“Sounds good. Evie should be up before then,” she says, making herself busy by starting to unload the dishwasher. I step in and help, not wanting her to feel like she has to do everything around here.
“Thanks,” she says once we’ve got it emptied.
“Anytime,” I tell her. There’s only a foot or so between the two of us, and it’s as if we both notice that fact at the same time. Once we do, it’s almost as if all the air in the room is sucked out. The crackling sexual tension between the two of us could be cut with a knife; it is so thick. I can feel the sparks buzzing and know deep down that it’s only a matter of time before they ignite if I don’t put space between the two of us.
The silence is shattered when my phone starts ringing from my pocket. I pull it out and see my attorney’s name flashing on the screen, so I immediately accept the call and press the phone to my ear.
“Hello.”
“Justin, William here. I’ve got the results of the test in front of me. The lab has confirmed that you are, in fact, Evelyn’s father, so congratulations!” he says joyfully into the phone. The emotions of the last two days hit me square in the chest. Everything confirmed, and this little girl who was dropped on my doorstep and has quickly wormed her way right into my heart is mine to keep forever. “As we discussed before, I’ll move forward with filing for full custody on your behalf. I had a conversation with Logan and think that it’s a good idea if we have him release the statement to get out in front of this.”
“I’ll do whatever you guys think is best. I just want to keep Evie safe. When do you plan to file the paperwork?” I ask, taking a seat on one of the barstools tucked under the counter.
“I’ll file first thing Monday morning when the courts open.”
“Okay,” I say, blowing out a huge breath. Having the results of the test has lifted an enormous weight from my chest that I didn’t even realize had been there.
“Do you have any further questions for me?” he asks.
“Any luck with tracking Erica down?”
“Not that I’m aware of. If we don’t make contact by Tuesday, I planned to get our PI on the case to track her down. The courts will also want her found to serve her with the custody paperwork.”
“Sounds good. Let me know if you need anything else from me,” I tell him.
“Will do, and if you hear from Erica in the meantime, please let me know.”
“I can do that.”
“I’ll be in touch on Monday once everything is filed,” William tells me.
Holy shit. I’m a dad.
“So…” Riley prompts, a massive smile on her face. I didn’t even realize she’d left the room, but she now has an alert Evie in her arms.
“It’s confirmed, she’s mine forever,” I tell her.
“Yay! Did you hear that, Evie girl? You’ve got yourself a daddy forever, baby girl,” Riley says as she dances around my kitchen with my daughter in her arms. I can’t keep the emotions inside any longer and find myself laughing at their antics as tears stream down my face.
“How about some snuggles and love from your daughter?” Riley says, coming to stand next to me. She hands Evie over to me, and I pull my daughter in, holding her tight to my chest as I let the tears fall. I’m not even worried right now that I’m a fucking emotional mess in front of Riley. I know she’s not going to be out telling anyone about this moment. I look up and see her wiping at her own eyes as she watches the two of us. “Congratulations, Justin. She’s lucky to have you.”
“I’m pretty sure I’m the lucky one,” I tell her honestly.
“So, does this mean that you’ll be stopping the man-whore ways of the past?” she asks. Her question isn’t said in a mean way, but I can hear the curiosity lacing her question.
“I guess it does. I’ve got to set a good example for my daughter,” I tell her honestly. What I don’t tell her is that the only woman I’ve even thought about warming my bed lately is her. I haven’t even thought about another woman in the past couple of days.
“I’m sure you’ll do a great job at that,” she says, and I know she’s being honest.
“Thanks,” I tell her as my phone starts to ring again. I look down and see that it’s my mom calling, and I realize at that moment that I haven’t talked to my parents in a week. They have no clue the events of the past two days, so I’m about to blow their freaking world.
“Hey, Mom,” I greet as I answer the phone.
“How’s my favorite son?” she asks.
“I’m your only son,” I deadpan as I always do when she says that.
