27. Jett

Chapter 27

My girls sit on the couch, bright and early the next day, watching some cartoons and munching on the strawberries I cut up. As I watch them while finishing up some bacon and eggs, I can't believe this is my life now. I don't really seem to mind the early mornings with them here.

I'm so fucking happy. This is everything I wanted—and more—five years ago with Wyla. I can't stand the thought of them leaving at the end of this week. I know I said this week was to see if Wyla could be happy here, and while I would do any and everything in my power to always make her happy… I'm not entirely sure where she stands on the moving here part.

Part of me wants to call it quits, be with my girls constantly, but I'm not sure I'm done with baseball yet. I feel like a selfish asshole for it but it's how I can provide for them .

I don't even know what I would do in Aster Creek, and transferring to a different team feels a bit like a betrayal after everything the Mavs have done for me. Even then, the closest team is still another state away in Georgia, and I would still want them to move with me.

"Daddy! Mommy says hurry up with our eggs," Stevie yells as she hangs half her body over the couch.

"Stevie, you were supposed to tell him to hurry, not throw me under the bus!" Wyla pulls her down and tickles her.

Stevie's laughter fills the apartment. All I know for sure is I can't not hear that laugh and can't not see Wyla's smile every damn day.

I scoop the eggs onto one plate, then the bacon on the others and set them on the bar counter. "Alright, you two. It's ready."

"Yay!" They chant together before hopping off the couch.

Wyla hovers close while Stevie climbs onto the barstool. "I got it, Mommy."

"I know you do, Miss Independent." Wyla rolls her eyes as if she isn't the same way.

"Hmm, independent? Where would she have learned that? "

Wyla gives me her look that she thinks shows that she's unamused, but there's always a bit of her dimpled, nose scrunch smile in there.

"What are we doing today, Daddy? Do you play baseball again?"

"I do. We have a game tonight and you and mommy can sit anywhere you want."

"Anywhere?" Stevie's eyes go wide and her voice goes up an octave.

"Anywhere, Little Bee. But until game time, Nana and Pops called and wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with them for a little bit. They mentioned something about a zoo. Possibly…"

"I wanna go to the zoo!" Stevie shuffles in her chair to get on her knees and turns to Wyla. "Please, please, please. I wanna go to the zoo."

Wyla combs some of her blonde curls back. "First of all, sit on your bottom. Second, of course you can go, but you have to eat your breakfast first."

"Okay," Stevie half mumbles, and sits back down. "Are you coming with us?"

I hadn't talked to Wyla about this yet but us going to the zoo wasn't exactly what I had in mind for us. "No, Nana asked for only you today."

"But what are you and Mommy going to do? "

I should have known she'd have more questions.

Wyla reaches for a strawberry and pops it in her mouth. "Yeah, Daddy, what are we doing today?"

I should have known she'd make a daddy joke.

I rest my arms on the counter across from them. "I'm going to take Mommy on a date."

Wyla bites at her bottom lip to contain one of her smiles. That's not gonna work for me.

"What's a date?" Stevie asks.

"A date is where a person who likes another person takes them out for something they can do together and spend quality time with them."

Stevie's head tilts like it always does when she's processing her words. "Does that mean you like Mommy?"

"Stevie, I like your mom so much more than she even knows." I turn to Wyla. "Will you go on a date with me, Wy?"

She lets her bottom lip go and her beautiful smile graces her face. "I'd love to."

My mom comes and picks Stevie up around eleven which leaves me and Wyla a good two hours to get some lunch at this cool restaurant in town. Even though our game starts at six, I'll have to be at the clubhouse by one at the latest, which really doesn't give us a ton of time.

Dinner dates are pretty much not possible with my game schedule, which I hate, but damn, I want to take my girl somewhere.

"Okay, you ready?" Wyla asks as she walks out of the bathroom in a pale orange dress. Her short hair is loosely curled and she's putting in some gold earrings.

"Jett?" Wyla laughs because I haven't answered her original question because I'm too busy trying to find the breath she knocked out of me.

I stand up off our bed, making it to her in two strides. My arms go around her waist, pulling her to me. "You're so fucking beautiful."

That smile starts to show, and I lean in. Our kiss barely starts before my fucking phone starts to ring.

I want to ignore it, I really do, but then Wyla says what I'm thinking. "You have to make sure it's not your mom with something for Stevie."

I pull out my phone from my pocket and Coach Andrews name flashes on the screen. As much as I want to ignore his call, I know it can't .

I click the button to answer. "Hello?"

"Hey, Jett. I know you got your family here but we're going to have you pitch a couple innings this game. So, Nick wants to see you at twelve then we'll do warm ups after."

My face tenses, and I know Wyla must be able to hear him too because she mouths " it's okay ." But it's not, I want to spend time with her and show her that she's important too.

Well, fuck. Can I really push my luck and say no? Probably not… I'm going to try anyway. "Wyla and I were actually going to grab some lunch—"

"Listen, pick up some food that is actually on your meal plan and bring her."

That works too.

"Alright, be there in half an hour." I hang up the phone before he changes his mind.

"Jett, it's no big deal. I can go hang out with Stevie."

I pull her back to me. "No, it is a big deal. Listen, Wy, if you don't want to, that is perfectly okay. But, if I have a choice, I want you there. I can't say you'll get to come with me every day this week, so any time I can get with you I wanna take."

I want to take Wyla on a date. This may not be what either of us had in mind but who cares, I would get to spend time with her and that's all that matters.

She bites at her lip for a moment. "Okay, I'll come, but since I'll be there until the game starts I want to change."

Change? Why? She looks incredible. "You don't have to. This dress is—"

She places her hands on my chest to push me back. "I promise you'll love this other outfit so much more."

With my interest—and dick—piqued, I let her go and head out to get the stuff I need for the game.

I grab my bag with a quick glance to make sure everything is in there. I still left a lot of stuff at the clubhouse yesterday but I usually have a go-to bag ready with some extra toiletries for a shower, and some cards to play with in our downtime.

"Okay, what do you think?" Wyla says as I close the closet door.

I turn to her… and I'm fucked. We're never leaving this apartment.

She got on a pair of jean shorts with some high top Converse sneakers on, a Maverick's ball cap and jersey.

"Wait, wanna see the best part?" Wyla's smile is full force as she turns to show me the back of the jersey .

I won't have to make a decision about quitting baseball now because they will fire me for blowing off this game for sex.

But it would be sex with Wyla in my fucking jersey. My number is on her back, and her soon to be last name too.

I throw her over my shoulder and she giggles. "Jett, we're supposed to be leaving."

I toss her back on the bed. "We've got some time."

"We're supposed to be picking up lunch. You know, ‘ something on your meal plan .'" Wyla does the little quotation marks with her hands.

"Oh, baby, this pussy is the only thing on my meal plan right now."