Chapter 20
Twenty
Amanda
I take a minute to make sure I have everything I need for today while Mia plays on the living room floor.
I’m surrounded by the quiet chaos only a toddler can create.
A stuffed rabbit lies upside down beside her, and she babbles softly to herself.
She’s pushing a little wooden block across the rug like it’s the most important job in the world.
I watch her for a second longer than necessary, my hand resting on the strap of my bag as I mentally check through everything again—snacks, wipes, an extra outfit, the little blanket she refuses to leave home without.
Will called me about a week ago and asked if we could spend today together—the three of us. The memory of that call still lingers in my mind. His voice had that careful tone to it, almost as if he wasn’t sure what my answer would be. As if there were any chance I’d say no.
Of course, I said yes. I would have said yes to just about anything if it meant spending more time with him.
Last night when we talked, he told me to be ready early, that we had about an hour drive ahead of us.
An hour. The thought has been replaying in my mind since he said it.
An hour in the car with him, an hour where there’s nowhere else to be, nothing else to do but exist in the same small space together.
It feels oddly precious. It’s a luxury we’ve not been able to enjoy.
I have no idea where we’re going, and normally that would bother me.
I like plans, details, and knowing what the day holds.
But with Will… it’s different. The uncertainty feels lighter somehow, wrapped up in the quiet thrill of simply being included in whatever he has planned.
I also know he would never do anything to put my Mia or me in danger.
That’s not who he is. His heart is bigger than the entire state of Tennessee. He just hides it from most.
Getting out of town and leaving the same familiar streets of Nashville behind, even for a day, sends excitement coursing through me.
No matter where we end up, I’m sure it’ll be a fun-filled day for Mia and us, and that it will be planned meticulously.
It must be the coach in him. He always knows the play, even the risky ones—like dating his daughter’s best friend.
Because that’s what we’re doing. We’re dating.
I’ve fallen for a man I’m not supposed to want, let alone love, but here I am, falling harder each day.
Training camp is about to start, and his time to spend with us will be limited, not to mention having to sneak around.
I know that means we need to come clean.
I guess we need to just pick a time, but I don’t want to do it during or before training camp.
I don’t want him stressed out while trying to work.
After… we’ll tell her after camp is over.
Lately, every moment we manage to steal feels rushed and delicate, as if what we’re building between us might slip through my fingers if I’m not careful.
I catch myself wanting to stretch those moments out, to make them last longer than they should.
An extra conversation. A few more minutes standing beside him. Any excuse not to walk away just yet.
Maybe that’s why this day feels so important before it’s even begun. A whole day together. No rushing, no passing each other in the middle of something else, no worrying that I stared at him for too long, or with too much affection.
Just us.
Mia squeals suddenly, knocking her block tower over with dramatic enthusiasm, and I laugh softly, crouching down beside her. I brush a curl away from her forehead and glance toward the window, half expecting to see Will’s car pulling up already.
The anticipation settles warmly in my chest.
Wherever we’re going doesn’t really matter.
I just know that for today, I get more time with him. No matter how wrong my head tells me it is, my heart tells me that every moment with him is right, and that I’m exactly where I’m meant to be.
A soft knock sounds at the door. “That’s Will,” I tell Mia, lifting her onto my hip so we can answer the door. Sure enough, his smiling, handsome face greets us. He quickly moves inside, shuts the door, and pulls me into a kiss.
“Missed you, Mandy,” he says softly before reaching for Mia. She squeals with excitement as he kisses her cheek, settling her on his hip. “Are my girls ready to go?” he asks.
“We are. I have extra clothes, her blanket, sippy cups, which she’s doing great with now and only taking a bottle at night, snacks, toys, diapers, and wipes,” I ramble on down the list.
“Baby, if we need something, we can stop and buy it.”
“I just like to be prepared.”
He smiles. “I know you do. Now, hand me that bag, Momma. We’ve got a day of fun ahead of us.” He bounces Mia, and she grips his shirt, laughing. “I’m taking my girls on a date.”
And just like that, I fall a little harder for my best friend’s dad.
“Where are we going?” I ask, once we’re on the road.
“It’s about an hour north,” he tells me.
“Is that all I get?”
