Cowboy Baby Daddy

“It’s really not,” I whispered loud enough for Nina to hear. “It’s just teenage slang.”

“Well, I don’t like it,” Blake said.

“Okay,

well, how about you accompany me to the Celtics game on Tuesday, and we’ll discuss flexible semiotics on the drive into Boston,” I said dryly. Nina giggled loudly in the back seat.

“I don’t know who this semiotics team is, but I’d be happy to watch the game with you,” Blake replied with a grin.

“Dad! Don’t be so clueless!” Nina groaned. “You’re embarrassing me!”

“Then we’re even, kiddo,” he grinned, as he looked at her in the rearview mirror. “You’ve embarrassed me more times than I can count.”

“Sure, like when I was two!” she protested.

“Oh no, you’ve done a bang-up job over the past year, my beautiful daughter,” he laughed. Nina dissolved into a fit of laughter, and I found myself trying to hide a grin as I listened to the two of them detail the instances of embarrassment with mock outrage.

“So, will you go to the game with me?” I said, breaking in before Nina could begin another tale of her father’s cluelessness. “Will you be my Valentine’s Day date?”

“I’d love to,” Blake said, as he pulled up into my driveway and parked the truck. He walked me to my door, where we exchanged a very chaste kiss before he whispered, “I’ll ditch the kid, and after the game, we can indulge in some adult activities.”

“We shall see, Mr. Gaston,” I said with a flirty grin. “We shall see.”

Chapter Thirty-One

Blake

Sunday morning, I woke Nina up early so she could get ready for Remy to pick her up. She said Remy was planning to take her to her church and then to Boston for lunch and shopping. Nina rolled her eyes at having to go to church until I reminded her that when she stayed with her grandparents, they, too, took her to church.

Nina bounced around the house, grabbing things that she would need for the week at her mother’s house, and seemed genuinely excited to be seeing Remy return after her two-week trip. I made a quick breakfast, and we sat down to eat while we waited for Remy to arrive.

“Do you think Mom’ll take me to Newbury Street, Dad?” she asked, as she scooped up a forkful of eggs and stuffed them in her mouth.

“I don’t know, do you think she will?” I parroted back, earning a dramatic eye roll and an exasperated sigh.

“I love to look at the designer shops, but there’s an H&M store there that has a jacket I want,” she said, as she spread jam on a second piece of toast. “Do you think Mom’ll buy it for me?”

“Nina, I have no idea what your mother will or won’t do,” I said, trying not to get drawn into a mom versus dad discussion before Remy arrived. “I’ll bet if you’re on your best behavior she’ll be far more likely to reward you.”

“Fine, I’ll be good,” she sighed and then continued, “I missed her. I wonder if she had a good trip. She’ll be really happy to hear about my A on the History exam, won’t she?”

“Over the moon,” I said, nodding in agreement. Nina quickly finished her breakfast and carried her dishes to the sink. I called over my shoulder, “Hey, don’t forget your winter boots. They’re in the front hall closet, Punkin.”

“Oh yeah, I’ll get ‘em,” she said, running into the front room and digging through the closet before yelling, “Got ‘em!”

Nina had gone back to her room to double check her packing when my phone rang. It was Remy.

“Hey, Remy, she’s almost ready,” I said, as I carried my plate to the sink and started the water so I could do the dishes.

“Yeah, about that,” Remy said uncomfortably. “Something’s come up at work, and I’m going to have head out of town again this week. Do you mind keeping Nina while I iron this out?”

“She was looking forward to seeing you today,” I said in a flat voice.

“Blake, don’t start with me this morning,” Remy warned. “I’ve had a rough week, and I don’t need another person on my case right now.”

“It’s not me that you should be worried about,” I said dryly. “Your daughter misses you, and she was looking forward to spending the day with you.”

“What am I supposed to do, Blake?” Remy snapped. “I can’t just drop everything and leave this job half done so that I can spend the day shopping! I’m trying to earn a living here!”