Page 44 of Tight Ends & Tiaras
My daughter starts babbling and looks to me excitedly, and it feels so good to not have her frowning at me or crying, I laugh. “You gonna ski when you get older, peanut?”
She hops up and down and claps and jams her fist in her mouth.
“Start her on a wakeboard when she gets a smidge older,” Sienna suggests. “It’ll give her confidence before she tries anything harder.”
I nod and ignore the frisson of fear that settles in my gut when I envision setting my little tyke on a wakeboard.
Maybe when she’s twenty.
I’m busy chatting with Sienna, so I don’t realize Janelle is having a hard time getting up on the skis until Sienna hands me Lily and wanders to the bow.
“Keep your arms straight,” she calls out to my ex. “Don’t bend them. And imagine slowly standing up from the cannonball position. If you overcompensate, you’ll go headfirst through the water. If that happens, let go of the rope or it’ll feel like you’re guzzling from a fire hydrant.”
Janelle gives her a look, not appearing appreciative at all for the solid advice.
Olly sits next to me as Johnny powers the boat. “I can see things are going smoothly over here in hot girl paradise.”
“Fuck Johnny for suggesting everyone come along on this getaway,” I say under my breath, and he laughs.
But when my daughter turns in my arms and smashes my cheeks together with her sticky hands and gives me the sweetest smile, something happens to my chest. It feels like that scene in the Grinch when his heart expands.
Olly sticks his face in my daughter’s and makes a silly expression. She erupts into laughter, and we coo at her like dumbasses.
“How are things going with Sienna?” he mumbles to me like a ventriloquist, so no one else can hear us. “You guys are gonna burn down the boat with your sexual tension if you’re not careful.”
He’s not wrong. I feel it every time I look at her.
“We’re just friends. That’s all I have time for right now.” And I aim to keep her as a friend, which means not fucking her until she passes out from pleasure like I want to.
I nod toward Amelia, who’s busy looking offended at whatever Johnny is telling her. “What’s her story?”
“She’s a senior at Lone Star, but she flies back and forth to LA to model.”
“What’s she doing with you?” I joke.
He shrugs, his brows furrowed. “I’m not sure.”
I study him for a second. “Just giving you shit. She’d be lucky to date you, dude. But... if it doesn’t work out, please consider my ex. I wanna make sure she ends up with a good guy so my kid is taken care of.”
He gives me a look. “As hot as Janelle is, I’m not crazy enough to jump into the deep end of the pool with that woman.”
Can’t say I blame him.
But I cover my kid’s ears because I’m suddenly aware we’re trash-talking her mama, and that shit ain’t cool. I lean toward my buddy. “As far as the peanut is concerned, I think her mom is awesome. Got me?”
When I lower my hands, he nods and punches me in the arm. “Look at you. Being all responsible.”
“Fuck off.”
He chuckles. “Funny that her ears are wide open for the profanity.”
I curse again. “Point made, you dick. I’ll work on it.”
