JENN
I’m expectingAustin to steer us to Mavericks, so I can meet the rest of these college pals that I’ve heard so much about. But instead, we wind up at East River Park near the baseball diamonds. I’m wondering if I’m about to meet his former teammates, when I realize that every person on the field is way too short for that. This is…
“Little League,” Austin announces. “My nephew plays, and I’m the coach. Not what you were expecting?”
“Not what I was expecting,” I agree.
He walks me to the bleachers, where I spot a familiar face.
“You remember my sister, Monica?” Austin asks.
“Of course.” I wave happily in greeting. Once we were introduced, it became impossible not to notice the resemblance. She’s tall and lovely, with Austin’s same cheekbones and dark brows.
“Nice to see you again, Jenn.” She flashes me a smile. “Please, sit.”
“Thanks,” I say, settling in beside her.
“I should get up there,” Austin says.
“Good luck, Coach,” I say.
A look passes between Austin and Monica, like some kind of sibling telepathy. If I had to guess, Austin is warning her not to overshare embarrassing stories from childhood.
I set my bag down, and one side of the tote lags open.
Monica’s mouth quirks into a smile. “You always travel with yarn?”
I laugh. “Often, yes. But, in this case, my knitting circle had a charity event this morning.”
“And Austin crashed it?” she asks.
“With permission. And he brought snacks, so he was a hit.”
“Interesting…” Monica says. She’s hard to read, especially with mirrored sunglasses on.
I want her to like me.
The thought is unsettling and reminds me of Millie’s warning. Starry-eyed and swooning? Yup, sounds about right.
“So, which one is Nico?” I ask, turning my attention to the field.
“He’s right there, looking at his uncle like he hung the moon.” She points to a lanky kid nearest to Austin.
But her description isn’t very helpful because every kid seems to have angled around Austin. They congregate around him like wide-eyed little goldfish. Austin crouches down to their level, giving a pep talk, cheering them on. It’s enough to make my heart flutter.
And my ovaries.
I clear my throat. “Austin says Nico’s a great kid.”
“He is,” Monica agrees. “Nico’s dad hasn’t been in the picture, but Austin is always there. Even when he was on the road all the time, he made sure to call in for storytime and morning updates.”
Wow. When Austin mentioned his family in the city, I didn’t realize he played such a big role.
Monica must be reading my thoughts because she adds, “Austin plays it down, of course. Calls Nico his buddy, acts like it’s all good fun—and it is. But Austin is the male role model in Nico’s life. He knows that and takes it seriously.”
“That’s sweet,” I admit, trying not to tug at my collar. Is it getting even hotter?
“You like kids?” Monica asks, mildly.