Page 60 of One Hot Daddy

"I did no such thing."

Now it's time to bowl again, and I'm batting the last delivery of the over.Declan glances my way, winks, and takes his position.I grip the bat tighter.This is it.The final ball of our innings.Everything comes down to this moment.The crowd has gone eerily quiet, but I'm not anxious.No, I'm reveling in the heat of the game.

Declan begins his run-up, his face a mask of determination.Despite us being on opposite teams, there's something almost ceremonial about this moment between us.Two British blokes reliving their youth through leather and willow.

The ball leaves his hand in a perfect arc, spinning just enough to catch the afternoon light.I watch it bounce once on the pitch, then rise toward me with deceptive speed.My body moves without conscious thought, stepping into the shot, rotating my hips, bringing the bat around in a smooth, controlled swing.

Contact.

The sound is different this time---cleaner, more resonant.The ball rockets off my bat with a satisfying thwack, sailing high over the heads of the fielders.I drop the bat and run like my life depends on it.

"Six!"Dane Dixon shouts from behind the stumps, and the crowd explodes.

I can barely hear anything over the roar of approval from my mates and my family.My legs feel like jelly as I complete the run, but I'm grinning so hard my cheeks ache.A six!I bloody well hit a six on the final ball!

Jennifer is screaming my name from the sidelines while jumping up and down.The American Wives Club women are all on their feet, cheering as if I've just won the World Cup.

"Fletcher!Fletcher!Fletcher!"Henry chants, his small voice carrying across the pitch as Josh joins in the chant along with Charlotte and Amelia.

My teammates rush toward me, whooping and hollering.Errol reaches me first, grabbing me in a bear hug that nearly lifts me off my feet.And somehow, I wind up on sitting on top of Dominic's shoulders.

"Fletcher Murgatroyd, you absolute legend!"he shouts, spinning round and round."Did you see that ball fly?It's probably still traveling!Thirty-four runs, mate.You've earned your legendary status!"

Jennifer finally catches up to me, pushing through the pile of sweaty men to get there.Dom leans over so I can slide off his shoulders.My bride flings her arms around my neck, lifts herself onto her tiptoes, and kisses me with so deeply it's that's almost indecent.My teammates whistle and whoop and cheer, but all the noise fades away as hoist Jennifer off her feet for an even deeper kiss.

The best part of all is that my kids think I'm a superhero.Yeah, I can live with that.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Jennifer

I'm so proud of Fletcher for letting go of his fears and becoming the cricket hero he once had been.His ex-wife clearly treated him like garbage, and he became so downtrodden that he gave up on ever finding real happiness.On our wedding night, between bouts of hot sex, Fletcher had confessed to me that he'd allowed his ex, Claudia, to trample him emotionally.

These days, he's a rock star---to me, the kids, his friends, and everyone else who knows him.Fletcher's employees at the hotel already loved him.But once we showed them the videos of the cricket match, they now agree with me that Fletcher Murgatroyd is an extraordinary man.

He walks with a spring in his step these days and literally whistles while he works.The transformation has been astonishing, especially in the bedroom.I never expected my husband to become a sex god---but he has.And whoa mama, I love this new side of him.

A week after the cricket match, Fletcher and I take the kids and the grandparents as well as my parents too, on an end-of-summer escapade.We let the children suggest some destinations.That might not have been our smartest idea ever.Four kids arguing over what is the "awesome-est" vacation spot.After two hours of listening to the kids bicker over destinations, Fletcher finally steps in.His newfound confidence shines through as he claps his hands once, silencing the bedlam.

"Listen up, I've made an executive decision," he announces."We're going to the Black Hills of South Dakota."

I bite back a laugh at the kids' stunned faces.Henry recovers first.

"But Dad, what about the water park I wanted?"His bottom lip quivers melodramatically.

Fletcher crouches to his level."The park will still be there next summer, champ.But how many of your friends can say they've seen Mount Rushmore?"

Charlotte perks up."Don't they have wild horses there too?"

"And the Badlands," Josh adds, already pulling out his tablet to research the sights."Did you know they've found fossils there that are over 75 million years old?"

Amelia glances up from her phone, suddenly interested."The Badlands?Isn't that where they filmed that movie about the alien crash site?"

"You're thinking of Area 51, genius," Josh says with an eye roll."That's in Nevada."

"No bickering," Fletcher says firmly."This vacation is about family bonding."

I wrap my arm around his waist, loving this take-charge version of my husband."The Black Hills will be perfect.We can see Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, and explore Custer State Park."