The Curve Ball - Samantha Lind Page 0,46
third kid on the way. If that doesn’t say complicated, I don’t know what does.”
“But your situation is different. You guys have been together for a while, and it took that to wake my dumb-a-s-s,” I spell the last of that word out so that the little ears don’t overhear and repeat it, “brother up and realize that he was throwing away the best thing that’d ever happened to him.”
“What if this,” she says, spinning her finger in a circle like she’s pointing out everything in this house, “is the best thing to ever happen to you? You can’t tell me in one breath that me going after what I wanted, and was best for my family, was a smart move, but not do the same thing for you. My advice is to go for it, Riley. Kiss the man. Drag him to bed, strip his clothes off, and take what you want. He’s not going to tell you no, and we all know that. If you’re worried about your brother's reaction, don’t be,” she says and winks at me. “I’ll distract him for you.”
“He’d be pissed. Even with the changes that JJ has made these few months, Derek still tells him to stay away from me.”
“Eh, he’ll get over it, and if he doesn’t, then I’ll withhold sex from him,” she says, and I see a little evil gleam shining in her eyes.
“You wouldn’t!”
“Oh, I would. He’ll change his tune really damn quick, or he’ll just have to become friendly with his right hand again.”
“I love you,” I tell her just as the doorbell rings. I jump up, going to answer the door. I hand over a tip to the delivery driver, then accept the boxes and carry them into the kitchen. “Dinner is served!” I call out to everyone and hear three sets of feet against the tile floor as they come into the kitchen.
Jillian has Evie on her hip as they all join me. I’ve already pulled out some paper plates and have a slice of pizza on two plates for each of the girls. I get them set up first, at the table with their pizza and two juice boxes. I’ve started keeping things here for them since they come over so often with me being here all the time with Evie.
“This was just what I needed,” Jillian says as she finishes a second slice of pizza.
“It was,” I agree with her.
“Are you going to be okay with bath and bedtime?” I ask once we’re finished with dinner and I’ve cleaned everything up, wrapping the few leftover slices up and placing them in the fridge. “I could always follow you home and help tonight.”
“I think we’ll be good. They’ve been so helpful lately. It’s like they know this baby is taking its toll on me.”
“That’s good. But if something changes, please call. I can always pack Evie up, and we can come over.”
“Thanks, but we’ll be fine. Plus, I don’t want to impose on her bedtime. I know how important that is to keep babies on their schedules.”
“Truer words have never been spoken,” I agree.
I help Jillian get the girls packed up and out the door, then scoop Evie up and head into the bathroom to start her bath. I could tell our afternoon in the pool is catching up with her, so bedtime might be coming a little early for her tonight.
Forty minutes later and I’ve got a conked out Evie sleeping peacefully in her crib. I grab her laundry basket as I leave the nursery and get a load started. With a full evening by myself ahead of me, I might as well do something useful. Once JJ is home tonight, he has the following forty-eight hours off. No games, no practice, no meetings. So that means that I have at least twenty-four hours off. Not that I mind spending my time with Evie, but I’m also looking forward to a massage and pedicure. Maybe a glass of wine or, better yet, maybe Jillian and I can go out to dinner without kids. She can leave the girls with Derek, and we can have a girls' day.
I fill a glass with some lemonade, grab my Kindle from the kitchen counter, and head outside to relax in the pleasant evening air that has settled in now that the sun is going down. I get lost in my book, not even realizing how much time has passed until I hear the door slide open. I look