His deep chuckle reaches inside my chest and grips my heart, while his large, calloused hand extends over the console and rests on my bare thigh. “Patience, baby.”
“Will they recognize you there?” I ask.
“You don’t have anything to worry about. I know we’re still keeping this secret for now. I’ve taken care of it.”
“I trust you,” I tell him, and I mean it. I trust him to get us to wherever it is we’re going safely. I trust him with my heart, and my daughter’s, as well. I trust him, but what I don’t trust is that once our little bubble is burst, will he still be ours?
He gives my thigh a soft squeeze. “Thanks, baby. That means a lot,” he says.
“I guess we should plan on telling Bellamy soon, huh?”
“I’d like that, yes.”
“Maybe after training camp?”
“So, a couple more weeks?”
I nod and realize he can’t hear my head rattle. “Yeah, sometime after,” I say, not really committing to a timeline because even thinking about my best friend hating me sends my anxiety into orbit.
Mia falls asleep fairly quickly while Will and I talk about anything and everything. We like the same movies, the same music, the same foods. It’s hard for me to believe that we’re so well matched. To be honest, I almost feel as if I’m living in a dream, and I’m just waiting to wake up.
“A petting zoo?” I ask as he slows his SUV to turn into the lot. “Is this where we’re going?”
“It is. I thought Mia would enjoy it, and honestly, we could watch paint dry, and I’d enjoy it if I got to spend that time with the two of you,” he says, parking the SUV.
Removing my seat belt, I lean over the console to kiss his cheek, just as he turns his head and our lips connect. “Thank you,” I say softly.
“You’re welcome.” He smiles. “Now, we have three hours before they open. So, let’s get moving so we can be sure to make our way through all the animals.”
“Wait. What?”
“I had them open to the public later to give us time here alone. The employees and staff know not to take pictures or alert the media that we’re here.
In exchange for that, I came up yesterday morning before they opened, signed autographs, and took pictures with the staff and their families. They’re already circulating online.”
Tears well in my eyes, and the back of my throat feels tight. “You did that for us?”
“Selfishly, it was for me, too. I wanted to spend the day with both of you without worrying about someone snapping a picture and selling it online. I wanted you to be able to relax so we can spend the day together. This is our family day.”
“Family day?”
He nods. “Yeah, last week, you and Mia didn’t come to the Rampage family day. You didn’t accept Bellamy’s invite. She was upset you didn’t join them.”
“The first year I went, I was her plus one. It’s different now. I’m not truly a member of the Rampage family.”
“You are,” he insists.
“We’re all friends, but it’s not the same. It’s family day.”
“You and Mia are my family, and I know Bellamy feels the same way. Hell, they all do. Regardless, you missed it, and I wanted our family day, so here we are.”
Grabbing the keys and his phone, he reaches for the door and climbs out. In no time, he has Mia out of her seat, resting against his shoulder, and moves to the back of the SUV to grab the stroller. I join him at the back of the SUV with my purse and the diaper bag.
“Ready?” He grins.
“Ready,” I say, smiling back. I push the stroller, and with Mia in his arms, and his hand on the small of my back, he leads us into the main welcome area.
The staff is friendly and informative, and we have our own personal guide, who leads us through the zoo, telling us all about the animals. She’s amazing with Mia, interacting with her and being silly. Three hours pass in a blur, and it feels as if we’ve only been here a handful of minutes.
“Thank you so much, Sasha,” Will tells our guide. “You’ve been great.”
“You’re welcome. It’s been a pleasure meeting you both.” She bends so she can see Mia better, where she’s sitting in her stroller. “You, too, Miss Mia.” She takes her little hand and pretends to shake, and Mia giggles. “Before you go, I have your purchase. Be right back.” Sasha jogs off.
“What did you buy?” I look down at the photo of the three of us that we took in the welcome center when we first arrived. We look happy.
We look like a family.
“Just a little something. I picked it out yesterday and asked them to hold on to it for me.”
Sasha comes jogging back with a small stuffed lamb. She bends to offer it to Mia, who takes it with glee. “Good choice, Dad,” Sasha says. “Y’all enjoy the rest of your day. I need to go prepare for the crowd to hit.” Sasha waves, and then she’s gone.
“I’m sorry—” I start, but Will’s look has the rest of what I was going to say dying on my lips.
