9. Chapter Nine
Chapter Nine
JAY
Sarah stepped into the living room, wringing her hands like she was nervous.
“Food is ready. Sorry I don’t have a table for us to sit at.” She waved to the island. “It’s usually just me, so I don’t really need a table.” With a shrug, she frowned.
“This is fine.” I patted the floor beside me.
Her eyes widened as she studied me. I wasn’t sure what surprised her. I couldn’t count how many times I’d sat on the floor with my sisters and our PB&Js watching TV. That was how our evenings always went when our mom had to work late. Dad was a firefighter, so he worked odd hours, including evenings and overnights.
“That way we can sit with Nora.” I tickled the little girl’s belly when I said her name.
The giggle that erupted from her made my chest warm and a smile stretch across my face.
“I’m assuming that if we put her back in that thing,” I said, waving at the baby jail against the wall, “she’ll cry.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “It’s a Pack ’n’ Play. Plenty of people use them, and their babies have no issues. It’s definitely just a Nora thing.”
She turned and grabbed the bowls from the counter. “Do you want something to drink?”
“Water is fine.”
As she approached and set the bowls on the coffee table, her movements were still tremulous, but when she reappeared a few moments later with two glasses of water, she seemed more at ease.
“He should have thrown it.” She shook her head as she sat down with her bowl in her hands.
“Huh?”
“Moore.” She tipped her head toward the TV. “He holds on to the ball too long. Then he gets sacked or tries to run it to gain a yard or two. They really need a new quarterback after this season.”
I turned my attention back to the TV just as the announcers were chiming in with the same sentiment. I missed the sack because the gorgeous blonde sitting a few feet away had captured my attention. It happened more and more every time I was around her.
I was impressed by her football knowledge. It was honestly the only sport I consistently followed.
“Yeah,” I said. “I had him on my fantasy football roster at the beginning of the season but took him off a couple of weeks ago because he’s been freezing in the pocket.” I brought the fork to my mouth and took a bite. The mix of sweet and spicy was perfection.
“I wish I could keep up with mine.”
“Yours?” I raised an eyebrow at her.
“Yeah. I have good intentions every year, but by this point in the season, it’s usually a lost cause. My dad nags me about it, so you would think I wouldn’t forget.”
I was intrigued. “Do you create a team just to appease your dad?”
“My dad is a huge football fanatic, so fantasy league and watching games together is our thing.” Her shoulders rose and fell as she took another bite of her food. “I was cheerleading captain in high school. Between that and my dad, I know a pretty good amount. I love the idea behind fantasy football, and I’m excited at the beginning of every season. But I don’t know. Life happens, and I get sidetracked easily, I guess. Especially now that I have Nora.”
Her phone chimed from where it sat on the floor next to her, pulling her attention away from me. She unlocked the screen, and her eyes went wide in the same way they had earlier today outside the diner. Just as quickly as the expression appeared, though, it was gone again.
“What is it?” I asked, chills running down my spine.
She shook her head and placed her phone face down on the carpet. “Just a wrong number.”
My stomach twisted at the fear that clashed across her face, but I’d let it go for now. We were neighbors, and I was helping her out. It wasn’t like I could demand she open up and tell me what was going on. But I had this weird need to get to know her more, and I wanted her to trust me. To feel comfortable letting her guard down.
I guess I just had to earn it.