Chapter 20 Emmett #2
The crease between her eyes softens, and God, she looks so fucking kissable glancing up at me like this. It’d only take me craning my neck to meet her lips with my own.
And I’m hit with the harsh reminder that I don’t get to do that again.
We’re nearing the start of the food tables, but the coolers of drinks are lined up right before, so that’s the task I choose to distract myself with.
“What can I get you to drink?” I ask.
“What are you having?”
“I’ll probably stick with a beer.”
“Is there a seltzer?”
“Any specific flavor?”
“Whatever looks good.”
I grab one that looks to be the most popular flavor since it’s the last one left, then grab a Corona for myself. And that only makes me think of Miller, so I grab her one too. It’s the least I could do for her being welcoming to my boss.
I hand Reese the cold can, lacing the necks of the two beer bottles between my fingers, and by the time I’ve got the cooler closed, we’ve made it to the front of the table.
Reese grabs a paper plate from the stack, but when she also tries to snag all the different disposable utensils, she fumbles a bit with her seltzer.
“I got you.” I grab all the needed utensils for both of us, including a stack of napkins. Then I take her plate, exchanging it for the beers in my hand. “You just tell me what looks good when we pass it.”
She gives me this look, as if silently telling me that my making her a plate for dinner looks a bit odd. A bit questionable. Possibly inappropriate. But I ignore it.
I situate a second plate in one hand, including the forks, knives, and napkins, using my free hand to serve us both food.
Anytime we pass a dish that looks remotely like one that Reese described bringing, I ask for confirmation if it is.
When she points out the three that are hers, I make sure to add a healthy serving of each on my plate.
Our plates are full by the time we reach the last table where the desserts are displayed.
“Oh shoot,” she says.
“We can come back for this.”
Reese lifts a brow in my direction.
“I mean you can come back for this. Alone. By yourself.”
She laughs under her breath, slowly walking away from the table of sweets. And that pure look of disappointment that she doesn’t have enough room on her plate for dessert is just another thing I like about the woman. “Okay.”
Using one of the plastic forks, I push all the food on my plate together, mixing the flavors in a way they probably shouldn’t be. But it buys me a bit of real estate along the edge. “Which one looks the best to you?”
Reese hums, stepping back to the table as she eyes each and every one carefully. “Maybe that one?”
“Good choice.” I add a scoop of my daughter’s blackberry cobbler to my plate for her. “Miller made this one. Well, I’m pretty sure she made most of these.”
“Did she? I haven’t gotten a chance to try one of her desserts before. I’ve heard the guys on the team raving whenever Kai brings her cookies to the field.”
“She’s incredible. You have to check out her patisserie.”
“I’d love that.”
“I’ll take you sometime.”
Reese opens her mouth to say something but doesn’t. A heavy pause lingers, and it’s then I realize my mistake.
“Or you could take yourself,” I amend.
We get through the food tables and move out of the way for everyone waiting behind us.
“I want to go sit with Miller.” I nod toward the direction of that picnic table. “I haven’t caught up with her yet today.”
“Sounds good.” Reese holds out the two beer bottles in exchange for her plate of food. “You’re a good dad, you know that?”
I should give her the plate. I should let her go sit wherever she wants. I should put a bit of distance between us to keep any rumors from starting up.
But she can’t say things like that and expect me to leave her alone.
“Come sit with me.”
Reese hesitates, her eyes discreetly bouncing to the people around us. “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea.”
I start in that direction with her food, not giving her much of a choice other than to follow me.
“It’ll be fine, Reese. You’re going to sit on the bench next to me, not on my lap. I don’t think anyone is going to have something to say about us sitting at the same table.”
“Just keep it professional,” she mutters under her breath, walking at my side.
“What do you think I’m going to do while we’re eating dinner with my daughter and my pitching coach? Stick my tongue down your throat?”
She smacks me in the bicep with the back of her hand, and I catch the sly little grin on her lips.
“You’re thinking about me sticking my tongue down your throat right now, aren’t you?”
