Page 31 of Play For Keeps

TEN

I HAVE IT SO BAD FOR THIS GIRL

Jake

My chest tightens as I watch Everly soothe Birdie in her arms. I get it now. I get why her life is complicated.

Her ex-husband is an absolute piece of shit.

I couldn’t take another second of him berating her, so without thinking I stood up and walked over to their table. The moment she looked up at me, I saw red. Her frightened hazel eyes and the tremble in her bottom lip told me all I needed to know. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. What the fuck kind of guy thinks he can talk to the mother of his child like that? And what was Everly even doing here with him? I had to remind myself to breathe. Stay calm. The guy’s lucky he had the good sense to get up and leave. I would have had no problem shutting him up if he had one negative thing to say about Everly in front of me. It took all of my willpower not to knock the guy’s lights out.

“Jake!” Birdie spots me over Everly’s shoulder, pointing across the patio.

I see her damp cheeks. I also see the resemblance to her father. My heart twists.

As soon as Everly sets her down on the ground, Birdie is beelining it towards me, blonde ponytail swinging behind her. I can’t stop myself from smiling. The rage I felt just minutes ago fades as I take in the excited expression on her face.

As Birdie stops in front of me, I sneak a peek at Everly, who is watching us from a few feet away. She’s wearing a top that falls over one of her tan shoulders and a skirt that ends just above her knees, her dark hair swept up in a ponytail.

Beautiful. There is no better way to describe her. Her soft pink lips, those captivating eyes. She’s perfect. Dammit…I have it so bad for this girl.

I bend down to Birdie’s height, tearing my eyes from Everly. The little girl throws her arms around me, and I’m surprised at the flush of happiness I feel. “Hey, Birdie.”

I sense Everly quietly watching us as Birdie pulls back from the embrace. “Hi Jake, are you having lunch here too?”

I clear my throat, doing my best to play it cool. I haven’t spent much time with kids, so I’m unsure of how to act around Birdie; being around her always throws me for a loop.

“I am,” I say, pushing to standing. I smile down at her.

“You could sit with us at our table.” Birdie’s eyes shoot to Everly. “We were going to have dessert but then my dad had to go.” Her shoulders slump and I catch the way Everly’s expression softens as she watches her daughter. My heart sinks. Everly is a good mom, but it can’t be easy picking up the pieces that her ex leaves behind. “Or you could come over! Mommy, can Jake come over to our house?”

My smile falters. “Umm… I…”

“Please… Mom!” Birdie squeals, her face lighting up. She’s wearing a pale pink dress along with the cat ears she had on the last time I saw her. This kid is freaking cute.

Everly takes a few steps closer, but she stops short as if needing to keep some space between us.

“I think Jake has other plans,” she says, nodding towards my table. Shit. I completely forgot that I’m meeting my sister here for lunch. I glance back at the empty table, relieved for once that Sierra is late as usual.

“I’m meeting my sister for lunch,” I tell Birdie.

Her tiny body deflates. “And we’re going to my gramma’s tonight. How ‘bout tomorrow night? You could come over for dinner. Mom can make her best chicken and potatoes.”

Everly’s eyes widen, and she pulls her lower lip between her teeth. I can sense she’s uncomfortable, so I decide to let her off the hook and tell Birdie I have plans so her mom doesn’t have to be the bad guy.

But Everly surprises me when she says, “How about next weekend? It’s fine with me if Jake would like to join us.”

Before I can respond, Birdie is hopping up and down, a grin spreading across her lips. “You can make it, right, Jake? You can come over for dinner?”

I have a sudden image of Everly in an apron, and it makes my dick stir. I study her expression just to be sure she’s okay with this. She’s protective over her relationship with her daughter—I get it— and I don’t want to overstep.

“If you’re sure you don’t mind…” I begin.

“Have dinner with us next Sunday,” Everly says, giving me a small smile. “Come over at six?”

“Okay then,” I say, looking back to Birdie. “Since it’s okay with your mom, I’ll be there.”

“Yay!” Birdie jumps up and down, arms raised to the sky. But it’s the smile on Everly’s face that makes my heart skip two beats.

---