“They are good here. Nolan gets the kid version when he comes.”
A small smile graces his face. “Tell me about him.”
“He’s simply the craziest boy you will ever meet.”
He laughs out loud. “That is not what I expected you to say.”
“And believe me, he’s not what you’d expect either.”
“How so?”
I shake my head in thought. “He’s just … a very spirited child.”
His lips purse together as he nods, raising his eyebrows, like he’s holding back a laugh. “Spirited, huh? Tell me more?”
Before I can answer, our waitress comes over with the waters the other woman offered. “Here you go,” she says as she sets them down. “Are you ready to order, or do you want a few more minutes?”
“We’re ready,” Evan answers her, then motions for me to go first.
We place our orders—me drinking coffee and him sticking to water.
“Just water?” I question once she walks away.
He holds it up, then takes a sip. “Ah,” he says after he swallows. “Always been my favorite drink. I try to drink a gallon a day.”
“A gallon?” I ask in shock.
“Yep. We’d go to the store and buy those gallon six-packs, five at a time. My dad would always say, ‘This is what it’s like, raising an athlete,’ when people would look at us like we were crazy.”
“I can imagine that would get some looks.” I chuckle.
“So, back to Nolan,” he prompts. “What makes him so spirited, as you say?”
I think about how to respond. “He’s definitely one of a kind. Super funny without even trying, but can be spicy as hell if he wants.”
“Can I ask where his dad is, or is that too forward of me?”
I shrug. “It is what it is. I didn’t know he was married.” I pause and wait for his reaction, which comes in the way of his eyes opening wide, but he doesn’t say anything else, so I continue, “His wife tried to label me as a gold digger, saying I got pregnant on purpose, so I walked away and have had zero contact with him ever since.”
“Then he’s never met Nolan?”
“Nope.” I shake my head, not losing eye contact with him. I never try to shy away or waver in any way when speaking aboutNolan’s father. I made my decision to not have anything to do with him, and I don’t regret that one bit. “He’s not listed on the birth certificate either.”
“Good for you,” he says with a genuine grin, which surprises me.
Most people have an opinion on the matter or at least question things, but he doesn’t.
“My sister ended up with a deadbeat baby daddy who has been nothing but drama. It would probably be easier if she just cut him out of their lives,” he goes on to say, which makes more sense now. “She met this really great guy about two years ago though, so that’s made dealing with her ex more tolerable.”
“She didn’t tell me she had kids when we spoke.”
He drops his head to his chest with a sigh. “I’m sorry she talked your ear off.”
“No!” I respond, holding my hand out to him, waving his negative thoughts away. “It was fun. Our conversation just flowed, and I didn’t even realize we’d spoken that long until I looked at the clock. I enjoyed talking to her.”
“Yeah, she’s a talker for sure.”
“It’s obvious she cares about you. It’s nice to have someone like that in your corner.”
