Cocky Striker - Evan Grace Page 0,24

Come give Nana a hug and kiss.”

After hugs and kisses are exchanged, I turn to Chance. “I’ll be right back.” I look down at Ava. “Stay here with Coco and Chance.” I lead Mom outside. I can feel her eyes on me. “I’m so glad you and Dad are taking this trip.” She loops her arm through mine.

Mom deserves this break after Ava’s accident. She’s been beating herself up about it, even though we all tried to tell her it wasn’t her fault. I’m hoping this cruise will relax the guilt right out of her.

“I’m looking forward to it.” We reach her car, and she pulls me into a tight hug. “I’m going to miss my little love bug, but I’m glad you get to spend some quality time with her. Please check in with your brother. We told him that if he’s staying at the house he can have one friend over, and it must be either Cody or Jonathon.” They’re my brother’s best friends.

“I’ll call him, promise.” He is a little wild, but he’s really a great kid.

“Chance sure is handsome.” Here we go. “They sure didn’t make them like that when I was growing up. Ava was smitten right away, wasn’t she?”

I sigh. “I broke things off with him. It just won’t work.”

“Why, because you have a child?” I nod. “Children are a blessing… Yes, I wish how our love bug came to be was under different circumstances, but they aren’t. People with children date all the time.”

“He’s twenty-one. He should be out chasing sorority girls, not a toddler.”

Mom places her hands on my shoulders. “Who are you to tell him what he should be doing? He obviously showed up because he wanted to see you and meet Ava. Baby, he brought her a present.”

I shake my head. “Nicole set this all up. She told him that Ava was here.”

“Maybe this is his way of saying he not only wants to get to know you better, but to get to know Ava as well. Now I really have to go.” Mom pulls me into a hug. “I love you and have fun. Give love a chance, baby girl.”

I stand on the sidewalk and wave to her just before she pulls away, ignoring those last words she said.

I step into our apartment and find Ava spinning in a circle in the middle of the living room. “Momma, I’m spinning.”

“I see that, but be careful.”

Nicole comes out of her room and scoops up Ava. “Hey, spinny girl. I’ve got to go, but I’ll be back later. Give me a hug.” My daughter hugs her Coco and plants a big wet kiss on her cheek.

“I gonna miss you.” She smiles, and then Nicole sets her down.

“You guys have fun.” Nicole waves and then disappears out of the apartment, leaving Chance, Ava, and me alone.

I sit on the opposite end of the sofa and glance at Chance. He looks at me and smiles. “Hey,” Chance whispers and then holds his hand out.

Do I take it and see what happens, possibly having not only my heart broken but my daughter’s too, or do I not take it and possibly miss out on something that could be the best decision I ever make?

My heart races and my palms sweat as I reach a trembling hand out, sliding my palm against his until our fingers are laced together. Chance pulls me toward him and holds onto my hand as we watch my daughter play with her ballerina teddy bear on the living room floor.

“She looks just like you … beautiful,” he whispers.

I rest my head on his shoulder. “Thank you.”

***

“Is she asleep?” Chance asks as he steps out of my kitchen, holding two sodas.

Today has been such a weird day, but I mean that in the best possible way. I really could’ve killed Nicole for telling Chance about Ava, but honestly, if he isn’t okay with me being a mom then we shouldn’t continue whatever it is going on between us anyway.

After we watched Ava play for a little bit, she got up and grabbed Chance’s hand, pulling him until he got up off the sofa. “Les go wead.” I followed behind them and then watched Chance sit on the floor with my daughter climbing onto his lap. He read three stories to her, really getting into it. I laughed softly as he made his voice go high for the princesses.

For dinner he drove my car and went out for pizza. It was hard