“Well, that seems appropriate.” Rylee laughs lightly.
“She’s beautiful.”
Rylee seems taken aback by my words, but nods. Indie brings the ball back and sets it in my lap. “Is your mommy raising a jock?” I wink at Rylee who makes a face.
It goes like this for a while. Rylee and I watching Indie play with the basketball. Eventually, she tires of it and goes to a little bookshelf lined with books of all shapes and sizes in a rainbow of colors.
“Clearly, she has your love of books. What else does she like?”
“She likes going outside for walks or to the park. We do that quite a bit.” Rylee feels her pockets and then checks the couch next to her.
“Lose something?”
“My phone. I was going to show you a picture from this morning.”
“Uhh…” I point toward Indie. Her little fingers are wrapped around the device and she swipes at the screen.
Rylee laughs, goes and gets the phone from a grinning Indie, and then settles on the couch a little closer this time. “She also likes stealing my phone.”
The first few pictures are of the ceiling and that makes me chuckle. “And taking pictures, apparently.”
Rylee flips through photographic evidence of their outing this morning.
“Those your parents?” I ask, looking at a photo of Indie and an older couple.
“Yeah.”
There must be fifty photos just from today. Some candid, some posed, one of Rylee and Indie with their faces smushed together in a selfie. That beautiful girl I dreamt about all these years grew up into this amazing woman and mother. It’s sexy as hell. But the best part is that even without knowing the specifics of what’s happened the last two years, I know my daughter has been loved. That helps me relax just a little.
“Thank you for this. For all of it. Taking care of her and loving her so hard, and for letting me in now even though I’ve been absent all this time.”
“I’m glad you know and that you’ve met her. I didn’t realize how much it was weighing on me. Guilt for not getting your name, for lying to you, for getting pregnant. I never meant to keep her from you. Although, I admit that I was worried about what would happen if I did find you. It was such a perfect night, and I was afraid I’d built you up in my mind, that you’d disappoint me and her.”
Well, shit. That feels heavy. “And now?”
“I’m not disappointed.”
Chapter Five
Rylee
The following night John comes over after practice. “Come in. She just got out of the bath. I need to find her some pajamas and then we’ve got about an hour before I usually put her to bed.”
“Sorry, I came straight over, but practice ran a little late tonight. We’ve got our first game this weekend and–” He stops abruptly, looking a little frazzled, but still as hot as sin. “Doesn’t matter. I’m sorry. Can I help somehow?”
“No. I got it. Sit. I’ll be right back.”
Indie’s still in her room where I left her. She’s naked except for her pull-up. She has the ball John got her in her lap as she flips the pages in a book on the floor in front of her.
“There’s someone here to see you, pretty girl. Which pajamas do you want to wear?” I bring her two options and let her choose.
After I help her get dressed, we walk out to the living room. John is looking down at his phone with his brows furrowed. Indie halts when she sees him and takes off back toward her room and grabs her ball with a smile.
“Well, she likes the ball,” I say with a teasing eye roll.
“It’s in her genes,” he pipes back and then goes quiet, eyes wide. “Sorry,” he whispers.
I take a seat next to him on the couch. “It’s okay. She doesn’t know what genes are, and besides, I don’t plan on keeping it from her. If you’re going to be a part of her life, then she should know.”
“If?” His dark brows pull together again. I know he’s offended, but I’ve given him a lot to process.
“Let’s just take it slowly, okay? This is a lot for all of us to get used to.”
He nods. “I thought we could compare schedules and figure out times I could hang with you guys or help with Indie while you’re at school or work, if you’re comfortable with that.” There go his furrowed eyebrows again.
My heart pinches at the thought of splitting my time with Indie. I already feel guilty for the hours I’m at school.
“I don’t remember you being so grumpy,” I say, deflecting.
“Yeah. I’m trying it on for size. It’s kind of like wearing a medium shirt. I know I still look good, but it isn’t very comfortable.”
And there’s the guy I remember. Funny and a little cocky.
“That you do. Look good, I mean.” He gives me a lopsided grin that makes my stomach do somersaults. My flirting skills are rusty. Yikes. “I’ll grab my laptop.”
Turns out, John’s schedule is as nuts as mine. Between workouts, classes, and then practices and games, there aren’t a lot of hours for him to choose from.
He frowns. “I could pick her up from daycare on Wednesdays, but other than that I’m not a lot of help.”
“No, that’s great. That’ll give me an extra hour or two on campus to study. It’s been hard to fit everything in,” I admit.
He scans my face. “I can come over in the evenings and hang with her while you study, if you want? Or she could come to my place and give you some time to yourself.”
“You want to take her to The White House?”
His grin is sheepish. “It’s much calmer on the weekdays, but I’ll come here if you prefer.”
“Thank you.”
Indie brings a book to me. My girl might like her new ball, but she loves books. “Do you want us to read to you?”
She nods and climbs up between us. I spread the large picture book out onto her lap and John scoots closer to hold the other side. I sneak a glance at him and smile. The nervousness he’s displaying is charming. I can tell he wants to do right by us. I just hope he doesn’t get freaked out when he realizes just how hard it is to juggle everything. I’m barely managing right now with my classes. So much reading, which I love, but by the time I get Indie into bed at night, I’m so exhausted that it’s hard to stay awake long enough to finish everything.
I read the words on the left page and, with a little prodding, John reads the right. Our little girl watches his face as he reads. She’s totally enamored with him. Not that I can blame her.
His deep voice sends a shiver down my spine. And that easy smile he gives our daughter melts me into a pile of goo.
They both look to me expectantly.
“Your turn,” John says.
Right. My face warms at being caught checking him out. I turn the page and keep reading.
After several more books, Indie’s eyes start to droop, and her temperament goes from sweet and adorable to cranky.
“All right, baby girl. I think it’s time for bed.”
She shakes her head. Her mouth pulls into a thin line of disapproval.
“Book.” She puts the book in John’s hands, and he looks like he’s about to cave.