Lead Me Home (Fight for Me #3)(32)

I chuckled under my breath when I read what he’d written.

“You’re gettin’ close, buddy. Real close. What do you say for now, we play for a bit and then we take it for a drive?”

His eyes went wide, and he mouthed, Really?

“Really,” I told him, touching his chin.

Yep.

Impossible not to fall.

I stood and gave the football a small toss into the air. “Who’s the next Gingham Lakes High wide receiver? Is his name Evan Bryant?”

His eyes lit up behind his thick-rimmed glasses, and he gave me an emphatic nod of his head.

I gave it a soft pitch in his direction, and he fumbled along for the ball.

Kale watched him like a goddamned hawk.

Always wary of the kid’s heart.

Couldn’t imagine having to carry that weight. But neither he nor Hope would let their own fears get in the way of the kid living a full life. Just because he was born with a genetic defect that had almost taken his young life, his parents weren’t going to hold him back.

And man, did the kid live a full life. He was so full of it he shined.

He caught the ball against his chest, and Frankie went flying his way. Arms stretched out like she was soaring.

“Here, Evan. Throw it to me! I wanna catch it!”

Kinda made me sad that her adorable lisp had all but disappeared.

Guess time didn’t stop spinning, no matter how badly I might want it to.

Didn’t think it was possible, but Evan’s face lit up even more when he looked at Frankie, and he threw it with all his might, sending it soaring.

You know, about ten feet in the air.

Fucking cute.

“You’ve got a visitor, man, three o’clock,” Rex warned, and I turned in time to find Ryland toddling my way.

His arms were thrown up over his head, and he was giggling as he tottered over, anticipating that I was going to scoop him up.

I did.

It sent a tremor rolling through me.

Truth was, kids terrified me.

Terrified me in a way that wasn’t healthy.

Didn’t mean these three hadn’t melted through the hard places at the center of me. Worked their way in, my care fierce.

Would do absolutely everything in my power to keep them safe.

Ryland yanked at my beard with his chubby fingers, his grin so wide as he flashed me a row of four teeth on the top and two on the bottom.

He grunted hard like he was talking to me.

“Ouch, dude,” I chuckled, trying to unwind his death grip. “That hurts.”

Kid laughed like it was the funniest thing in the world.

So did his dad.

Like I said, his dad’s mini-me.

I scowled in Rex’s direction. “And this is funny, why?”

“Uh, how about because you’re holding my one-year-old like a backpack that might contain a bomb.”

It was just then I was realizing I had him under the arms, holding him out and away from me. My beard was just out of reach of his flailing arms. “Self-preservation, man. Kid’s about to tear me limb from limb.”

Such a pussy, Rex mouthed, smirk on his face as he came to collect his kid.

Such an asshole, I mouthed back.

Evan was all of a sudden in my line of sight, his hand going over his mouth like he was trying to shield himself from my corruption.

Awesome.

Turns out, Kale was totally right. I had no idea how to act around kids.

“Such a bad influence. You’re hopeless,” Kale taunted from behind, picking up the football and hurling it my direction.

Just like the old days.

I ran back, caught it with an oomph, and sent it sailing right back.

“Not sure what you expect. Don’t run into a lot of kids in my line of work. Sorry I’m not a kiddie doc who always knows the right thing to say.”

Catching it, he lifted his arms out to the side. “Has nothing to do with my profession. It’s just the natural charm.”

I shook my head with a laugh. “Charm? More like constant flow of BS. People just pretend like they tolerate you.”

“Which is why you show up to the park to hang out with me.”

Kale threw the football to Rex.

“Pretty pathetic, if you ask me.” Rex. Giving me shit just like the fucker always did.

Without a whole lot of effort, he reached out and caught the spiraling ball.

The look I shot him would have seared a lesser man in two. “Says the guy who said he would come drag my ass here if I didn’t show. Now tell me who the pathetic one is? Just felt sorry for you suckers, that’s all.”

Rex grinned as he stepped back to hurl the ball. “You’re just jealous our lives are filled with parks and diaper bags and spit-up rags. Super glamorous, right?”

“Jealous?” I tossed out, spinning on my heel to run, because Rex had an arm, that was for damned sure. The ball flew high and far.

Finally got out in front of it, and I caught it in both hands.

“Totally jealous,” Kale piped in. “Dude doesn’t have it in him to admit we have it right, and he’s the one missing out.”

“Right for you, man, right for you.”

Truth was, I knew they had it right. Saw it on their faces. They were living for the good in life. But that was the kind of good there was no chance I could stomach.