He kneels next to Mia. “Hey, sweetie, do you like your lamb?”
“Dada!”
My heart stalls in my chest as it tightens, but the pressure instantly releases when Will chuckles and leans over to kiss Mia’s cheek. “You’re a cutie,” he tells her, standing back to his full height. “You ready to grab something to eat, Momma?” he asks.
That’s it. No comment. No, “It’s fine. She’s a baby.” Just quiet acceptance. I open my mouth, but I quickly clamp it shut to keep myself from spilling my truth.
That I’m in love with him.
We both are.
Instead, I nod and follow along behind him to the SUV as he pushes the stroller, going faster and slower, lifting it up on two wheels, making Mia giggle like it’s the funniest thing she’s ever experienced in her short life.
Back on the road, Will takes us through a drive-thru to grab food, and we take it back to the park. He finds a secluded spot in the back and spreads out a quilt that was in the back of his car, and we sit and eat lunch together.
Mia’s living her best life, crawling and toddling between the two of us, asking for bites of our food. We’ve just finished eating when my phone rings. Pulling it out of my purse, I see Bellamy’s name and show it to Will.
“Answer it. I’ll be quiet.”
“Where does she think you are today?”
He shrugs. “She doesn’t. I assume she thinks I’m either at home or at the stadium.” He nods again, and I take a deep breath and answer.
“Hey, you,” I greet my best friend.
“Hey. What are you getting into today?”
“Oh, I brought Mia to a petting zoo.” I widen my eyes, and Will nods, smiling, agreeing with me. I figured we’re telling enough lies as it is, and the fewer we have to tell, the better. I simply omitted the fact that her dad had planned our excursion.
“Fun. How was it?”
“Really fun. Mia loved it. We should bring the girls back together.”
“Yes!” Bellamy agrees. “Coral would love that.”
“What are you doing?”
“I just got back from the grocery store. We’re in for the night, as Reid’s getting ready for training camp. He says he wants all the time with us that he can get. I thought I’d offer to keep Mia, and you could have a night off.”
“I love you for that, but you enjoy the time with your family. Maybe give Coral a little brother or sister,” I tease, then panic when my eyes find Will’s.
He’s still smiling, but he’s also shaking his head.
Mia crawls into his lap and rests her cheek on his chest, and I know she’s ready for a nap. She’s had a pretty eventful day.
“Not a bad idea.” Bellamy laughs. “Well, I’ll let you go. Be safe, and I’m glad you got some time with your girl outside of the house.”
“Thank you. I’ll call you tomorrow.” We say goodbye, and I end the call, dropping my phone back into my purse. “Sorry about that.” I wince.
Will chuckles. “It’s fine, Mandy. I know my daughter is a married woman, and I’d love more grandchildren.”
It’s weird that the man I’m dating is not only my best friend’s dad but also a grandfather, but his salt-and-pepper hair is sexy as hell, and he’s in shape.
His body is sculpted. He’s taken very good care of himself over the years.
My body heats thinking about how it feels to have his body pressed to mine.
“What are you thinking about?” he asks, reaching over to run his thumb over the apple of my cheek. “You’re blushing, baby.”
“Nothing. It’s the sun.”
“We’re sitting in the shade,” he says, leaning over for a kiss. Mia wiggles in his lap and grunts at being disturbed. “Are you ready to head home, baby girl?” he asks Mia.
“Yeah, it’s been an exciting day, huh?” I ask, brushing her hair out of her eyes. “Thank you for today, Will. It was perfect.”
“Next time, we’ll invite the others and the kids to join us,” he tells me.
Next time.
I smile and nod. I want that. I want more of these kinds of moments, and I don’t want to have to hide them or have him bribe the staff so we can have some time together.
This life, the one Will keeps presenting me, is what I’ve always dreamed of—a good man to stand beside me through life, raising our kids, and just being happy.
I crave that life with him. I know he said he wants us, and I believe him.
I’m too afraid to ask him what happens if Bellamy hates us both and insists that we end this.
What happens then? It’s the fear of that answer that has me continuing to beg him to keep this quiet, but we’re in this now. So far in, there’s no turning back.
I can only hope that, in the end, I have both my best friend and the man I’ve fallen madly in love with still in my life.