I shake my head. “Nah, my underwear is a little tight today.”
“Maybe you should wear your own,” he deadpans.
I can’t help but smile. “Vance McCaffrey, did you just make a funny joke?”
His face remains stoic. “I’m an underrated funny guy.”
“Ooh. Not sure about that.”
I really want to tell my best friend what’s going on, but I promised Kennedy I wouldn’t tell anyone yet, and the last thing I want to do is piss her off. It’s killing me though. I’mabout to be a father, and I can’t even share the good news with the people I love.
Hmm, I wonder if I can tell one or two people. She’d never know.
I look at Presley as he works hard on the quad extension machine. “Elvis, do you ever lie to Layla?”
He stops what he’s doing and stares intently at me. “Absolutely not. I’d never get away with it.” He points at me. “Never lie to a woman because she’s going to find out anyway. Most women investigate better than the FBI. I told her I didn’t cut my toenails in bed last month because it drives her nuts when I do it. Last night, four weeks later, she found a tiny nail clipping under the bed and was able to do her own little forensic analysis to determine that it was from the time I told her I didn’t do it. FBI, like I said. It should be all women. Every crime would be solved within a matter of hours if they ran the whole show. Guaranteed.”
I chuckle. “You’re sexy when you’re scared of your wife.”
He nods. “My wife still thinks I’m sexy. Every time I walk by her, she says,What an ass.”
I burst out laughing. Even Vance smiles. Sometimes your friends give you what you need without even knowing you need it.
After a fun, distracting morning workout with my teammates, I’m driving home. Coach wasn’t at the workout. One of the assistant coaches said he was playing pickleball with his kids today.
Of course, in my manic Google searches last night, I learned that a pregnant woman shouldn’t let her body temperature get too high. Now I’m worried she was too hot when playing pickleball. I can’t imagine how I’m going to feel during her basketball games. Kennedy practically plays tackle basketball.
I’m preoccupied as I walk through the front door to BJleaping into my arms. “Hey, baby girl. Daddy missed you all morning. Did Chef Benny give you lunch?”
Bark.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
I walk into the kitchen and see Benny chopping and prepping. “Hey, man.” I notice several steaks and other accompanying foods. “Why so much food? Am I having a party?”
He nods toward my backyard pool area. “Did you forget that your family is staying with you for a few days while Jagger looks at schools?”
My eyes widen. “Oh fuck. It’s been a crazy day. I totally spaced.”
He laughs. “I figured. I told them you had a morning workout and told me to let them in. They put their bags in the guestrooms and are out back by the pool now. I made them margaritas and set out a few appetizers.”
I slap his back. “Thanks, Benny. You’re the best, man.”
He winks. “You bet. I was…cleaning up a few things upstairs. Did you have a woman here last night?”
I nod. “I did. Yesterday afternoon.”
“How was BJ?” he asks with obvious concern, given BJ’s behavior around women. He knows I never bring women here.
“She loves this particular woman. In fact, I might have you grab a few things for her. She’s going to be around for a long while.”Forever.
He stops cutting and turns to me. “In all my years working here, this has never happened.”
I smile. “I’m getting old. Maybe it’s time. I’m gonna go see my family. Thanks for your help.”
He returns to cutting, and I start to walk toward the back glass doors, but before I open them, he says, “And congrats. I saw the tests when I was emptying the trash. You’re gonna be an awesome father, man.”
It hits me straight in the heart. I’m going to be a father.How the hell am I going to get through this visit from my family without spilling the beans?
