I roll my eyes. “I hate arrogant football players.”
He just stares at me like he can see through my flimsy robe. Goosebumps break out on my arms.
Sienna backs away and waves her hand. “The sexual tension between you two is, like, whoa.”
“There’s no sexual tension.” I take a sip of my coffee. “Because we’re just friends. Right, Rider? You said it yourself.”
He coughs. Nods slowly. “Sure. Just friends.”
Poppy, who is cradled in his arms, drinking her bottle, reaches up and grabs his face. He smiles down at her, and Sienna sighs.
I feel ya, girl.
“Poppy loves my whiskers.”
Pretty sure all women everywhere love his whiskers, but I keep this to myself. His morning scruff makes him nearly irresistible.
“Have you given her a bath yet?” I ask, needing a cold shower myself.
He lets out a weary sigh. “No, and I haven’t a clue how to go about it.”
I chuckle. “It’s your lucky day.”
25
RIDER
Just friends?
What was I thinking?
One look at Gabby, and I wish like hell I wasn’t holding my daughter.
My mouth waters. And not because she just fed me a homemade buñuelo that literally melted in my mouth.
I lick the cinnamon sugar off my lips as I watch her move around the kitchen.
Gabby pushes her glasses up her nose and explains the bath supplies she’s set next to the sink, which she scrubbed clean a few minutes ago. Her hair is tied up in a messy knot on top of her head, and she’s sporting a t-shirt and cutoffs, and I swear it’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen her in.
“Rider, are you listening to me?”
“Yeah, sorry.”
“The most important thing to remember is to get all of the essentials ready and within arm’s reach before you get started. Because you can’t take your attention off her for a second.” She takes Poppy out of my arms and undresses her. “In fact, I would never let anyone else give her a bath. Drowning is the number one cause of fatalities in children younger than four.”
That sends a chill down my spine.
“What?” She stares at me in that way that makes me wonder if she can see into my brain.
“We have a pool and a hot tub. Neither have a fence or any kind of child barrier.”
Gabby frowns. “She won’t be running around for a little while, but it can’t hurt to have a conversation with anyone who babysits at your house. Maybe explain that they shouldn’t take her in the backyard?”
“I can do that.”
“We could also get some baby gates so you can partition off certain areas just for her.”
“Smart, yeah. That’s a good idea.”
We smile at each other, and I wonder, not for the first time, if I had a head injury freshman year that went undetected. Why else would I willingly push this girl out of my life? I’ve spent time with a lot of women, but Gabby is the only one who’s ever made me feel like this. Like being around her made me more. Somehow better. More capable.
Something slams behind us, and we turn to find her roommate, the one who looks like Wednesday Addams, stacking boxes by the front door. As far as roommates go, Sienna and Ramona couldn’t be more opposite if they tried. Sienna took off a little while ago, leaving us with the girl who glowers at me.
I whisper to Gabby, “I feel like she hates me.”
Gabby lowers her voice. “She does.”
“Why?”
Ramona gives us the evil eye and stomps back to her bedroom.
“Football players bullied her in high school, so she thinks you’re all assholes.”
That sucks. Bullies are the worst.
The next time she comes out, I call out to her. “Hey, Ramona. I have a couple of extra tickets to our next home game. If you’d like them. You know, to thank you for letting me crash on your couch.”
She glares at me for a good ten seconds before she says, “Yeah, you can shove those right up your ass,” and disappears down the hall.
“Tough crowd,” I murmur and turn to Gabby, who’s giving me a sympathetic smile.
“That was really thoughtful of you.” Her eyes are soft, and when she tangles her pinky in mine, I feel like I did something right just now despite the verbal beatdown by her roommate.
A warm stream of liquid hits my arm, and we turn to see Poppy giggle.
“Oh, God.” Gabby laughs and covers my daughter’s crotch with a diaper. “Sorry about that. Hey, it’s not a party until the baby pees on you.”