Fourth Down (Portland Pioneers 1)

“You eat your pizza like you’ve been to New York City,” she says to Reggie.

“I went a couple of times with my Dad, but I don’t remember if I had pizza there. Have you had pizza there?”

Autumn nods. “But I like thick pizza like this.” She holds hers up. “And New York has thin pizza.”

Roxy chimes in with, “That’s funny.”

“Where did you live before you came here?” Reggie asks Autumn.

“Well, I was born in Texas, went to college in Chicago, and then I lived in North Dakota for a little bit until I moved here.”

“Do you like being on TV?” he asks.

“Miss Au-um is boofiful on TV,” Roxy says. Autumn gives Roxy a happy squeeze, and then Roxy does the unthinkable. She places both her greasy hands onto Autumn’s face and brushes her nose back and forth over Autumn’s. If Autumn cares, she doesn’t show it and doesn’t make a big deal about having greasy toddler hand residue on her cheeks. When Roxy pulls away from Autumn, they stare at each other, making me wonder what they’re both thinking and making me wish I was on that side of the table too.

“I do like it. It’s fun. And I love the weather.”

“It’s a bit ironic that you do the weather, and your name is Autumn,” I blurt out, only to realize my statement is very random.

The three of them laugh.

Great, they’re already teaming up against me.

“Complete happenstance,” Autumn says. “My father wanted me to be a lawyer, and my mom wanted me to go to art school. I didn’t decide I wanted to do the weather until after I got to college.

“Daddy, it be funny if yous name is football.” Roxy giggles.

I reach across the table to tickle her. My hand brushes against Autumn and is instantly ablaze with heat and electricity. Our eyes meet, and I can only hope she’s thinking the same thing I am. We need some alone time to explore what is building between us.

Twenty-One

Autumn

As soon as I get back to my apartment, I go right to the bathroom and start filling my tub. I need a bath—a nice long soak to ease my muscles. I never knew holding a toddler on my lap for a couple of hours would put so much strain on my back. I didn’t mind holding Roxy though, or sitting next to Reggie. This afternoon had to be one of my best afternoons in a while. Julius’s children are a delight, and I’ve grown especially fond of Roxy.

As soon as there’s enough water, I strip out of my clothes and climb in—feet only. The water is hot, and I need time to adjust. I move the faucet dial a bit to bring in some cold, swishing it around with my foot until the temperature is tolerable. I finally sit down and sigh. I wish I could stretch out, but my tub is a standard size, and my legs are a little too long to really allow for any comfort. After I pull my knees up a smidge, I’m able to relax more. Water sloshes at the nape of my neck. If I’m not careful, I’ll spill over the edge. With my foot, I push the dial into the off position and then close my eyes.

Today replays in my mind. Images of Roxy and Reggie laughing and having a good time brings a smile to my face. And then there’s their dad—Julius. I’m smitten, and I like him, but I feel like he’s holding back. I knew he was on the phone with his ex because Reggie told me that Roxy called me dad’s girlfriend to his mom, and she sounded mad. I get it to an extent, but if I’m not mistaken, she cheated on Julius. He’s the one who’s entitled to be mad. When he came into the restaurant, I wanted to ask him if everything was okay. There wasn’t any time. The kids never left our sides, and when they did, we followed them everywhere. Even when Julius and I had a rematch at air hockey, the kids were right next to the table.

The alarm on my phone goes off, and I groan. Mostly because my phone is on the other side of the bathroom, and I have to get out regardless. Plus, I don’t remember setting my alarm to remind me I have something planned for later. My body is stiff and only slightly relaxed. I need to book a massage and maybe start using the hot tub we have in the building. I have yet to venture to the gym here, opting to run outside while the weather is still somewhat decent. With my towel wrapped around me, I make my way to the phone and silence it before going back to the tub to pull the plug. While the water drains, I check my calendar—dinner with Peyton.