Page 6 of Rebound

My Uber pulls up just as I step outside. It’s going to be an expensive ride to go from Harlem to Sands Point, but I make a very good living now thanks to the same friend. When she left the hotel and went to work for Corporate, she took me with her. With the right connections, I made it to corporate years ahead of time.

It takes less than an hour for me to get to the mansion where the celebration is taking place.

Chapter 4

Seth

“Let me have her diaper bag,” Jeannie says to me. I look around the tent they have in the backyard and find it under the table. I hand it to her. “I’m gonna go change her diaper and then hopefully find some clothes in here that match.” She huffs and leaves with Jasmine in her arms.

I shrug, still unsure of what the issue is. I doubt Jasmine needs a diaper change. I just changed her half an hour ago, but Jeannie always has issues with how I dress my daughter, but since she’s been such a help to me with Jasmine, I don’t say anything. Besides, the last thing I need is for Coach to be mad at me, so if changing Jasmine’s clothes makes her happy, she can have it.

I look around the big yard. This is the same house where my teammate and his wife married, so I’ve been here before. This was supposed to be only a luncheon, but there are servers passing drinks around and several food stations that feature the adoptee’s favorite foods. The kid and I have the same tastes because I’ve hit the nachos station about three times already.

Everyone is milling around, talking and laughing. Coach is on the other side of the yard talking to some members of Chastain’s family. I look around intending to find another server when a flash of yellow catches my eye.

She comes from the side door. She runs her hands down her dress and looks around. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think she was nervous, but that judgmental pain in the ass is a lot of things, and nervous has never been one of them. At least she’s never been any time I’ve been around her. What does she have to be nervous about? She looks almost perfect in that yellow dress with the bow underneath her breasts. There’s a cutout showing off the brown skin of her taut stomach. She has a wide set of hips and quite the ass, but I’ve never said anything. Those nice hips and ass are wasted on someone like her.

She has big sunglasses covering her eyes. I’ll never admit this to anyone, but Layla Jackson is sexy as sin. Not only that, but she’s beautiful with full lips and big brown eyes. Unfortunately, she’s a judgmental witch with a sharp tongue.

She stands there until Jeannie comes out holding Jasmine’s hand. My daughter is now dressed in a purple bathing suit and floaties on both arms. Layla hugs Jeannie and they have a conversation. From here, I can hear Layla’s laughter. For someone so annoying, her laughter is rich, deep, and throaty. Jeannie picks up Jasmine, who pulls the sunglasses off Layla’s face. I expect her to take them back from Jasmine, but she doesn’t. Layla helps Jasmine put them on, and my daughter claps her little hands together.

Jeannie gestures for Layla to follow her. That’s when I notice she’s carrying a pink gift bag. She stops abruptly when she sees me sitting at the table.

“Dada!” Jasmine says. She reaches down for me, and I take her from Jeannie and put her on my lap. She bounces until she rests her head on my chest. I lean down and kiss her dark brown curls.

“I thought I’d take her in the kiddie pool in a few,” Jeannie says. She knows I won’t object. There are only a few people Itrust with my daughter. Jeannie and Coach as well as Vickie and Chastain. They’re the best friends I’ve ever had, and I don’t know what I’d do without them.

It happened in the middle of the season, and Vickie let me leave Jasmine with her for the away games. Jeannie helped me with setting up a nursery and buying baby clothes and other things. Vickie talked to me about setting a routine and the importance of sticking to it. She also told me that it’s important for me to have time to rest and that I could count on her for help.

I hear the scraping of a chair. When I look up, Jeannie and Layla are sitting down, and Vickie and her brother-in-law Charlie are there too.

“Let me see,” Vickie says to him. She extends her hand. He takes a deep breath before giving her his phone. She looks down at it.

“It’s perfect,” she says before pressing something on the screen.

“Vickie! I wasn’t sure I wanted to submit that yet,” Charlie says.

“You’ve been dragging your feet forever. It’s just one date, and you need a girlfriend,” she says.

“Girlfriend? Yeah, right.” He takes the phone and slides it in his pocket. “Where am I gonna find that at?”

“Yes. You need love. This is going to be your year, Charlie. I have a good feeling about this.”

“You know I’m looking too,” the most annoying voice says. When she twirls her hair with her finger, I chuckle at her shameless and embarrassing attempt at flirting. Charlie blushes at her words before he clears his throat.

“Um, are you old enough to date?” he asks, and I let out a loud laugh.

“That’s a nice way of him saying you’re wasting your time,” I say. She ignores me. “And his,” I add.

“I’m twenty-two,” she says to Charlie.

“Well, um, that’s a bit young for me,” Charlie says. Layla does an exaggerated pout.

“Oh my God. You look like a donkey when you do that,” I say. “And in case you can’t take a hint, he’s not interested.”

“Why don’t you just shut up?” she hisses before she turns back to Charlie and Vickie.

“Let’s go, Vickie,” Charlie says, doing his best to avoid looking at Layla again. Vickie grabs Charlie’s wrist and pulls him away. I snort and shake my head at the scene. Vickie thinks everyone is going to find love like she did with Chastain.

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