Another pause, then, “Okay, Dad!”
I sighed again as I moved to sit on the couch. There was a street carnival coming to town. While I wasn’t quite into that sort of thing, my mother and daughter both loved it. Usually, the times I didn’t feel like going—though they were rare, there was little I could refuse Sophia without causing a tantrum—she went with my mom, and I got to stay home.
This was a special occasion, though, and I was a little nervous.
We hadn't explicitly told Sophia there was anything between Jessica and me, though we’d met and hung out plenty of times outside of our respective jobs, and I wondered just how much Sophia understood.
This would be the first time we were going out, all three of us as a family. My mom would be going with Jessica’s mom, supposedly to give us space, but I knew it was so that they could gossip between themselves.
A few minutes after I’d sat down, the doorbell rang. I was on my feet in the next moment and rushing for the door. I opened it, and there she stood.
She was dressed in a simple sundress in white with blue and yellow flowers running down it in patterns. It was a dress both Sophia and I had complimented, and I liked to think that was why she chose it. She had a light blue sweater tied loosely around her neck and a pair of blue flats on her feet. Her blonde hair was left to fall around her shoulders in light waves.
“You’re beautiful,” I said unconsciously, but very much meaning it.
Almost immediately, she flushed, and I smiled wryly. As much as I liked the look on her face when she blushed, I disliked it, too, especially once I realized that she still blushed every time I complimented her because a part of her thought she didn’t deserve it.
She might have forgiven me, but I hated it when I realized things about her life now that had been influenced negatively by my actions in the past. Not that she would hold it against me; if anything, she kept blaming herself for not getting over it, so I stopped bringing it up.
“Hey,” she said softly.
Then she stepped over the threshold, threw her arms around my neck and brought my face down to hers for a quick, bruising kiss. Before I could get my bearings and kiss her back properly, she had pulled away. She winked at me, then moved around me to get further into the house. After a moment of standing there, dazed, I closed the door and followed her.
She did that sometimes; one moment she was embarrassed, the next she was bold. She was assertive when it came to the bedroom almost all the time, and the contradiction between that and the woman she showed the world still got me thinking sometimes.
Of course, I was more than happy to be the only one that got to see that side of her.
“Where’s Sophia?” she asked, looking around the room for the little girl, then turning back to me when she didn’t see her. “Is she not ready yet?”
“I honestly don’t know what she’s been doing up there. It’s been nearly an hour, and every time I call up, she says she’s not ready.”
Jessica smiled. “Have you tried going upstairs?”
I gave her a blank look that I felt said all. “You know, I did. Only, I got there, and see, she’d locked the door. When I tried knocking, she screamed at me not to come in.”
I sent a worried look towards the stairs. She still had trouble picking out the best outfit for certain situations, but I knew Sophia didn’t want to disappoint Jessica, and it was probably why she was taking it this seriously.
“Maybe I should go up…”
But Jessica waved her hands at me, before taking hold of my arm, and pulling me over to the couch and sitting us both down.
“Just, no. Ross, she maybe still is young, but you cannot interrupt a girl when she’s trying to pick the perfect outfit for herself.”
“But what if she doesn’t pick something…” I dropped that subject quickly at the dark look Jessica aimed at me, and I switched tactics. “What if she makes a mess? And in the end, she’s not sure of her own choice? She’s done it sometimes, and it frustrates her, which makes it frustrating for me. The only person that seems to be able to calm her down in that state is my mom, and she isn’t here.”
It only ever happened to clothes, too. We’d had plenty of mini-fights over clothes when she didn’t like what I wanted her to wear and I wasn’t satisfied with what she was wearing. Instead of going simple, she loved to mix and match, with almost painful results sometimes, and I was suddenly the enemy when I said anything about it.
Jessica seemed to know what my problem was, and she patted my back sympathetically.
“If any of those happen,” she said soothingly, “then I’ll help you reason with her. You probably wouldn’t want to start fighting with her, right?”
I gave her the look that deserved. “That better be a rhetorical question, Jessica.”
She laughed and lightly thumped my shoulder. “Yeah, you’re right. Stupid of me to think you’d want to fight with your daughter,” she teased. “But if you want to avoid fights, you need to know how to let her down gently. I could always try, now that I’m here,” she added with a shrug.
I seriously considered it, because, with how long she’d been up there ‘getting ready,’ I was starting to worry what Sophia would look like when she did come down. If she ever did.
“Would you mind,” I started slowly, “going up there to check on her now? I don’t want to hurry her, but she might need help. I honestly don’t think this is one of those things I could ever help her with, you know?”
Her expression was amused. “Of course not, Ross. Most little girls need moms for that.”
I sucked my breath in a little sharply, but she was getting to her feet and didn’t seem to notice. She slid her fingers through my hair as she walked around the couch and headed for the stairs. I was stuck waiting again, but I was surprised when, less than five minutes later, there were two pairs of steps coming down the stairs.
“Dad, I’m ready!” Sophia called out like she hadn't been locked up in her room almost since she woke up, and it was almost eleven already. “Come see the dress Jessica helped me pick out!”
