The Curve Ball - Samantha Lind Page 0,65

like I could go back to bed and sleep for hours. However, that isn’t possible with a squawking baby that I’m in charge of today. “How’s Evie?” Justin asks, breaking the silence that fell between the two of us as we both digested this morning's events.

“She’s good. Just eating her breakfast and smiling at me,” I tell him as I sit down on a chair in front of her. I grab the bowl of oatmeal I made for her, offering up a bite. She loves this stuff and starts to get excited about the next bite. “Want to see her?” I offer. We’ve gotten into the habit of FaceTiming while Justin is on the road. It’s the only way that they can still bond while he’s gone.

“Sure,” he says. I hit the button to switch over to the video and prop my phone up on the table so that he can see both of us while I continue feeding her. “Ev-ie!” he sing-songs her name, and she looks around for him. She finally looks at the phone, and her face lights up when she sees him.

“Ddddd!” she stammers, my eyes go huge like saucers, and I look at her and then him.

“Did you just hear that?” he asks, a look of complete bliss filling his face.

“I did! I think she’s trying to say her first word!” I cry out, cheering her on as new tears spring to my eyes. I’m such an emotional mess this morning. I must be about to start my damn period.

“I can’t wait to hear it in person,” he tells me, and I feel bad that he wasn’t here to hear it himself.

“At least you heard it the first time. I won’t have to lie to you when you do hear it and say that it was her first time.”

“What, what other firsts have I really missed that you’ve just passed on and said it was her first time when I was able to catch it?” he asks, a playful yet stern look on his face.

“I plead the fifth,” I tease him, fanning my innocence.

“Ry, don’t be lying to me now.”

“Okay,” I give in. “She’d rolled over a few times while you were gone on a road trip before you saw it when you got back. I didn’t want you to feel bad for missing it, so I just played it off as if that was her first time.”

I give him a sorrowful look, attempting to apologize for doing so.

“I guess I’ll forgive you, since you were doing it for a good reason, just don’t keep doing it. I know I’m going to miss things. Just hazards of the job.”

“Okay,” I agree with him. “I’m sorry,” I reiterate.

“What’s on the agenda for today?” he asks, changing the subject.

“Not much. I think we’re just going to hang around here. Maybe head up to the park this morning for a little bit. A storm is supposed to roll in this afternoon, so I want to be inside by then. Maybe we’ll hunker down in the living room and watch you kick some butt today.” I smile at him through the camera. My reflection looks horrible. I haven’t showered, my eyes are all puffy and my face is all red and splotchy from crying, and my hair is in a rat’s nest on the top of my head. I look like a mess.

“I wish I was there and could kiss you right now,” Justin tells me.

I look down at myself, then back at him, raising my eyebrows at him. “I look like a hot mess.”

“You look like a beautiful hot mess, one I’d still love to kiss right about now.”

“You’re incorrigible.”

“Yet, you still love me,” he says, stopping me in my tracks. We’ve never said that to one another outright.

I look him in the eyes. Well, as much as I can since we’re seeing each other over a phone's camera. “Are you denying it?” he asks, lifting a brow in question.

“N-no,” I stammer. “It’s true. I do love you.”

“That’s the best thing I’ve heard all day, and a good thing, since I love you, too, Riley. So damn much,” he tells me, and those damn tears are back. “I’m sorry I said it for the first time over a damn video call. Now I really wish I was there to pull you into my arms and kiss the daylight out of you.”

“I know it wasn’t conventional, but thank you anyway. I think after this morning, I needed to hear