“Goo
d to be here,” he says simply, but Lucy isn’t done.
With my fork in my hand, I watch as she stares him down. “You know, it’s kinda weird that Jayden and Baylor have been married, what, three months now, and this is the first time you’ve been to dinner?”
He looks up from his dish, and I notice that Jayden and Jude haven’t started eating either. They are waiting for an answer too. We must be the only ones worried about this, or thinking things about it, because everyone else is eating, not curious as to why our coach is here.
“Yeah, Autumn invited me after the parents’ meeting a couple weeks ago.”
Autumn? When the hell did he start calling my mom Autumn?
Her name is Mrs. Sinclair, and she is my mom!
And a couple weeks ago?
What? What the hell?
Glancing at my mom, she is grinning. Like, really grinning.
“I’ve always invited him, but he accepted this time.”
“Figured it was time,” he says then, sending her a grin. “I haven’t really gotten to know Jude and his wife yet, and Baylor’s been asking me to come. Plus, it’s hard to say no to such a beautiful woman.”
Beautiful woman?
What in the ever-loving fuck is going on?
His last comment has Baylor and Claire glancing up as my mouth drops open, and I swear we all look like dogs playing fetch, our heads going from my mom to Coach. They apparently hadn’t noticed we were scrutinizing them.
Finally though, my mom glances over at me and glares. “Eat your food, Jace Ryan.”
Unable to speak, I look down at my plate and consider what I am suspecting.
Is my mom hooking up with my coach?
Chancing a glance back at my mom—I mean, she is beautiful. She’s my mom, and she made four hot kids—I wonder if Coach thinks my mom is hot? Wait, she’s wearing makeup, and fuck, she is still staring at my coach.
Unable to keep my mouth shut, I ask, “Mom, are you wearing makeup?”
Her eyes throw daggers when she tears them away from Coach and on to me. “Yes, Jace, I wear makeup. I am a woman.”
“No, you don’t,” Lucy says.
“Like, ever,” Jayden adds, and his gaze cuts to Coach.
“This is weird.” Jude shakes his head.
“Agreed. I think I lost my appetite,” Lucy comments.
“What’s weird, and why?” Mom asks, glaring at all of us. “We are having dinner. As a family. Don’t be silly.”
“It is weird that you’re here, Dad,” Baylor says.
“I mean, did you want me to come or not?” he snaps back at her, and she glares.
“I want you here. But I’m just saying, I don’t think you are here for me,” she says. When he doesn’t say anything, everyone looks back at my mom.
“I mean, should I just say it?” Lucy asks, holding out her hands. But I don’t think any of us really wants this confirmed, because I’m already shaking my head along with Jude.