Page 13 of Wicked Love

“Aren't they?” Tru says.

“The wedding was beautiful. You all look gorgeous,” I say.

“So do you,” Elle says.

“Thank you.” I smile at her and then see Bowie out of the corner of my eye. He’s leaning over Becca. She’s at a table with Henley’s girls and a boy that looks about ten or eleven.

“Sam is feeling a little too cocky after his first kiss,” Penn says. “Look at him over there trying to impress Cassidy.”

We all look at the table where the girls are sitting.

“Sam is the boy sitting over there,” Tru says, pointing tothe table. “Penn met him while tutoring and now we’re all attached to him.”

I want to ask more about Sam, but Bowie chooses that moment to come back to the table and all the air is sucked out of my lungs. He sits in the only open chair, which is next to me. He smells like pine and a Jolly Rancher, and when he sets an empty wrapper on the table, I understand why.

He’s far more relaxed than he was when it was just me, easing into conversation quickly with the guys while I talk to Elle and Tru. We eat and I’m aware of every time Bowie’s elbow or shoulder brushes against mine. The man is so tall and built. All of the players are, and even though I’m five nine, I feeltinycompared to Bowie.

Rhodes has brought me back a drink every time he goes to get one for Elle, and I haven’t had a cocktail in so long. My inhibitions fade as I get more liquid courage. Weston and Sadie have their first dance and it’s so beautiful, I almost cry. Then Weston dances with his mom and Sadie dances with her dad and I’m not the only one sniffling at the table.

“Are we ready to do this?” I hear Penn ask.

The next thing I know, all the guys are standing up and walking to the dance floor.

“Do you know what they’ve got planned?” Tru asks Elle.

“No idea,” Elle says.

Weston leads Sadie to a chair on the edge of a dance floor and then walks out with the rest of the guys. They’ve all taken their jackets off and the sight of all five men strutting out to stand in the middle of the floor is a sight to behold. When “I’m a Slave 4 U” comes over the speaker, Elle and Tru crack up.

“Oh, God, this is gonna be so good,” Tru says.

When they start moving, Elle whistles. “They are making me so proud right now.” She laughs.

I can’t speak because I’m too caught up in watching Bowie shake his hips and do pelvic thrusts that make my cheeks heat. He’s good! They all are. But I’m shocked the ice man can let loose like this.

Weston ends up on his knees in front of Sadie, who is laughing her head off as she fans her face. The room erupts in applause and then everyone starts moving toward the dance floor.

“Ready to dance?” Tru asks.

“What? Now?” I ask. I enjoy dancing, but I don’t feel like I’m especially great at it.

Tru laughs. “Yes, come on. It’ll be fun.”

I finish my drink and follow her and Elle, still pinching myself that I’m even here.

CHAPTER FIVE

THE EXCEPTION

BOWIE

It’s been a fun-filled couple of days. Time with the guys is always like therapy, whether we talk about anything deep or not. I guess besides being out on the field, it’s one of the only outlets I have. I know with them I can speak freely and not be judged, and it helps to know that I’m not alone in doing this dad thing.

Right before the ceremony, I pulled out TheSingle Dad Playbook and set it on the table where we’d been getting ready, and wrote an entry.

The Single Dad Players are going down like

gummies at a Lana Del Rey concert,

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