I got up from my perch on the couch. I smiled as soon as I caught sight of my daughter. She was in a white dress with a blue ribbon that wrapped around the waist. She did a little spin, so I could see the large bow tied in the back. Her hair was brushed and put up in twin tails that swished with every movement.
No pink in sight and I wondered how Jessica had managed that. Though there was a suspicious glittering on her face when she shifted at just the right angle, I decided to let it go.
“You look so pretty, baby,” I told her honestly.
Sophia giggled at the compliment. “Not as pretty as Jessica, though,” she added with a sigh, placing her hands on her hips.
“Oh, no!”
“No way!”
We both protested, and it only made her giggle some more. I watched as Jessica crouched down to be at eye level with Sophia and whispered something in her ear. Sophia nodded her head and beamed.
“Why don’t you go get your shoes, sweetie,” Jessica prompted lightly. “The carnival’s already started by now, and, if you don’t hurry, we’ll miss all the good parts.”
Sophia squeaked, then rushed like she was being chased, off to find her shoes. I arched an eyebrow at Jessica, a part of me jealous that Sophia took to her so quickly. Of course, the rational part of me was just glad that Sophia was opening up to Jessica at all.
“There was a bit of a mess in her room when I got in,” Jessica said quietly. “Don’t worry, I cleaned some of it, and I promised her something if she would help me clean what’s left after we get back.”
I sighed. “I could help you guys out if you’d like.”
She shook her head, though. “Well be fine. The girl time will be good for us.”
I felt something strange when she said ‘girl time,’ the same feeling I got before when she left me on the couch. I wondered if she even realized it herself, how easily she seemed to fit into the family and
was quickly taking the role Sophia’s mom would have, the role my mom had been taking when I wasn’t sufficient enough to fill it.
“I’m ready now,” Sophia said as she skipped back into the living room, wearing a pair of white shoes. “Let’s go, let’s go!”
She took one of my hands, and one of Jessica’s, and tugged us both to the door. We didn’t resist, though I had to pause long enough to lock up the door, then joined them where they waited at the curb.
“Why can't we take the car again?” Sophia asked, pouting.
“Because it’s a street carnival, honey. We don’t want to interfere, or accidentally hit someone, do we?”
She was still pouting, but she nodded.
“It’s not that far a walk, anyway,” I tried to reassure her, wondering why she needed it at all. She was a bundle of energy. How could she have trouble walking down a few blocks? “And,” I went on, “we’ll be stopping by the diner, because it’s on the way, and you can get whatever you want.”
It still wasn’t enough to pacify her. Then Jessica held out a hand for her, smiling at her until she took it.
“You can just hold onto my hand if you feel tired,” she offered. “Or I could carry you, if you wouldn’t mind it.”
Sophia eyed her in seriousness for a moment, but then smiled as I came to stand on the other side of her, and we started walking slowly. Even though we were a few streets away from the festivities, I could still hear them in the distance.
“You know, I always wondered what happened to my mommy,” Sophia mused to herself suddenly, catching both our attentions. Then she smiled up at Jessica. “I wouldn’t mind getting a new mom, though. I’d love it!”
She grinned, then went back to skipping along between the two of us as we walked down the road, leaving the adults fumbling a little on how to react.
Or, at least, me. It had been entering my mind a lot more lately, how great Jessica would be as Sophia’s mom. To hear my daughter say it…
But my opinion mattered least in all of this. It mattered to Sophia because this would affect her in a big way. It would matter to me, as well, but I was pretty much willing to take any change if it meant keeping Jessica in my life. The woman herself, though…
I looked up at her expression, expecting the worst, only to be surprised. She still held an edge of shock in her expression. She was staring straight ahead, but she was smiling. And I thought, for the first time since we officially started going out, that Jessica looked happy. It made me realize that everything was going according to plan and I could relax. Nothing was going to stand in the way of us being together. Nothing. Not again, I fucking wouldn’t let it.
Jessica
I hummed to myself as I moved through my mom’s kitchen. It was still early, though, since school had been closed down for the day due to a gas leak, I had plenty of time to waste.
But I had a plan. I’d put it into action the moment it occurred to me after I woke up the same time I usually did on weekdays, before I realized I was free the whole day.
I was putting together breakfast, so I could surprise Ross with it. More than that. I smiled to myself as I thought of the expression he’d have on his face when he saw the sexy number I’d put on, just for him. It had been a while since we’d had any alone time. Sophia was supposed to be sleeping over at her grandmother’s until later today, so, as long as I went early, I could catch him alone for a few hours.
“Hmm,” my mom’s voice came from behind me. “Something smells good in this kitchen.”
I glanced over my shoulder at my mom. “Glad you like it. Though I hope it will taste as good as it smells,” I said with a shrug.
I grabbed a rag to wipe down my hands and moved closer to Mom to give her a quick morning hug and a peck on the cheek.
“Do you have any requests? I’m sure I could whip something up for you quickly. I won’t be heading to school today, so I don’t mind.”
But she just waved me off. “That’s not important. Better yet, if you’ve got your whole day free, why not come to the diner and help me out for the day? I could use the company.”
