That Baby (41 page)

“Are you excited for your second preseason game?” I ask him.
 

“It’s good to be playing again but, like last week, I’ll only be in for a little while. My backup needs experience and they don’t want me to get hurt. I saw workers at your house. What are you doing over there?”

“I’m building JJ an office slash playroom,” Phillip says proudly. I love that he’s gotten so excited about it. He even helped me pick out cabinets.

“We thought it would be easier once we have kids for me to work from home. Did I tell you I’m working on another building? This is a smaller project and I’m only doing the interior space planning, but it will be fun.”

“You didn’t tell us,” Danny says, flipping the steaks.

“Phillip’s company is expanding again, so they are adding an office in Dallas. I also have another job working with our contractor. He has a client who is consolidating with a new campus here. It will be a huge project.”

“That’s awesome,” Danny says. “You go, girl.”

I smile. “Thanks.”

“How in the world are you going to work with kids running around?” Lori snarls.

“Because she’s brilliant.” Phillip grins. “We split up the big room in the basement that I was going to use as a home theater. The part that’s her office has a set of French doors leading into the playroom and instead of walls, there are half-walls with windows that slide open.”

“It makes my office look like a sunroom. There’s lots of light and we had it painted this gorgeous shade of pale pink. The construction is done, now they are just installing the cabinets. I did a long run across one wall. It will be cool because when we want to have parties in the backyard, it can double as a buffet. And my drafting table is like a murphy bed. I can fold it inside a cabinet when it’s not in use. Since it has it’s own entrance, I’ll even be able to have clients over, if need be.”

Lori laughs. “That’ll look professional. Toys scattered all over.”

“The French doors and windows that face the playroom have curtains, so I can hide the clutter. Anything is possible with a little creativity.” I give her a tight-lipped smile.
 

“On that note,” Danny says, “time to eat.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

Dear Baby Mac,

Only five more weeks until we get to meet you!!
 

You have no idea how excited I am about that.
 

And I’m not just saying that because my stomach feels like it weighs about eight hundred pounds and might explode if it gets any bigger.
 

In reality, you are only weighing in at about 5 lbs. and feeling cramped too. You probably can’t do all the fun flips and summersaults like you used to.
 

But come this Saturday, we’ll have something to cheer about!

IT’S FOOTBALL SEASON!

This Saturday is the home opener for our alma mater and favorite college team, Nebraska. Our friend, Danny, who will be your godfather, is a quarterback in the NFL and used to play there. He got a skybox that we get to watch the games from, which will be really nice.

Even though I’m feeling a little uncomfortable at times, I’m still trying to enjoy every moment of my pregnancy.
 

I read something around the time that my parents died that said, When you’re stuck in a moment, it can be hard to see past it.
 

That all you can see is that moment.

But I’m trying to look ahead.
 

I know you won’t be inside of me for much longer. I know that you’ll grow up fast and someday I’ll look back and wonder if I appreciated every single moment I had with you.
 

More than anything, I want that answer to be yes.

September 1st

Like a movie star.

Phillip and I are in Lincoln enjoying the Husker’s home opener in Danny’s new skybox.

“Isn’t this awesome?” Danny says, looking down at the field.
 

“It is.” I rub my belly. “Especially since it’s so hot. I’m not sure I could have taken the heat today. It will be so great to have both air conditioning and our own bathroom. I swear, this baby’s goal in life is to get me to pee my pants. It’s got to be a boy.”

“Why do you say that?”

“Because a girl wouldn’t do that to another woman. A boy would think it’s hilarious.”

Danny laughs. “You might be right about that.” He lowers his voice and leans closer to me. “Get this. Last night, Lori asked me if I might get traded to a different team eventually.”

I can’t hide my shock. “What? Why did she ask that? I don’t want you to get traded. Why would they trade you? You’re doing great!”

“That was my initial reaction. I couldn’t believe she’d even suggest it. And then she said she wishes I would have gotten drafted to somewhere more glamorous, like Chicago, New York, or Miami.”

“She wants you away from us,” I say with a sad sigh.

“I think you might be right,” he says grimly as his phone vibrates. He reads a text. “Holy shit. She’s coming. She’s here.”

“Lori decided to come to the game?”

“No,
Jennifer
.”

“Jennifer Edwards? Why?”

“Yesterday when Lori decided not to come, I invited her. She didn’t reply, so I assumed she wasn’t coming, but she just texted me and said she’s here. That she wanted to surprise me.”

“Are you surprised?”

“Holy shit. Yeah, I am. Promise me you won’t treat her like a movie star.”

“Have I ever treated you like a football star?”

“No.”

“Then . . .”

