Page 10 of Wicked Love

“Oh, I crush on Sam and Penn,” Becca says, looking at me.

I sigh. I’m so not ready for my daughter to like boys.

“Yeah, like that,” I say, quietly.

Becca nods. “I flirt like Poppy does with my daddy,” she says.

She puts her hands on her cheeks and looks at me, much the same way Poppy did, and my lips twitch from trying not to laugh.

Poppy laughs outright. “You don’t miss anything, do you, Becca?”

So, was Poppy flirting with me? Shit. I have no idea.

We both avoid looking at each other.

“I miss Dad when he not here. When he play football, I miss him. When I not see you, I miss you, Poppy.” Becca takes a long sip of her drink. “I miss my mom. She not here. I see her when I a baby, but I not…” She shakes her head.

God, she’s going to tell our whole life story here in the coffee shop.

Poppy’s eyes soften and she gives Becca a warm smile. “I missed you too. We hit it off right away, didn’t we?”

“Yes. Best friends,” Becca says.

Thankfully she jumps to another subject, but my joy is short-lived.

“You play lots of fun things at work,” she says.

“Yes, I have,” Poppy says. “We went ice skating this week, and on Monday, we're having a flag football game between all the kids and the staff.”

“I love flag football,” Becca says.

She looks at me and I know she’s thrown off by the word flag with football.

Poppy smiles. “It's really fun.”

Poppy is not doing me any favors in this conversation. If I had any hope of avoiding taking Becca to Briar Hill, it’s shot out the window now.

“Flag football is what we’ve played at Friendsgiving, when the weather's not too bad,” I tell Becca.

“Oh, I love that game,” Becca says. “I good because I run fast.”

“I remember that,” Poppy says, laughing.

“I play flag football with Poppy,” Becca says.

“We have plans after school, remember? Wedding stuff.”

Becca gasps. “I a princess!”

Poppy’s eyebrows lift. “That sounds way more fun than flag football.”

“My dress. I am beautiful,” Becca says proudly.

I need to get Becca out of here or she’s going to be inviting her to the house next. I stand abruptly and both of them turn to look at me.

“We need to go. Have a good day.” I nod curtly at Poppy and she looks confused as she stares up at me. “Come on, Becca.”

“We stay here,” Becca says, her brow furrowing at me.

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