mouth shut, because now I’ve attracted the owner’s attention.
“Oh my! Look at this precious little angel!”
She crouches down and starts pawing at Jamie, which makes me bristle. Is this normal? Strangers constantly trying to touch your baby? Because it happens way too often for my liking.
The woman presses a kiss to Jamie’s tiny fingers, and I make a mental note to wipe them down the second we’re out of sight. Hell, I’d hose her down if I didn’t think it’d hurt her. I don’t want all these germs all over my kid.
“What’s her name?” the woman asks.
“Jamie.” I stare steadily at the crosswalk signal, willing the little green man to pop up before the chick starts flirting.
“And what’s her daddy’s name?”
Too late. “Tucker, but my wife calls me Tuck.”
That shuts her up fast. Normally I’m not this rude during these random street pick-ups, but I really don’t like the way she touched my child without permission. Fuck that.
Once the light turns green, I swiftly push the stroller forward, murmuring goodbye at the woman and her dog.
“Well, at least the doggie was cute, right, darlin’?”
She doesn’t answer, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve taken to carrying on entire conversations with this kid. I find it kind of soothing.
“See that over there? That’s a swing set,” I inform her as we walk by a small park. “When you’re a bit older, Daddy’s gonna take you there and push you on the swing.”
I walk two more blocks, speeding up when we near an adult toy store. “And that’s a place you’ll never go into,” I say cheerfully. “Because you’re never, ever going to have sex, right, princess?”
There’s a loud snort.
I glance over my shoulder to see an elderly couple walking behind me. They remind me a bit of Hiram and Doris. Man, I wonder what those two are up to. I kind of wish we’d gotten their contact info after that kickass naked painting date.
“Good luck with that,” the man calls to me with a crooked grin.
“Four daughters,” the woman confirms. “Poor Freddie over here couldn’t convince a single one of ’em to stay virgins.”
I grin back. “Obviously he didn’t try hard enough. Did you consider purchasing a shotgun?”
The couple roars with laughter.
Jamie and I keep strolling for a few more minutes, until I suddenly come to a dead stop at a familiar corner. I haven’t been to Paddy’s Dive since the night Sabrina went into labor, but somehow I’ve found my way back to it now.
And there’s a FOR SALE sign in the window.
36
Sabrina
“I’m sorry I’m late,” I apologize as I slide into a chair at Della’s.
Carin and Hope already have their drinks, and by the pool of condensation on the table, I’m later than I realized. Or they were early. Ever since Jamie was born, I have a hard time getting anywhere on time.
“Where’s the baby?” Carin asks, dismissing my tardiness with an airy wave of her hand.
“She’s with Nana.” I grab the menu, quickly searching it for the juiciest, meatiest thing I can find.
Both girls pout. “We wanted to see the baby!” Hope cries.
“Yeah. The whole point is for you to bring Jamie so we can coo over her. I’m almost done with the booties.” Carin pulls out a mess of yarn that looks nothing like a shoe or even a sock.
“What is that thing?” I lay down the menu to get a better view of the object she’s holding up. It’s kind of like the wool equivalent of Logan’s horrifying teddy bear.
“It’s a sock. Is it too big or too small?” She stretches it out and I vaguely see something shiplike in the mess.
“It’s…are you sure that’s a sock?”
Hope giggles behind her menu.
Carin scowls at me. “Have you ever tried knitting? It’s hard as fuck, thank you very much.” With a sniff, she stuffs the mottled mess in her bag.
“Besides knitting, which I do appreciate, how’s MIT?”
Hope lights up. “Carin knocked beard off her bucket list.”
“Nice.” I give her a thumbs-up. “Tell me about it.”
“Nah, it’s nothing.” Carin lifts the menu up to hide her face.
“Mr. Beard is Carin’s TA,” Hope explains. “She thinks you’ll be pissed.”
“He’s not my TA,” Carin objects.
“Okay, fine,” Hope relents. “He’s the TA in another class, which Carin will likely take next year.”
“Eh. I’m fine with it.” I pick up my menu again and study my choices.
I’m torn between the burger with blue cheese and the Philly steak sandwich. Can I even eat blue cheese? I lower the menu to ask Hope, only to find my friends staring at me.
“What?” My eyes drop to my chest in a panic. “Am I leaking?” No, my shirt is dry, thank God. Those little silicon nip pads are working great.
“We thought for sure you’d be upset over this because of the Dean thing,” Carin explains.
“Dean and I kind of made up.” If me breaking down and Dean giving me awkward pats on the back counts as making up. Which, in my book, does. Plus, as far as I know, he hasn’t said a word to Tucker about the fact that I’m madly in love with the guy.
“Well, that’s good.”
The waitress shows up and we all order. Hope gets a salad, Carin orders soup and salad, and I order the Philly cheesesteak with a side of fries because I’m so hungry.
“How’s med school?” I ask Hope.
“It’s going okay. The course load is crushing.”
“I hear you.”
“Med school is sapping all my energy to the point that I don’t have time for D’Andre. He keeps talking about skiing from sunup to sundown over Christmas break, and all I want to do is lie in front of the lodge fireplace and sleep. I don’t know how you’re doing it.”
“I wouldn’t be able to do it without Tucker. He’s always there. Well, most of the time,” I correct. Because lately, he’s been really busy and I’ve been quietly panicking.
Hope frowns. “Oh no. Is there trouble in paradise?”
“No, not really. He’s doing more than I ever dreamed of, actually. It makes me feel guilty.”
“Oh fuck that,” Carin says. “This is his kid too. Is he slacking off? Because I will kick his ass from here to the harbor for you.”
“No, not at all. It’s…” I pause, hesitant to give my fear a voice, as if saying the words will make them true. But these two are my closest friends, so I give in to the urge. “I think he’s found someone else.”
“No.” Hope denies it immediately. “When would he have the time? You said he comes over almost every night and you see him on the weekends too.”
“That’s just it. Before, he was around all the time, but in the past couple weeks, he’s been really busy.”
“Maybe there’s a bunch of builders trying to get projects done before the snow comes,” Carin suggests. “And so everyone’s working double shifts or something.”
“Maybe.” I heave a sigh. “It’s not just that he’s not around as much. He’s distracted and quiet, more so than usual. I feel like he wants to tell me something but is afraid of how I’ll take it.”
“Just come out and tell him you love him,” Hope orders, shaking her fork at me. “Actually, I’m shocked you haven’t slipped up and done it already. Even in texts and stuff.”
“It’s beyond hard,” I admit. “The other day he was reaching for a glass of water and his shirt slipped up and I almost dropped to my knees with lust. And when he’s with Jamie? It becomes nearly impossible. He was sitting on the couch the other night, feeding her. And I started to say I love you and caught myself, but not before I had the first two words out. I ended up saying I love your socks.”
“I love your socks?” Carin exclaims.
“It’s beyond ridiculous. I know.”
“Why don’t you just tell him?”
“Because if I tell him, then he’ll feel bound to me. He’s so honorable and so decent, he won’t even look at another woman.”