Chapter 8
Eight
Amanda
Tonight has been… unexpected. The now-empty pizza box is still open on the coffee table, grease marks marinating the cardboard. The three of us scarfed down a large pizza and a large breadstick as if we didn’t know where our next meal was coming from.
I watch as my daughter snuggles up to Will, not willing to leave him for a single second. He held her and fed her while feeding himself because she refused to come to me. I’m not gonna lie, every time, it stings a little, but there’s a bigger part of me that’s thrilled.
Outside of Reid, and sometimes the guys when they’re around, Mia is mostly around women.
I’m glad that she has men in her life who treat her well and lavish her with love.
Did I think that man would ever be my best friend’s dad?
No way in hell, but here we are, and it’s easy to see how good he is with her, and she’s completely smitten with him.
Not that I blame her. Sure, he’s almost twenty years older than me, but Coach Warner is a hottie.
It’s obvious he takes care of his body, and not gonna lie, that salt-and-pepper hair of his is doing it for me.
I could never tell him that, or my best friend.
Shit, I shouldn’t even be thinking it, but it’s true all the same. William Warner has still got it.
“What’s got you blushing over there?” Will asks.
Shit. “Nothing, just thinking about how embarrassing it was that you had to come and bail me out today. Thank you again. I truly appreciate it.” It’s not a complete lie, but hopefully, he believes me.
I am embarrassed, but not as embarrassed as I am thinking about how hot he is.
Bellamy would never forgive me if she could hear how I’m thinking about her dad.
I’m tired. That has to be it. It’s been a long, stressful day, and he’s here taking care of us, spending time with Mia, indulging her. That’s all this is.
“Mandy, I promise, it was nothing. I wanted to help. I was happy to,” he assures me, unaware that his new nickname for me warms my soul.
My ex hated nicknames. In fact, he never called me anything but Amanda.
No cute names that the couples in my life use, no nicknames, not “my wife,” just Amanda.
I guess that should have been my first red flag that our marriage was doomed, but I was just too in love with him to see it.
The wool is no longer pulled over my eyes. All the nights he kept pushing me away, on top of finding out he cheated on me and got his assistant pregnant, all while we were supposed to be starting our adoption journey together, that killed any love I ever had for him.
Bellamy asked me a few weeks ago if I hated Ethan for what he did, because she did, and my answer was no. I don’t hate him. I don’t really feel anything for him. He’s a part of my past. One I’d rather leave behind me.
“And dinner, I wish you would let me pay you back.”
He chuckles. The sound is deep and sexy. “Not happening.”
“Well, thank you.”
“You’ve already thanked me. I should be thanking you. You saved me from a night of sitting alone in a big, empty house, working.”
“The draft’s coming up, right?”
“Yeah, next week. It’s here this year, so no travel, which is good.”
“You don’t like to travel?”
“I used to live for it, but now that I have something at home more than just an empty house, it’s lost its appeal.”
“Aw, Grandpa Will’s going soft,” I tease.
That earns me another chuckle. “Nah, just realizing where I messed up all those years ago. I didn’t push to see her as I should have. I thought letting her choose was the right thing to do, and it wasn’t.”
“She gets that now. Besides, she can see the changes you’ve made. A few years ago, you would have called me an Uber and handled the towing company from the conference room, never missing a beat.”
“I’d love to tell you that you’re wrong, but that would be a lie.
” Mia is resting on his shoulder, snuggled up to him, and he gently traces his large hand up and down her back, soothing her.
She’s almost asleep. “I know I can’t go back, but if I had to do it over, I’d definitely do things differently. ”
I nod. He’s been nothing but sincere, and I’ve spent more time with him in the last couple of years than ever before, and the sincerity bleeds from him.
His actions, his words, the look on his face when he’s with Bellamy and her family.
It all says, “I’m here. I’m present, and I will continue to be. ”
“You showed up for me,” I tell him, my voice soft.
More vulnerable than I usually am with anyone other than my best friend.
“My parents don’t agree with my choice to adopt Mia on my own.
They think it’s my fault that Ethan cheated on me, so I’ve removed them from my life.
She’s my everything, and not a day will pass that she doesn’t know that. ” I pause.
Mia saved me. She doesn’t even know it yet, but she did. In the wreckage of betrayal and whispered judgments and the suffocating disappointment in my parents’ eyes, she was light. She was my purpose. She was the one choice that was wholly mine.
“Well, you’ve got my number, and you’ve got me.”