I snorted. “Who do you think you’re trying to kid, Mom? I know all your employees, and they all adore you. You’re not exactly lacking in company.”
She hummed. “You can just say no, honey,” she said, an edge of teasing to her voice. “You can tell me that you’re planning something for your boyfriend. Because I see you cooking breakfast, but I also see you packing it away like you don’t intend to eat at home.”
I paused for a moment, before resuming my task, though in a slower manner. I couldn’t exactly pretend that wasn’t the case. She was fully aware of the relationship I had with Ross. Hell, I was still pretty sure she knew we’d had sex in my room that one time. She’d hinted at it plenty of times, but I'd ignored her as I'd done so many times before.
“I have plans,” I admitted, since there was no point in hiding it, anyway. “I wanted to take this to Ross so we could eat it together.”
She hummed again. “And isn’t his daughter out of the house? I heard from Cecilia yesterday that she would be taking the little darling home with her for a night.”
I froze for a moment, before forcing myself to go on. She could probably guess what I had planned. My mom never got to give me the sex talk, and I was too old to listen to it now. I breathed a silent sigh of relief, because I was pretty close to finishing up, either way.
“I’ll just be visiting him for a little while, Mom. I might not have work, but he still does, remember?”
I said that to remind both of us. While I knew he would put off work if I asked him to, I couldn’t do that. It wouldn’t be fair—not that I would refuse if he offered, though. It was why I was still early, so I could get there while there was still time for some quick fun.
“Well, that is true.”
I finished packing up the food in some containers. I already had put coffee in a thermos, and I packed everything else into a straw bag.
“I’ll see you later, Mom,” I said as I went to give her a quick hug and a kiss.
She surprised me, holding on longer than I expected. But I smiled and hugged her back just as tightly. When she let me pull away, she patted my shoulder and gave me a look of pure affection.
“It’s nice to see you happy, finally,” she said and returned my peck on the cheek.
“Thanks, Mom,” I said softly.
I picked up the bag and rushed outside with it.
Ross lived a good distance away from my house. If it weren’t for my car, I probably wouldn’t have made it until he had to go in to work. I got inside and placed the basket on the seat beside me. I did a quick check of my face in the rearview mirror. I’d tried a little with the makeup today, still keeping it subtle, as was my style, but bringing out my eyes a little bit because Ross seemed to like them.
Though, if he were to be believed, there was a lot about me to like. I’d gotten more compliments from him than I had from all the other guys I’d dated put together.
I started the car and drove towards Ross’s place. I realized this was probably my first time heading there in my car. Usually, I walked, or Ross picked me up. Had he ever even seen me driving the car he fixed for me? I found myself grinning as I realized that was one extra thing I needed to thank him for.
It didn’t take long for me to see his place come into view. If I hadn't been so eager to see him that I was keeping a lookout, though, I might have gotten even closer to see what was happening. I frowned the moment I realized Ross was standing outside on his front porch, and he wasn’t alone. He was in a muscle shirt and jeans, and the woman with him was in a dark tank top, jeans shorts, and boots.
Who the fuck was she?
I slowed down the car and crawled to a stop some distance from the house. It was close enough that, had he looked up, Ross might have noticed my car and known I was there. He had fixed it, after all, and done a full paint job.
Only, he didn’t look up, not once. I was about to
get out of the car and stomp up there to ask what the hell was going on, when I saw the woman flip her hair, then place her hand on Ross’s chest, right below his neck. She even leaned closer, practically pressing her ample chest into him.
Ross just stood there and let her. He didn’t try to touch her back, but he wasn’t exactly discouraging her, either.
No fucking way.
“You can't fucking do this to me, Ross,” I whispered under my breath. “Not fucking now.”
Of course, he didn’t hear me. The woman threw her head back in a laugh, and I got a bit of a look at her face. I was pretty sure I didn’t know who she was. She might have been someone else we’d known in high school, one of the ones that left town, because I hadn't seen her in the months I’d been back.
I hadn't seen any woman around Ross, period.
But maybe I was wrong? Nothing had changed since high school.
I laughed, and it came out a little broken. He could have been messing with me the entire time. Fucking me and making me think that it meant something. It was like he’d upped the prank he’d played with me in high school, and the thought didn’t sit well with me. Why the fuck had I fallen so easily for it again?
Because, otherwise, he wouldn’t be there, fucking flirting with some other woman when we were supposed to be in a relationship. I felt so angry. But more than anything, I felt broken.
Neither of them looked up when I swerved the car around and drove off, Ross’s eyes solely for the woman in front of him. I tightened my hands on the wheel and tried hard not to cry.
Jessica
I didn’t want to go back home and be alone. I couldn’t go to school to talk with Mary. Everything that seemed right before had suddenly gone wrong. There was only one place for me to go, and that was the diner.
I knew it was a mistake the moment I arrived there. It was still pretty early in the morning, though I’d driven slowly to get there, so it was almost eight in the morning. But there was still the usual morning crowd. The room didn’t look too full from the outside, but I knew in less than half an hour, all the tables would be full.
Second Chance Draft: A Second Chance Sports Romance (Pass To Win Book 6) Page 46