Page 48 of A Little Crush
Or if he was.
I push the thought aside. “Do you want to…” I start to lift Poppy toward him, but he stops me.
“Nah, she looks comfortable. How was the park?”
“Good,” I answer. “Hades and I both got in a good workout, and I think Poppy liked the sunshine. She also loved sitting on my lap on the swing. I sent you some pictures.”
“I saw,” he returns. “And I appreciate them. It makes me feel like I’m not such a bad dad for missing it.”
“You’re not a bad dad, Jax.”
“I just don’t want to miss anything,” he says with a dash of longing that hits me straight in the chest. “But, uh, seriously, thanks for coming. I kind of figured you’d spend all your time hiding in the hotel. It’s good to see you out and?—”
“Hey, Coach!” Crowther calls from the base of the steps.
Hades lifts his head again, but I reach down and pat his side.
“Yeah?” Jax answers.
Realizing his coach isn’t alone, Crowther tacks on a shy smile and slowly walks up the stairs so he doesn’t need to yell. “Hey, sorry for interrupting.”
“No problem.” Jax motions to me. “Crowther, this is Rory, my…nanny, and my baby, Poppy. She’s asleep.”
“Nanny?” Crowther’s grin stretches. “Figured you were the wife.” Moving closer, he drops his voice low as if sharing a secret. “If I wasn’t so distracted by your pretty eyes, I would’ve checked for a ring.”
My cheeks heat, and I force myself to maintain eye contact instead of giving in and blushing like a schoolgirl. Yeah, this man is going to be great at selling tickets to games. I’d heard rumors about the young rookie being a flirt, but I never expected I’d be on the other end of it.
“No ring,” I murmur. “And yes, just the nanny,” I give Jaxon the side-eye. “Apparently.”
“She’s a family friend,” Jaxon clarifies as his attention shifts from Crowther to me and back again. “And one of my favorite people. But what can I do for you, Crowther?”
“A few of the guys are saying we’re supposed to bring a plus-one to the banquet before the first home game. That true?”
“It’s voluntary, but yes, you’re allowed to bring a plus-one.”
“Good to know.” He tosses another smirk at me. “Nice to meet you, Rory.”
“Nice to meet you, too.”
As Crowther jogs down the stairs again, I find Jaxon staring at me. His expression is unreadable, but it makes me want to squirm nonetheless.
Shifting an inch in his opposite direction, I ask, “What?”
“Nice to meet you, too,” he says, mimicking me. “What’s that about?”
My cheeks flame as he stares at me. Mirth dances in his eyes, but there’s something beneath it. Something I can’t quite place. “What’swhatabout?”
“Nothing, it’s just…what would Dodger say?”
“To me being polite to a stranger?” I counter. “He would say nothing. Because there’s nothing to say.”
“Yeah, but there’s a difference between being polite and being flirty,” he argues.
Flirty? He thinks I was being flirty? What the hell is he talking about? If that’s flirty, I’ve been reading the wrong playbook my entire life. Okay, scratch that. Now that I think about it, I probably have been reading the wrong playbook my entire life. The realization doesn’t exactly make me feel any better. Was I flirting? It’s not like I have any game or feminine wiles as Dodger likes to call it. I’ve never evenreally kissed anyone. Not after my first disaster of an experience. But still. I replay the short conversation with Crowther again, then shake my head. No, I’m not crazy. There was zero flirting going on.
“Exactly,” Jaxon says, as if he’s already won. “Like I said, there’s a difference between being polite and being flirty.”
“Says the guy who took me out for drinks a few nights ago,” I point out.