She gives me a single nod of her head. “Yep.”
“Keep it professional, Reese.”
“Don’t tell me what to do.”
We join Kai and Miller at a picnic table. I set Reese’s plate in front of her, then her utensils, and she places the two beers next to me.
We take the bench opposite them, and thankfully Reese is too busy tucking her legs under the table that she doesn’t catch my daughter grabbing my attention.
Miller lifts a single yet knowing brow. Should I call her Mommy? she silently mouths.
Fucking hell.
“Behave yourself,” I quietly remind her.
“What?” Reese asks.
“Nothing,” Miller and I quickly say at the same time.
Kai just laughs without a care in the world because for once he’s not on the receiving end of Miller’s asinine comments.
“I brought you a beer, but I’m starting to regret that decision.” I push the Corona across the wooden table to her.
Miller hesitates, looking at the bottle, then to Kai.
“What?” I ask.
Kai gives the smallest nod of his head, a weirdly eager look on his face.
Miller wraps her hand around the beer, but instead of bringing it to her lips to take a sip, she pushes it back in my direction.
From next to me, Reese lets out this excited little gasp. The sound is fucking adorable and so unexpected coming from her, but I have no idea what she’s figured out that I haven’t.
“Can’t drink that,” Miller states.
My eyes bounce from her to Kai then back to her, both of them watching me expectantly.
“No way.”
Miller huffs a laugh, her smile blooming, waiting for me to confirm I’ve figured this out on my own.
“Are you pregnant?”
She nods frantically.
My voice goes all soft. “Are you really?”
“Yeah.”
“Oh my God.” I stand from my seat as she does the same and I meet her, wrapping my arms over her shoulders and pulling her into a hug. “Holy hell. Congratulations, Millie.”
My mind is all over the place. Is she feeling okay? Is she excited? Does she need anything from me?
Then it moves on to the same thought process that occurs anytime something big happens in Miller’s life.
I wish Claire were here to see this.
I’m so thankful I get to be a part of Miller’s important life moments, even though her mom can’t.
And finally, I wish I had someone to share this with.
“I’m going to give you guys some privacy,” Reese says from her seat at the table.
“Stay,” Miller and I say at the same time, pulling back from our hug just long enough to watch Reese freeze halfway to standing.
I wait until she swings her legs back under the table, retaking her seat before I go back to hugging my daughter.
“I’m so happy for you.”
“Thanks, Dad.”
“You’re feeling okay?”
She nods against me.
“Are you happy?”
“So happy.”
“Good.” I swallow hard. “That’s all I want for you.”
Her grip around my waist loosens so I pull back, hands on either side of her face. How this is still the same girl I used to play dress-up with or who hung out in the dugout during my practices, I have no idea.
Kai smacks me on the shoulder, so I move on to him, giving him a hug as well.
“Love you, Monty.”
“Love you too. I’m so excited for you guys.”
The girl I spent the last twenty years focused on raising is now raising her own family. That’s both incredible and terrifying. Miller doesn’t need me in the same way she once did, but that’s the whole fucking point, right? I raised her to be her own person.
“Does Max know yet?” I ask, retaking my seat at the table.
Miller shakes her head. “We’re going to tell him tonight.”
“He’s going to be stoked. I’m so happy for you three.”
Miller leans her head on Kai’s shoulder before he wraps an arm around her and places a kiss on the top of her head.
And in that brief moment, I feel like an interloper intruding on a private moment.
It’s kind of a big deal the first time you tell your parent that you’re also going to be a parent.
And though Miller already is, becoming Max’s mom didn’t come with an announcement.
So yeah, I feel like an intruder, sitting across the table and watching my daughter share this important moment with her person.
But my attention is quickly stolen when, under the table, a hand smooths over my thigh, squeezing just above my knee.
Reese smiles brightly up at me, her blue eyes shining under the summer sun. Clearly, so excited for me and the news I just received.
And that’s when I realize, for the first time in an awfully long time, I got to share an important moment with someone too.