“Semantics,” she says, humor lacing her voice.
“Hey, Mom, is Dad around? I’ve got something that I want to talk to both of you about.”
“Yeah, he’s out in the garage puttering around. I can go grab him.”
“That’d be great, then let’s switch over to FaceTime,” I suggest.
“Is everything okay?” she asks, and I can tell she’s worried now.
“Yep, it is great,” I assure her.
“Paul, come in here. JJ’s on the phone and wants to talk with both of us.” I hear her call out to my dad. “He’s coming, switch us over to FaceTime.” I hand Evie over to Riley and hit the button to switch us over. I head into the living room, motioning for Riley to follow me. I keep her and Evie from the view of the camera for now. I sit down on the couch just as both of my parents come into the screen.
“So, what’s up?” Dad asks me.
“Well,” I say, all of a sudden, the words escaping me on how to drop this news on my parents.
“Spit it out, Justin,” my mom says, picking up on my hesitation.
“Two nights ago, a chick shows up on my doorstep that I hung out with a few times last year with a baby. She said that I was the baby's father and that she couldn’t handle being a single parent, and she left. Derek and Jillian, along with Derek’s sister, Riley, all stepped in and have been helping me the last two days while I figure everything out. I just got the call from my attorney with the paternity test that proves that she is my daughter. He’s going to file with the courts Monday for full custody.”
“Holy shit,” my mom says, obviously shocked at what I’ve just told her.
“Would you guys like to meet your granddaughter?”
“Of course!” Mom practically screeches out. Riley hands over Evie, and I do my best to prop her up in the view of the camera. “Oh, Justin!” Mom exclaims. “She’s so precious. What is her name?”
“Evelyn, but we’ve been calling her Evie for short.”
“Congratulations, son!” Dad pipes in.
“We’ll have to come out so we can meet her,” Mom says, excitement falling off her in waves. She’s practically bouncing in her seat.
“You’re welcome to come out whenever you want. I’ve got a road trip coming up this week, but Evie and Riley will be here,” I tell them.
“What are your plans for childcare moving forward?” Mom asks.
“I’ve hired Riley as a full-time live-in nanny for now. We’re giving the live-in portion of it a month trial to make sure that it works for all of us, but with my hectic and sporadic schedule, I kind of need someone that can be here all the time or at least be here for my travel schedule.”
“That makes sense,” Dad states.
“Paul, pull out your calendar. When can we go to Indy and meet our new granddaughter?” Mom asks him, tapping him on the arm until he does as she’s asked. I watch as he pulls out the pocket calendar he still insists on carrying around and using from the breast pocket of his shirt.
“Well, with Justin leaving town, do you want to wait to head out when he’s back or show up when he’s gone?” Dad asks her. “Our calendar is fairly empty, and the few things I’ve got down are things that can be moved.”
“Oh, I’ll look and see if we can get flights for Monday or Tuesday. That way, we arrive before you leave town, and we can stay for a week or two.”
“If you want,” I tell my mom,
knowing that she’s going to do whatever in the hell she wants. I also realize she’s excited to come to meet her first grandchild.
“I’ll forward you the flight info once I can get something booked.”
“Okay, but only if you let me pay for the tickets,” I tell her, giving her as pointed of a look as I can via the camera.
“You know you don’t have to pay for everything for us,” Mom chides.
“It’s the least I can do,” I remind her. They sacrificed things while I was growing up so that I could play ball. Always traveling all over the place for travel ball, shelling money out for gear, and hotels, countless meals at ball field concession stands, or on the road between fields and home. When I signed my first contract and received that first bonus for doing so, I paid off their mortgage the very next day. I also sent two brand new vehicles to their house, no option left off of either of them. My parents weren't poor, but they weren’t rolling in cash, either. We lived comfortably, and I’ll always be thankful for the life they gave me growing up. Being an only child, they devoted their lives to me and the sport I loved playing. Thankfully, that dedication paid off, and I’ve done my best to repay them in the last few years for all they did for me growing up.
