You’re sweet. I’m taking it you have a list already?
Oh gorgeous. Do I ever. Hold please.
“Are you texting your baby daddy? Is that why you have that shit-eating grin on your face?”
“Yes,” I say to Josie. “Sorry. I never know when he’s going to get a few minutes to text each day, so I try to make myself available when he does.”
“No need to apologize to me. If I was dating a Fury player you’d have to start a no cell phone rule in the kitchen.”
I don’t know Josie’s story. I know she’s a single mom with an eight-year-old. I know she had to have him young because she’s closer to Maddox’s age than me. But I know there’s no ring on her finger and in the near month she’s worked here, I’ve never heard her talk about a partner of any kind.
“You know I can arrange that,” I say, acting like I have any idea who any of his teammates are other than Linc and Wyatt. “Not all the Fury players are in relationships, you know. Oh! He has a camp roommate. New in town. A rookie who got drafted this year. Maybe we can set you up?”
That makes her laugh. “Sure. Tell Maddox—who by the way you need to tell me sometime how you snagged the hottest player in the league—that a single mom who’s twenty-six going on forty is looking for her happily ever after, but comes in tow with a chaos gremlin child.”
I wave her off. “The important question is do you like karaoke?”
That wasn’t the follow-up question she was expecting judging by her confused look. “Sure. Why?”
“That’s all I need to know.” I smile and furiously start texting Maddox. But before I can tell him my idea, I realize that during my conversation, he’s sent me a laundry list of names.
Okay, the first one are G names. The others are ones that are my current favorites. Please respond back to which ones you hate and/or love. Those ones will go in the notebook and advance to the second round:
Gabriel, Gunner, Gus, Garrett, Gary (ew no.), Garth (double no), Graham (Oh I like that one)
Non G names:
Baker (current favorite for obvious reasons), Liam, Levi, Shawn, Shaun, Sean, Buster (eh), Lincoln (guess who suggested that)
I have every intention of trying to play match maker for Josie, but right now I need to swoon. And use my veto powers.
All of those were off the top of your head?
Some. And I took a poll around the locker room today for suggestions. Those were the best of the bunch.
I like a few of them.
Yeah? Care to tell me which ones?
Let’s get rid of the bad ones first. All of the Shawns. Went to school with a Shaun. Justin’s best man actually. He was an asshole.
Noted and crossed off.
Also not a huge fan of Gunner.
Really? Why not? Sounds like a badass. “Coming onto the field, wearing the number his dad made famous for the Nashville Fury, Gunner Gallagher.”
I thought we weren’t forcing him to play football?
I’m not. But a guy can still dream, right?
Of course he can. Or maybe Sugar and Sweets will become a family business and our son will be the next great baker and franchise it out all over the country. Which is why I don’t know if we should name him Baker. Feels like we’re forcing him.
True. He needs a name that allows him to be whatever he wants to be.
Except named Gunner or Shawn.
Noted.
