Page 30 of A Game Plan for Love

It’s not hard to miss how Addie’s face falls, or how she plasters on a fake smile for her daughter. “You’ve been doing so well at saving.”

We’re gonna talk about that look later.

“How much?”

Nora holds up two fingers. I pull out my wallet and the lucky two-dollar bill I’ve kept for years before I can think too hard on why I want to give the memento to Nora. I stuff the bill into the jar beside the others and steal a peek at Addie as Nora puts the swear jar back.

“You look incredible,” I whisper.

“I look insane,” Addie responds, pulling at her dress. “Nora picked it out.”

“She has great taste.”

“I don’t trust your opinion. You have horrible taste. I’ve seen your gameday outfits.”

I gasp, clutching my chest. “You hurt me, Adeline.” She shoves my shoulder. “It wouldn’t matter what you wore, you would still leave me breathless.”

Addie blushes, and fuck me, the sight nearly sends me to my knees. I take a step closer, ready to say ‘screw it’ and kiss her, when Nora yells, “Where are we going?”

At the question, Addie’s eyes widen.

“I know just the place.”

We’re going to myfavoriterestaurant.

I’m taking the girls to fucking Olive Garden.

Nora only stops speaking when she has pasta in her mouth, and even then, she still tries to muddle through her story. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. She speaks at a mile a minute, telling me stories about summer camp and princesses, and her sticker book.

Holy shit, does she love her sticker book.

Addie nervously picks at her food as Nora chatters.

“She’s wonderful,” I whisper as Nora explains the plot ofEncanto, as if I haven’t seen the movie a dozen times. “Smart as a whip.”

“She reads books,” Addie says proudly, “I hope to convince her to read Percy Jackson with me, but if I push too hard, she might think they’re not cool, so I try to subtly point them out every time at the library.”

“Has it worked?”

“Not at all.” She huffs a laugh. “But she lovesBackyard Fairies.”

“What do you like to read?” I ask.

It’s great to learn what Nora likes, but I want to know about Addie.

“Oh…Uh, well…” Her cheeks flush, and she shoves a heaping pile of pasta in her mouth. She points at her lips while she chews and shrugs.

“I can wait.” I lean back and chomp on a breadstick. It must be good if she’s trying to dodge the question.

She has no idea what kind of books we read in book club, and there is no need to be shy. If I haven’t read it, I’ve heard Maren, Sawyer, or Nathalie talk about it. There are very few topics thathaven’tbeen discussed at Book Club.

She finishes her bite, then stares.

“It’s not quite books,” she starts, and understanding immediately dawns on me.

Addie reads fan fiction. I’m not shocked by the concept, especially after Nathalie got drunk and went on a two-hour monologue about theLord of the Ringsfan fiction she read where a human woman from the 21st century was transported to Middle Earth and fell in love with Legolas.

I’m not convinced she didn’t write it.

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