rather we talk about jock straps,
Daddy?"
"Hell, no." He frowned at his daughter. "You
better not know anything about them either."
The girl tossed her napkin aside. "Let's go
to a movie."
"I promised your mom I'd have you home early
to finish your homework."
"I'd rather watch a movie with you guys." She
looked at the two of them eagerly. "Unless you'd rather go alone so
you could make out."
Lola's gaze shot to Sam's. She could tell he
was remembering their kiss in the sound room. She felt herself
flush at the hungry way he looked at her now.
He was the one to recover first, saying,
"Madison, you especially better not know what making out
is."
"We have cable, Daddy. It's not like I live
in a hole."
"Careful, or I'll see that you do." He looked
at Lola. "I'll take this little monster home first and then drop
you off."
She covered up the odd surge of
disappointment with a bright smile. "Sounds great."
Madison sat in the back even though Lola
tried to get her to take the front seat. The Jeep was big, but Sam
was huge. He seemed to energetically spill into her space.
Sitting so close to Sam was...
Nerve-wracking.
Awful.
Exhilarating.
She ran through a thesaurus of words in her
head to keep herself from reaching over to take his hand.
He pulled over to the curb and put the car in
park. Turning to her, he said, "Excuse me a sec."
"Bye, Lola." Madison threw her arms around
Lola's neck, strangling her enthusiastically from behind. "I can't
wait to read your book, even if Daddy won't let me for five
years."
"Ten," he threatened, winking at Lola. He
opened the door and escorted his bouncy daughter to her mother's
home.
Lola exhaled deeply the second they were
gone. She tried to regroup, but it was hard. All her preconceived
notions about Sam Touchdown Taylor were being proven wrong.
In fact, Sam was charming her with the obvious way he loved his
daughter.
Sam came back a moment later. As he got in
and buckled up, he said, "I half expected you to have run home
after all that."
She smiled. "Madison is something."
"That's an understatement." He turned to her
and grinned like a father besotted by his child. "She's pretty
terrific, isn't she?"
Lola's heart melted, and in that moment she
decided she liked him. A lot.
"Where do you live?" he asked, pulling away
from the curb.
"Back by Grounds for Thoughts, in Laurel
Heights. On Sacramento."
"Fancy."
She shrugged. "Convenient."
She felt him looking at her, wanting to know
more. But she wasn't about to confess that she'd moved there to be
close to her mother. She didn't want to explain how her mom had
been slowly disappearing over the past ten years, her memories
slipping away, bit by bit. That, after years of experimental drugs
and trying to take care of her mom herself, Lola had finally had to
put her in a special home.
Looking out the window, she turned the
conversation back onto him. "How long have you been divorced?"
"Not long enough. Three years." He was quiet
for a moment and then said, "Chelsea became pregnant accidentally after I was offered a running back position on
the 49ers. But I blew out my knee soon after, and she wasn't happy
about being a has-been's wife. I stuck in there for Madison's sake,
though."
"I can't believe I read you so wrong."
"How so?" he asked, glancing at her.
"I thought you were a total bastard."
"I am."
"You're actually a nice guy." She shook her
head. "I know. I'm surprised by that, too."
They drove in silence until they reached her
building. He double-parked outside and walked her up to her
apartment.
She was conscious of him behind her every
step of the way. He watched her butt—she could feel it. And because
she could feel it, she may have added just a touch more attitude to
its sway as she walked.
At her door, she unlocked it and turned
around. Before she could thank him, he pressed her against it and
kissed her.
She gave herself up to him instantly, arching
up to meet him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt
Daddy?"
"Hell, no." He frowned at his daughter. "You
better not know anything about them either."
The girl tossed her napkin aside. "Let's go
to a movie."
"I promised your mom I'd have you home early
to finish your homework."
"I'd rather watch a movie with you guys." She
looked at the two of them eagerly. "Unless you'd rather go alone so
you could make out."
Lola's gaze shot to Sam's. She could tell he
was remembering their kiss in the sound room. She felt herself
flush at the hungry way he looked at her now.
He was the one to recover first, saying,
"Madison, you especially better not know what making out
is."
"We have cable, Daddy. It's not like I live
in a hole."
"Careful, or I'll see that you do." He looked
at Lola. "I'll take this little monster home first and then drop
you off."
She covered up the odd surge of
disappointment with a bright smile. "Sounds great."
Madison sat in the back even though Lola
tried to get her to take the front seat. The Jeep was big, but Sam
was huge. He seemed to energetically spill into her space.
Sitting so close to Sam was...
Nerve-wracking.
Awful.
Exhilarating.
She ran through a thesaurus of words in her
head to keep herself from reaching over to take his hand.
He pulled over to the curb and put the car in
park. Turning to her, he said, "Excuse me a sec."
"Bye, Lola." Madison threw her arms around
Lola's neck, strangling her enthusiastically from behind. "I can't
wait to read your book, even if Daddy won't let me for five
years."
"Ten," he threatened, winking at Lola. He
opened the door and escorted his bouncy daughter to her mother's
home.
Lola exhaled deeply the second they were
gone. She tried to regroup, but it was hard. All her preconceived
notions about Sam Touchdown Taylor were being proven wrong.
In fact, Sam was charming her with the obvious way he loved his
daughter.
Sam came back a moment later. As he got in
and buckled up, he said, "I half expected you to have run home
after all that."
She smiled. "Madison is something."
"That's an understatement." He turned to her
and grinned like a father besotted by his child. "She's pretty
terrific, isn't she?"
Lola's heart melted, and in that moment she
decided she liked him. A lot.
"Where do you live?" he asked, pulling away
from the curb.
"Back by Grounds for Thoughts, in Laurel
Heights. On Sacramento."
"Fancy."
She shrugged. "Convenient."
She felt him looking at her, wanting to know
more. But she wasn't about to confess that she'd moved there to be
close to her mother. She didn't want to explain how her mom had
been slowly disappearing over the past ten years, her memories
slipping away, bit by bit. That, after years of experimental drugs
and trying to take care of her mom herself, Lola had finally had to
put her in a special home.
Looking out the window, she turned the
conversation back onto him. "How long have you been divorced?"
"Not long enough. Three years." He was quiet
for a moment and then said, "Chelsea became pregnant accidentally after I was offered a running back position on
the 49ers. But I blew out my knee soon after, and she wasn't happy
about being a has-been's wife. I stuck in there for Madison's sake,
though."
"I can't believe I read you so wrong."
"How so?" he asked, glancing at her.
"I thought you were a total bastard."
"I am."
"You're actually a nice guy." She shook her
head. "I know. I'm surprised by that, too."
They drove in silence until they reached her
building. He double-parked outside and walked her up to her
apartment.
She was conscious of him behind her every
step of the way. He watched her butt—she could feel it. And because
she could feel it, she may have added just a touch more attitude to
its sway as she walked.
At her door, she unlocked it and turned
around. Before she could thank him, he pressed her against it and
kissed her.
She gave herself up to him instantly, arching
up to meet him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She felt
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