His gaze holds mine, unwavering. There’s no flicker of doubt there. No impatience. Just quiet insistence. Like he’s willing me to step forward, to test the promise, to let him carry some of the weight when needed.
“I know how busy you are,” I say automatically. It’s a defense. A preemptive retreat. If I lower the expectation now, it won’t hurt as much later.
“Not for the two of you,” he says without hesitation.
The certainty in his voice knocks the air from my lungs.
For the two of you.
Not just me. Mia and me. A package deal. A life that comes with early mornings and sticky fingers and bedtime stories and the kind of responsibility most people politely sidestep.
He doesn’t.
I search his face for cracks. For signs of pity or unease. I find neither. Just warmth. Just intention. Just Will.
It would be so easy to lean into that. To let myself imagine what it would feel like to not carry everything alone.
To have someone who shows up without being asked.
Someone who stays. I don’t know if that’s in the cards for my little girl and me.
What I do know is that Will’s words make my chest tighten with the unfamiliar weight of hope.
“We’re doing okay,” I tell him.
“I know you are, Mandy, but it’s okay to ask for help. To lean on those who care about you.”
I nod and swallow past the lump in the back of my throat. “She’s out.”
“Should I put her to bed?” he offers.
“Oh, I can do it.” I unfold my legs from beneath me and stand from the couch.
“I’ll do it. The less we jostle her, the better. Lead the way, Momma.” He grins, and I can’t help but smile back at him, before turning on my heel and leading him upstairs to Mia’s room.
Standing back, I watch as Will kisses the top of her head before he turns to me. I do the same before he gently lays her down in her crib. “Goodnight, sweetheart,” he whispers.
Will steps back, and I take my turn, kissing my girl goodnight, even though she’s already sound asleep. His eyes find mine, and without a word, he places his hand on the small of my back and leads me out of the room.
Together, we make our way downstairs, and Will heads for the pizza box.
“I can get that. You’ve done so much for us tonight.”
“It’s no trouble. Where do you want it?”
“Oh, I’ll take it out to the garage.” I reach for the box, but he steps back out of reach.
“I’ll take it. Do you have anything else that needs to go out?”
“N-No.”
“I’ll be right back.” He moves toward the door that leads into the garage. I hear him remove the trash can lid, then return before the door clicks shut. “Thank you for the company. It was nice.”
“It was. Thank you for dinner, and for rescuing us.” I take a step toward him. “It meant a lot to me.”
“You’re welcome. Do you have anywhere you need to go tomorrow?”
“Oh, uh, not that I can think of.”
“What about Monday?”
“I work on Monday. I’m a nine-to-five girl, but my hours are flexible, which is great for a single mom.”
He nods. “How far away is Mia’s day care?”
“It’s a block away from work.”
Another nod as he raises his hand to run it over his beard. “Good. I’ll be here Monday around seven-thirty. We’ll drop off Mia, and then I’ll take you to work.”
“I can call an Uber.”
“Yeah, you could, but why would you when you have me? You girls don’t need to be driving around with a stranger. Besides, I still have the base of her car seat in my truck.”
“I have an extra. It came with two.”
“Mandy.” He sighs and takes a step closer. When he lifts his hand, I hold my breath as he tucks my hair behind my ear. “Let me help you.”
“I’m afraid.”
“What are you afraid of?”
“That leaning on someone will make me weak. I have to be strong for her. I’m all she has.”
“That’s not true. She has Bellamy, Reid, Coral, Candice, Cliff, me, and a good portion of my offensive line and their families. You’re not alone, Mandy. Lean on us. Lean on me.”
“Okay,” I whisper, the words thick with emotion.
“Come here.” He pulls me into his strong arms, and I don’t hesitate to return his embrace. It’s exactly what I needed in this moment. I feel his lips press against my head before I force myself to step back. “I’ll be here Monday bright and early. You have my number, right?”
“I think so.”
“Grab your cell and make sure you still have it. I still have yours. I’ll call to see if you need anything on my way into the office tomorrow, and on my way home. We’re not meeting until noon.”
Stepping around the couch, I grab my phone from the coffee table and pull up my contacts, finding his name. I quickly type out a text.
Me: It’s Amanda.
His phone beeps, and he grins. “Good. Now, if you need me or need to go anywhere, you call me.”
“Thank you, Will.”
“Anytime. Lock up behind me,” he says, moving toward the door. With one last look and a wave, he’s gone.