“Okay, just make her feel at home.” He wipes off his forehead.

“You’re sweating. Are you nervous?”

“Ya think? I’m a fucking wreck. I didn’t think she’d actually come. Do
not
let me be alone with her.” He shakes his head. “Unless I tell you I want to be alone with her. No, no. Not even then. Even if I say I want to be, don’t let me.”

“Is she still seeing Knox?”

“I think so.”

“Is she happy with him?”

“She says it’s not serious. That she always had a crush on him. But he’s like ten years older than she is. Way too old.”

“But you’re just the right age?”

“Shut up.” He shoves his hand through his hair, causing the front of it to stick up. “Fuck.”

“Danny, calm down. Your parents just walked in.”

“That’s about like getting caught with a boner. Shit. What am I supposed to tell them? I didn’t think this through.”
 

“Have you ever thought anything through?” I can’t help but laugh. “Tell them the truth. That you met at a party in LA and invited her to Nebraska so she could see what the fuss is all about.”

“Yeah, that’s perfect. I shouldn’t be nervous. I mean, we’re just friends.”

“Yes, you’re just friends.”

“We’re just friends,” he repeats.

“Danny, would you like me to go meet her?”

“No. No, I want to go. I’ll be right back.”

Danny escorts Jennifer into the skybox and introduces her to me, then Phillip, Nick, and our friend Blake, who is so cute his nickname is Blakeness, as in Blake, his Royal Hotness.
 

“Well, fuck me,” Jennifer says, fanning her face and looking from Danny, to Phillip, to Nick, to Blake. “Who knew this state was so full of hotties. I totally should have come here sooner.”

“You should have,” Danny whispers to her.
 

She’s gracious to his parents and is a ball of energy. She’s funny, silly, and cute, just as Danny described.

After she gets introduced to everyone, she plops down next to me. “Danny told me all about you. That you’ve been friends for a really long time. He also said you introduced him to his
wife
.”

I let out a breath. “You get right to the subject, don’t you?”

“I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about me being here.”

“Well,” I say slowly, wanting to be tactful, but still letting her know how I feel. “Danny says the two of you are friends. I happen to believe that you can never have too many
friends
.”
 

She nods slowly and then breaks out into a beaming grin. “I think I’m going to like you. Oh, sweet, the game’s starting. Let’s go get a seat.”

She sits front row between Phillip and Danny and is animatedly cheering.
 

She and Danny jabber up a storm about everything and nothing.
 

Phillip leans over and says to me, “I have a surprise for you. Why don’t you come to the kitchen?”

Which probably means he wants to talk to me about Jennifer.
 

But he walks straight to the fridge, pulls out a beer, and hands it to me.
 

“What’s this?” I ask.

“It’s a non-alcoholic beer.”

“I didn’t know there was such a thing. Who would want that?”

“People who want the taste of beer without alcohol. I figured you’d like having a beer during the game.”

“That’s sweet of you, Phillip,” I say, popping the top and taking a sip. “Not bad.”

“So, what’s going on down there?” He waves a finger toward Jennifer and Danny.

“The game?” I ask, pretending like I don’t know what he’s talking about.

He gives me a sigh.

“They’re friends.”

Phillip shakes his head. “Yeah, that’s what they keep saying, so why don’t I believe them?”

“Because they have a whole lot of sparks.”

“That’s what worries me. Is it a coincidence that Lori isn't here or was it planned?”

“Lori chose not to come last night.”

“And when did Danny invite Jennifer?”

“Well, he invited her when they were in LA, but he texted her again last night and told her Lori wasn’t coming. She didn’t reply and he was genuinely shocked when she showed up.”

“So did they hook up when he was in LA?”

“They talked all night,” I tell him.
 

Phillip rolls his eyes. “
Talked
?”

“That’s what he said.”

“Do you believe him?”

“Yeah, I do.”

“Interesting,” Phillip says, but then breaks into a wide smile as Jennifer runs around the box high-fiving everyone when we score. “Is it bad that I really like her?”
 

I smack him. “You like her because she said you're hot.”

He grabs me around the waist and kisses me. “Are you jealous?”

“Do you want me to be?”

“Do I want you to go all raving bitch like Lori? No. Do I want you to fight for your man by sticking by my side and kissing me all day? Yes.”

“Phillip, I loved you before you got so hot.”

“Good point. Dang. Guess that means there are no movie star girlfriends in my future.”

“No way.”

“What about you? I know you and Lori haven’t been close lately, but does her being here bother you?”

“A little, but what happens in their marriage isn’t really our business. I just want him to be with whoever makes him happy.”

“Yeah, me too,” Phillip says, but a few short minutes later he pulls Danny aside and talks to him privately.