Page 38 of Before We Fell

“Oh. She’ll know. Woman has some sixth sense when it comes to carbs. It’s like she can smell them now.”

“Bet if you ate some carbs you would have played better today.” I bit into my burger. It was incredible. Not too greasy and the bun was thick and grilled just right for the perfect crunch. I let out an orgasmic groan. “This is really good,” I told Jordan, mouth still filled with food.

“Fuck yeah, it is,” he said, biting into his own.

“You’re both assholes.” Ryan speared his salad like it had personally offended him.

“Heard your niece is in Lauren Frazier’s class. How’s she doing?” The question came from Jordan and I couldn’t hide my surprise he knew. Or that he’d asked.

I considered Riley. It felt great to hear her sweet little voice reading a book via the app Lauren sent out last week. It was about a boy and a girl who get taken to the time when dinosaurs exist. And what a damn breakthrough that had been. Because she might not talk muchtome, but that had prompted me to order the entire set of books. For the last few nights, I’d curled up with Riley in her bed at bedtime and listened to her read to me.

Bonus: since starting that, she hadn’t woken up screaming from nightmares.

“As good as can be expected,” I replied, my shoulders shrugging. It was my flippant answer when anyone asked. How was she supposed to be doing? Was she worse than she should have been? Better? Who fucking knew how a kid was supposed to handle what she’d witnessed and lost?

Shit, I still didn’t know how to handle it most days.

Jordan leaned in, resting his forearms against the table and popped a fry into his mouth. “How are you doing? It’s not easy suddenly having a kid to take care of.”

We were talking about feelings now? I must have registered something on my face that silently said how much I despised the intrusion because Jordan grinned and continued. “Found out I had a son when he was eleven. Don’t know how to handle what y’all have lost, but I do know what it’s like to suddenly not know what the hell you’re doing or if you’re even doing a good job. Straight up, Noah. You ever need to sit and have a drink wondering if you’re messing that little girl up or helping her, I’m there for you. Whatever you need.”

Damn. “Pardon?”

He picked up his burger. “Long story I’ll tell you about some night when you call me for that drink. But the shortest version is Toby’s mom and I worked through our bullshit and were married last Christmas. Still, though, I get suddenly having a kid to consider and I had his mom helping me figure shit out. You going at it alone has to be harder.”

Harder? More like damn impossible. I lifted my chin in acknowledgment and shoved my burger into my mouth so I didn’t have to respond.

There wasn’t much to say and eventually, conversation drifted to the end of baseball season and beginning of football season with Jordan and Ryan debating the Chief’s chances of making it to the Super Bowl. Personally, as much as I liked the Chiefs, my money was on the Rams.

By the time lunch was done, we’d already scheduled another tee time for later in the week on one of Ryan’s days off.

Thirteen

Lauren

“Wow,Shawn. I had no idea this place was so beautiful.” Our date that was supposed to happen last week had been pushed back to this week when Shawn was called in on his day off. Through the last week, we’d texted several times and tonight was the first night we were finally able to see each other.

I was shocked to learn that going out on a date with a police officer could be so difficult.

He had pulled up to the Carlton Golf Resort a few minutes ago, and we were walking through the entryway, his hand on my lower back, guiding me toward the restaurant.

When he suggested a date, I assumed we’d hit up Down Home or one of the other diners in town.

I didn’t realize he’d bring me to the nicest place in town, complete with white tablecloths and what looked like real silverware and crystal glasses.

It almost felt too fancy for a first date.

“You’ve never been here?” Shawn asked. Surprise was clear in his voice and I shook my head. My heels clipped against the glossy wood floors. They had to be shined nightly. There wasn’t a scratch or dull spot in sight.

“No. I’ve always meant to, but I’m not much of a golfer or a spa girl.” To each their own, but getting pampered felt more like a chore than relaxing. The few times I’d attempted a simple massage I was annoyed well before my time was up, irritated from someone constantly touching me.

Weird, considering I loved physical affection. A stranger’s hands on me was different.

We reached the hostess stand and I stood next to Shawn as he gave our name for the reservation he’d made.

I didn’t even know they required reservations.

“Let me guess,” he said, and I caught the teasing grin sliding across his face. His hand slid to my hip and the brush of his hand against the back of my thin dress made me fight a shiver of delight. “You probably golf as well as you play darts?”

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