Page 99 of Biggest Player
“Mom.” My kid pokes me in the arm. “If you end up marrying Dex, will I have to call him Dad?”
I nearly choke on my coffee. “Whoa, slow down there, kiddo. We’re not even close to that stage.”
She shrugs as if she hasn’t dropped a bomb into the conversation. “Just checking. I like to be good and prepared.”
That she does.
“Good and prepared? You sound like you’re planning a mission to Mars.”
“Well, dating is kind of like a space mission, isn’t it? Lots of unknowns and possible aliens.” Wyatt pulls a face, sticking out her tongue and crossing her eyes, wiggling her hands around her head.
I burst out laughing, ruffling her hair. “Yes, and let’s hope Dex isn’t an alien.”
“Or AI,” she whispers with wide eyes. “You never know with technology these days.”
“If he starts glitching, I’ll let you know.”
“Oh, I’ll know. You won’t have to tell me.” Wyatt pauses, hopping over a large crack in the sidewalk. “Wouldn’t it be cool to have a robot dad?”
“He’s not going to be your dad,” I remind her. “You have a dad. And speaking of which, how is yours?”
“The same. He works a lot,” Wyatt tells me.
“Does he still have two phones?” Colton is a workaholic and always has been. He used to use it as an excuse not to be in a relationship, telling me he wanted to be established first. Well,Guess what, pal, we already have a daughter!Cannot get any more established than that ...
“He’s always telling me I look just like you.”
Shedoeslook like me. Long brown hair, big green eyes, and the same freckles spattered across her nose that I used to count (as a game) when she was little.
I tap her nose with the tip of my finger, booping it. “You’re so stinking cute.”
She pulls away from me and runs, considering herself too old now for mushy stuff.
“I don’t want to talk about dad. He’s boring,” she shouts at me, jogging backward. “What’s Dex like? Does he have a cool job? Any pets?”
I chuckle at her curiosity. “Well, he’s a football player, actually.”
She stops short, waiting for me to catch up. “Like, real football? With the big stadiums and everything?”
“Yep,” I say, nodding. “Not sure what position he plays, though.”
“Wow! That’s super cool!” Wyatt exclaims. “Do you think he’ll teach me how to throw a football?”
“You’d have to ask him that,” I reply, smiling at her enthusiasm. “Maybe someday. But first, let’s see if Dex is someone who’s worth all this excitement.”
Wyatt’s eyes light up. “Do you think he likes me?”
“He’s already mentioned we should all hang out. I’m bringing it up because I felt it was something we needed to discuss and not decide impulsively.” I try to pull her in for a hug, but she evades me. “Besides, who wouldn’t like you?”
“People who don’t like fun, maybe,” she retorts with a giggle.
“True,” I concede. “But Dex loves fun, so I think you two will get along just fine once you get to know each other better. Baby steps.”
“What if we’re at a restaurant eating and he tries to ditch us, the way he did with that one date?”
I burst out laughing. “That’s a good point. You should ask him.”
She shrugs. “I will.”
