Page 38 of Play For Keeps

“Yes!”

Everly shakes her head, bringing dinner to the table. “After dinner, Birdie. We’re going to eat first.”

Everly scoops a serving of chicken, potatoes, and roasted cauliflower on Birdie’s plate, and I try not to laugh when I see her scowl at the vegetables. Her expression speaks for itself.

“Mommy, can me and Jake please play Mario Kart after dinner?”

“If Jake’s up for it, baby.”

“Only if I can be Luigi,” I tell her, spooning the cauliflower onto my plate.

“You can.” Birdie nods. “Eat fast, Jake. Then we can play.”

Everly raises her eyebrows at Birdie. “We will enjoy the meal I cooked and when we are done, and you’ve taken your dish to the sink, you can play.”

“Okay,” Birdie says. Then she leans into her mom’s shoulder and whispers, but I can hear every word. “Mommy, should I warn him that I’m really good?”

Everly leans towards Birdie, but her eyes are still on me, a mischievous smile on her face. “I think you should surprise him. He won’t see you coming.”

Everly winks at me. And in that moment, I am positive that I want more nights like this with these two.

It turns out Birdie wasn’t kidding. She beat me fair and square the first time, and then we split the next couple of games. Eventually Everly stepped in to point out it was well past Birdie’s bedtime.

After some protesting, Birdie agreed to get ready for bed, but only after I promised I would read her a bedtime story. At first, I was nervous. Playing Mario Kart with her is easy—I’m a dude, I can play video games—but reading her a bedtime story is out of my wheelhouse. But after reading a couple of pages, my nerves eased.

Afterwards, I watched Everly tuck Birdie in beside her new stuffed cat, then she kissed her goodnight. I gave her toes a squeeze and then followed Everly out her door into the hall.

I’ve wanted to get to know Everly ever since that night I first bumped into her at Catch 21. After tonight, I know that I want Birdie in my life too. Part of me wonders if I’m moving too fast. Let’s face it, I don’t know the first thing about taking care of a kid. The crazy thing is… I really want to try.

Back in the kitchen, Everly sets two wine glasses down on the counter then asks me to grab the bottle of wine from the fridge. I crack the screw top then hand her the bottle and she pours us each a glass.

“Thanks for doing the dishes,” she says. “It was nice to have the night off. You seem to be spoiling me a lot lately.”

“Of course,” I tell her. Everly has been through so much. If doing her dishes and tidying up her kitchen after dinner gives her a break, then I’m happy to do it. It’s beginning to feel like I’d do just about anything for this girl and her daughter.

“I’m sorry that took so long. Birdie can drag a bedtime routine out for hours. Believe it or not, tonight was actually a sped-up version. I had to cut a deal with her to move things along.”

“Oh yeah? What did she sweet talk you in to?”

She leans against the counter with a smirk. “An ice cream date… that I may have agreed to invite you to.”

I grin at her. “If this is your way of asking me out on a date, Ev, the answer is yes. I give in, I’m all yours.”

Everly grabs a tea towel from the counter and swats it at my hip. “Don’t be smug, Jake Matthews,” she giggles. “And stop being cute.”

I wink, easily grabbing the tea towel out of her hands. Her eyes grow wide as she watches me wind up the towel. She takes a step back, but I have her boxed in against the wall of the tiny kitchen. “Jake! Don’t you dare. You wouldn’t,” she says through a laugh.

I keep winding the towel and Everly keeps on laughing. “Oh, I definitely would… unless you admit you want to take me on our third date?”

“Third date?” Her back is to the wall now. I have her trapped.

“Yep.”

“How do you figure?”

“First was the diner. Second date is tonight. Third will be our ice cream date.”

She narrows her eyes at me, hands on her hips. It’s fucking adorable. “Jake, you agreed the diner wasn’t a date.”

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