“A next time?” Derek waggles his eyebrows at me. “Awfully presumptuous, Sutton.”
Laughter burbles out of me. “Okay. You know you want it too.”
A serious look washes over his face. “I do. I want whatever you can give me, Sutton.”
Grabbing his hand in mine, I hold his gaze. “Our lives are crazy. There’s no use denying it. But I’ll do whatever I can to make time for you.”
Derek gives me a quick kiss before dropping his foreheadto mine. “Why don’t you come to the game on Friday night? Bring Lydia. My parents will be there with Troy.”
“Think it might be too soon for that?” I ask.
Derek shakes his head. “Not with you.”
I sink into his hold, trying not to crush my coffee cup as I lay one on him. Why did I ever allow Jameson to let me question this man’s character?
The man who bought donuts so I could take them home to my daughter. Whose touch is so caring and tender that I fall that much deeper with each caress.
“Yes.”
Because I will do whatever it takes to be at that game on Friday.
I want it more than anything.
Chapter Eleven
SUTTON
“Mommy, do I have to like football?” Lydia asks from the backseat. “I don’t know if I like football.”
Pulling up to the stoplight, I peer into the backseat. Lydia is looking out the window, her pigtails done up to perfection under her hat.
“You don’t have to. But Uncle Jameson will be there. And you’ll get to see Troy again.”
“Can we play?”
The light turns green, and I turn into the parking lot of the high school where Derek coaches. It’s already packed to the brim with people.
Following the cars in front of me, I find a parking spot at the very back of the lot and park the car. Students are decked out in the school colors with pom-poms in hand.
“Well, I don’t know if you’ll be able to play together,” I tell her. “But I think you’ll have fun watching the game.”
“Can we leave if I don’t like it?”
I try not to laugh as I unbuckle my seatbelt and get out of the car to help her.
“Well, we can’t really leave if you don’t like it, sweetheart, but we’ll take you out to dinner after,” I promise.
“Can we get pizza?”
“Pizza sounds good.”
I have no doubt that Troy won’t mind pizza after the game either.
“Yay! I love pizza.”
Grabbing her hand, I lock the door then head toward the concrete building in front of us.
There’s an energy rolling through the parking lot. Everyone is excited for the game tonight. It reminds me of the days where I used to do this with my ex.
