Who cares if I was drenched? The sound of her giggling had me completely undone. She could’ve pushed me into the pool while wearing my best tuxedo, and I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid as long as she kept laughing like that.
“Sorry?” she said, making it sound more like a question than an actual apology.
“Are you really?” I teased with a tickle to her ribs, earning me another ear-piercing squeal.
She looked at her mum who only gave her one of those, ‘I’m not saving you’ looks. Standing up, I cradled Phoebe in my arms as I toed off my shoes. Sienna snorted. She knew what was coming, but Phoebe was completely clueless.
Phoebe bit her bottom lip and shook her head, her matted hair going everywhere. “I didn’t think so,” I confirmed before I jumped fully clothed into the pool, Phoebe still in my arms.
We went under the water for a second before I planted my feet firmly on the bottom. Shocked by the whole thing, Phoebe clung to me so tightly she almost strangled me. Sienna was wetting herself laughing at the look of disbelief on Phoebe’s face. Damn, I wish I could’ve captured that look. It was priceless.
“Uncle Luca!” she whined, her grip tightening.
I should’ve felt guilty.
I didn’t, but I should’ve.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re in the pool in your clothes.”
“Oh yeah, I am. Aren’t I silly?” I asked, and Phoebe nodded her head a little too enthusiastically that her head banged with mine, immediately bringing tears to her eyes. Tears were my weakness. I didn’t do tears. Especially not from my favourite little princess.
Heading towards the stairs, I pushed the hair from her face and softly rubbed the spot she’d hit. “Hey, Mum? Have you got a towel there for Princess Phoebe?”
“Yep. A pink unicorn one. Or is that yours, Uncle Luca?” Sienna teased, drawing Phoebe’s attention from the bump on her head to fighting me for her favourite towel. The towel I’d gotten in trouble for touching in case it got boy germs. Yeah thanks for that, Sienna.
“I think that one’s mine,” I answered, keeping the gag going.
“No!” Phoebe wriggled in my arms until she was facing me with a stern look on her face. “It’s mine, Uncle Luca. You can’t have it!” With that there was no doubt she was Sienna’s daughter. Little Miss Sassy Pants was alive and well.
“Aren’t you going to share?” I shouldn’t bait her, but I just couldn’t help it.
“No!”
“Oh, okay then.” I pretended to be sad as I deposited her on the ground next to the pool and watched as she scurried towards where Sienna was waiting with the towel.
An hour later, Phoebe was fed, changed into her pyjamas, and I was buckling her into her car seat before heading to the stadium. Tonight was another game, and I was hoping to hell not another loss. There was only so much a guy could take, and right now my patience had pretty much run out.
When Phoebe was buckled in, sitting there having a conversation with the ugliest doll I’d ever seen, but one she loved anyway, Sienna turned back to me. “So, you figured it out yet?”
“Figured what out?”
My head was full of plays and scenarios for tonight’s game. Most of which ended with our team bathed in glory for a change, so I had no idea what Sienna was talking about, but I was willing to bet my house it wasn’t about how to set up for a left-hand corner.
“Elise! Geez, Luca, focus. No wonder you’re still single!”
“You can be a real bitch sometimes, you know that, right?”
“Yeah, Hunter doesn’t let me forget that one. Now, you’ve got a game to get to, and I have a child to get tucked into bed. But it sounds to me like this girl, the one who’s got your head all twisted up and is probably responsible for the carpal tunnel you’re giving yourself, could be the one big brother.”
“What?”
When she made the jerking-off motion, I laughed so hard I ended up folded over in two. I was standing in the middle of my driveway in the late afternoon with my sister pretending to be jacking off. How was this my life?
“Try again. And this time, think before you show up. She’s a teacher. Which means at three o’clock every day she’s going to be ready for five minutes peace and quiet, and if she’s anything like me, a very, very large glass of wine.”
“She’s nothing like you,” I muttered, wishing this conversation would end so Sienna would shut up, get in her car and leave.
