Page 19 of Draft Pick
A player who I, undoubtedly, caught princess-curtsying to his daughter in sweatpants and a backward hat, all before questioning my qualifications like the next best Karen.
And now he’s back. As a goddamn professional baseball player, rubbing the hotness that is a ball cap on men in my face. Hat porn shouldn’t be so fetching, but it nearly takes me out every time. Especially, like now, as he sweeps back his thick hair before settling it down on his head.
Small hands pull me forcefully with the energy of her excitement. “Go, Daddy! Dr. Wilde is here!” Addie screams at the top of her lungs, and just when I think he couldn’t get any more attractive, a smile lights up his face as he takes in his daughter’s cheers.
I thought I was already a goner, but it’s as if Satan himself said, “not so fast, you little hussy,” and brought me back to life. Val’s muffled “fuck” makes my skin tingle because I know she’s proud to be witnessing this with me. And by this, I mean, Addie’s hot dad curtsying to his daughter before hundreds of fans and players.Hisfans andhisteam players. And not one part of him is scared to show it.
I think I’d be just as easily influenced to make this little girl happy if she loved me the way Addie so clearly loves him.
Much different than before, he’s now in tight white baseball pants with seams likely screaming not to be torn from the amount of leg muscle on that giant man.
Holy hell. I was just lusting after Addie’s daddy without a clue it was actually him. A professional baseball player for the Strikers.
Have mercy. I have no business being here, let alone ogling him. The father of my new patient, whom I’m supposed to be helping work through a recent ADHD diagnosis, notsubconsciously wondering if he needs a full-body exam. Hands-on, preferably, performed by me and only me.
I need to get out of here, and fast.
I’m also halfway confident he’s married. Only halfway.
Although I didn’t exactly look for a wedding ring, I know Addie’s mom is very much involved in her life, and from what I gathered at their appointment, Addie’s dad thinks very highly of her.
Yep. It was a bad idea to come here.
Before I can flee, he jogs to an older man close by, putting them ear to ear, before they both look our way. “Hi, Coach Tate!” Addie calls out, earning herself an animated wave.
“That’s Coach Tate,” Addie tells me. “He’s Coach Jack’s biggest helper.”
“Who’s Coach Jack?” I ask her, searching for any sign of him. Not that I’d know what to look for, anyway.
“He’s Coach Jack, silly willy. My third favorite uncle,” she laughs. It’s quite adorable for a girl as special as Addie to have so many people in her life who love her like this. I can tell Makers Park is her happy place, and we all deserve a place like that in life.
I could learn a thing or two from the little beauty.
“Oh. Here he comes,” Val shouts, her voice rising ten octaves. Before I have a chance to determine that for myself, he’s already halfway here, running full steam ahead in our direction. Addie abandons her slushie and darts toward her father’s arms.
“Shit,” I whisper to Val. “How do I greet him? I don’t even know his first na?—”
“Crew Landon Briggs,” Val interjects, shoving the proof on her phone in my face. “Got it pulled up right here.”
And she’s not kidding. Crew’s player profile, biography, and even his net worth are available for the world to see.
“You’re going to make me look crazy,” I bite out, whispering loud enough so only she can hear. “I’m a professional.”
“Can’t say you look like it, Junip. Good luck believing that one.”
Oh. My. God. I almost forgot what I’m wearing. Or better yet, what I’m not wearing. Of course I picked today to wear the freaking shorts that show the bottom of my ass cheeks and buy the oversized tee. Serves me right for attempting to drum up some team spirit.
I figured I’d see Addie and her dad in passing since she invited me, but seeing him as a player changes things. Because holy mother of pearl, he’s handsome. Brown hair tousled in long-ish waves at the top of his head but cleaned up on the sides. The long strands peek through the bottom of his ball cap, looking more attractive than ever. His skin is a sun-kissed tan, even at the beginning of spring, with dark brows and a sharp jaw lined with scruff, only enhancing his masculine qualities.
Maybe with it being my first day of work when we met before, I blocked all forms of attraction from entering my brain, because surely I would have remembered him.Thislevel of good-looking. Bright green eyes and a dimple in his cheek when he smiles.
I know this because he’s smiling at me right now. “Ah, if it isn’t the new doctor in town. She knew you’d show up,” Crew tells me, Addie’s small frame perched at his hip in a tight hold.
“And you didn’t?” I counter playfully.
He grins. “I hoped. Doodle has a habit of inviting strangers to my games, no matter how many times I tell her not everyone likes baseball.”
I glance down at my Strikers shirt and pinch the fabric outward. “I’d hardly call us strangers now. And I like baseball,” I say, only becoming a fan as of fifteen minutes ago. “I might as well be the Strikers’ biggest fan.”
