“I can’t believe you didn’t get the quarterback position.”
I shrugged. “I know, right? I don’t understand why they think it would be such an unfair advantage to our team. I haven’t thrown a football in several months.”
Lake nodded. “Exactly. We spent the summer on the boat.”
Best. Summer. Ever.
I fished. Lake sprawled out on the front of the boat in her bikini, baby belly growing a little more every day, a high SPF sunblock, a book in hand, and her fishing hat on.
“I just hope they let me play. I’m new to the team so I could end up riding the pine for a while until I earn my spot.”
She tugged on my tie until I bent down to give her a slow kiss, then she grinned. “I sure like riding your pine.”
I shook my head.
“Too corny?”
“A little.” I adjusted myself. “But clearly it still does it for me.”
“Monaghan?” She called after me as I walked toward the door, grabbing my lunch box on the way.
I turned.
“Don’t forget to love me.”
I smiled. “Impossible.”
LAKE
Six Years Later
“He mademe call him Mr. Monaghan.” Amelia pouted, dropping her purple backpack onto the floor.
Cage picked it up, giving me an eye roll as I hugged our daughter after her first day of school. I stroked her loose, black ponytail that had lost its braid during the day.
“Then he took me to the hallway and said I can’t raise my hand anymore.”
I smirked. An exaggerated head shake accompanied my hubby’s eye rolling.
“Well, we talked about this. At school, daddy is your teacher, so you should call him Mr. Monaghan like all the other kids.”
“But he’s my daddy.”
Cage fisted one hand over the other, making a stabbing motion toward his heart. “The two women in my life are goingto be the death of me.”
“Here.” I handed her a rice crispy treat on a plate. “Trzy is on the back porch. Go give her some love while I scold Mr. Monaghan for being so mean to my baby today.”
Amelia smiled, flipping Cage a now-you’re-in-trouble look over her shoulder, while traipsing out of the kitchen.
“Tell me about your day, Mr. Monaghan.” I grabbed the bowl of leftover marshmallowy goodness and plopped down onto a chair at the kitchen table.
Twisting the top off a hard-earned beer, he smirked as his lips hovered over the amber glass. “We talked about what it means to do a good deed, and everyone took their turn sharing an example. Amelia said her daddy was helping wash her mommy in the shower this morning and that was an example of a good deed.”
“W—” I coughed. “What? Are you serious?”
Cage took a long pull of his beer, then nodded. “Unfortunately. And the real kicker? The principal was sitting in on that discussion.”
I pressed the pad of my finger to the corner of my eye, wiping away a tear. “That’s hilarious.”