“Okay,” Mom finally concedes. “I’ll put them on the card you left here.”
“Thank you. I can’t wait for you to meet Evie. She’s a pretty chill baby, and I’m sure you’ll love her.”
“I already do. Send me some pictures,” Mom states.
“Of course,” I tell her before we end the call. I text her right away the picture that Riley snapped of Evie and me, as well as a couple of images that I have taken of her.
“You ready to pack up and head over to my brother’s?” Riley asks a few minutes later. I didn’t realize it was already that time.
“Yeah,” I tell her, standing up and handing Evie over as Riley stands next to me with her arms out and open, asking for her. She places her in the car seat and gets her all strapped in. She slings the diaper bag over her shoulder, and before she can pick Evie up, I slip my arm through the handle of the seat and carry it out to my car. I snap her car seat into the base on the first try and feel on top of the world. This dad shit is not so bad, after all.
“Your parents were so cute,” Riley says as we back out of the driveway.
“You might change your mind after they’ve been here for a few days,” I say on a laugh.
“They can’t be that bad, and you’ve met my parents before,” she says, giving me a pointed look.
I laugh at her facial expression. “Your parents aren’t that bad. But I guess we all feel that way about our parents. I just don’t have any clue what to expect out of mine, if I’m honest. I don’t think that they expected me ever to have kids of my own, or at least none anytime soon.”
“They never gave you a hard time about settling down and having kids?”
“Not really. My mom mentioned it a few times, but I shut that shit down pretty quickly. Now, look at me.” My eyes flick over to Riley and then up to the rearview mirror as I look at the car seat strapped in my back seat. I can see Evie in the reflection of a little mirror that hangs from the headrest that she faces.
“Sometimes, things happen for a reason. We might not know what that reason is, but life has a way of working things out,” Riley states.
“How do you always look at the positives?” I ask. Riley is a half-glass full type of person.
“Looking at the negatives all the time would make life suck. Take my life, for example. I grew up in the shadows of a brother that showed athletic abilities from a young age. There were rumblings of him being good enough to go pro before he even entered high school, and here I am, the girl that can’t even throw a ball ten feet. I did my best to be my own person and not be in his shadow, but that isn’t always easy when he’s the town's golden child. Everyone knew who he was, and that was hard sometimes. Once I went off to college, it wasn’t so bad since we didn’t go to the same place, nor was he around all the time by then. He was already in the pros and making a name for himself. When things went south with my job, I could have let it get me down, but instead, I pulled up my bootstraps and moved on to better things. I didn’t allow it to get me down too much, and I can’t say that I’m unhappy with everything that’s transpired since I moved here, and that’s all because of a bad situation that I left.”
“Wow,” is all I can think to say to her little speech. “I can’t say I’m sorry that you had to move here, either. I’d be lost without your help.”
“If I weren’t here, you’d have found someone else to help you.”
“Yeah, but not someone I know I can trust as much as I can with you,” I tell her honestly as I pull into Derek and Jillian’s driveway.
Eight
Riley
I get out of the car and grab Evie’s diaper bag while JJ works on unsnapping the car seat from the base. Before I make it up the stoop, the door flies open, and my niece, Penelope, is standing there in a princess dress and a huge smile on her face. “Auntie Ry!” she yells out, running and jumping into my arms.
“Hey, baby girl!” I say, swinging her into my arms. Her little legs wrap around my torso and her arms go around my neck as I stand up to my full height. “Did you miss me?” I ask against Penny’s throat.
“Of course, I did, Aunt RyRy,” she says, squeezing me tighter.
“Where’s your sister?” I ask as I set Penny back down on the ground.
“She’s playing,” she states matter-of-factly.
“Should we go find her and play with her?” I suggest.
“Sure!” Penny says, tugging on my hand and pulling me into the house. I look back at JJ and see that he’s finally got Evie’s car seat out of the base and is walking up behind us. I follow my niece into the house, calling out to Jillian as I pass by the kitchen, and into the living room where my other niece, Addison, is twirling around in circles as she dances along to the music coming from the princess show on the TV.
“Auntie Ry!” she calls out excitedly once she spots me, mid twirl. She wobbles when she comes to a screeching stop, the dizziness finally catching up to her from spinning so much.
“Addison,” Jillian scolds from behind me. “I told you not to be spinning so much. You’re going to make yourself sick doing that, and I don’t want to be cleaning up puke.”
“Sorry, Momma,” she answers, jutting her bottom lip out in a pout. I hold my hands out for her to come to me, and that morphs her pout back into a smile.
“How’s my big girl today?” I ask once Addison is in my arms and hugging me tightly.
“Good,” she says, her voice muffled by my hair.
“How about we play a game?” I suggest to both my nieces a moment later. The scolding from Mom forgotten about after a few minutes of cuddles from their favorite aunt.
“Yay!” They both cheer as they start to bounce up and down in front of me.
“What should we play?” I ask.
“Barbies!” Addison suggests while Penny states, “Babies!” at the same time.
I look back and forth between the two of them, trying to determine how best to diffuse the situation since they want separate things. “How about this…” I tell them, tapping my index finger against my lips as I stall, thinking my plan over again. “How about we play babies until it’s time to wash up for dinner, and then after dinner, we can play with Barbies until it’s time to clean up for bed.”
They both seem to think my suggestion is an excellent idea as they both turn and start picking up the toys that are scattered around the living room before pulling out the baby doll things. Before I know it, I’ve got many baby dolls in all states of dress piled on my lap. One is supposedly sleeping, another one being fed a bottle, and yet another in need of a diaper change.
“Looks busy in here,” JJ’s deep voice breaks into the chatter from the girls.
“Just get used to it,” I say as I look up at him. He’s got Evie in his arms facing out
as she takes in her surroundings. She’s got her fist in her mouth as she sucks and chews on it, drool starting to run down her arms and chin. She’s teething if those sighs indicate anything. “Before you know it, she’ll be playing with baby dolls; dressing, and undressing them. Wanting to do their hair and makeup,” I tell him and practically watch as the color drains from his face.
“Maybe she’ll be a tomboy and want to play with baseballs and trucks,” he tosses out.
“Maybe, but don’t be surprised if your house is puking pink and sparkles within the year,” I tease him slightly. “You’re going to have to get used to sharing your bachelor pad with a girl now.”
The sound that rumbles from his chest startles Evie, and she gives a little yell of her own. “It’s okay, Evie,” I call out to her, “Daddy didn’t mean to upset you.” Her eyes find mine from the few feet that separate us, and she gives me a gummy smile as her arms and legs start to kick.
“Want me to take her?” I offer, and hold my arms out for her.
“Sure,” he agrees and takes a few steps closer before handing her over. I move some of the baby dolls from my lap, making room for Evie. I prop her up between my legs, allowing her head and neck to rest against my thigh. The girls immediately swarm around me, waiting to get in close to her. “Careful,” I remind both of them as I get Evie situated.
“Derek said that dinner should be ready in about ten,” JJ says once I’ve got Evie settled and the girls being gentle as they make silly faces at her, trying to coax a smile or laugh from her. She gives in quickly to them, her little eyes bouncing between the girls.
“Sounds good. I’m starving, so perfect timing,” I tell him before turning my attention back to the three little girls all around my lap.
“Thank you for your help tonight,” Jillian says as we both plop down on opposite ends of the couch. The girls are both fast asleep for the night.
“Of course,” I assure her. “How are you feeling?” I ask, figuring that running after two active little girls while being pregnant can’t be easy, especially with how busy my nieces are.
The Curve Ball (Indianapolis Lightning Book 2) Page 6