Lainey’s List Chapter 16

Nick

 

“Don’t use blue,” Cassidy instructs as I start to color in leaf. “Leaves aren’t blue.”

“You sure?”

She gives me a look I know she picked up from her mother. One that says I should know better or, in Cassidy speak, duh. I drop my blue crayon and pick up an orange one. “How about this?” I propose. “Leaves turn orange and red in the fall.”

She ponders this seriously for a minute, as if trying to figure out if I’m pulling one over on her. Finally, she nods her head. “Okay, but not blue.”

“No blue leaves. Promise.”

“And stay inside the lines,” she reminds me, before bending down to apply herself with careful precision to the flower petals on the coloring book.

I can’t help seeking out Lainey’s eyes to share how precious I find this little one, but she’s not looking at me. Her eyes are fixed on the back of Cassidy’s head. The look of pure, motherly love I see on her face causes my chest to tighten. Lainey runs a hand down Cassidy’s shiny, dark hair until it stops, right above the arm I have flung across the back of Cassidy’s chair.

I hold my breath, waiting for her to drop that hand a mere inch until we’re touching. Cassidy’s head is bent. Charlie’s puttering with something on the counter, her back turned. Do it. Do —.

The intercom rings, and Lainey jerks away. Crap. Perfect timing, Chip. Not. His shitty timing was one of the reasons he never came back to the field after his injury. I allow myself two seconds to enjoy the unspoken insult and then slap my skull.

“Why’d you hit yourself?” Cassidy chirps, her little head tilted to the side.

“Because I was being dumb in my head, and if I don’t give myself a head slap now and then, the dumb stuff comes out of my mouth.” I open my mouth wide.

Cassidy peers in and giggles. “You have a big mouth, Uncle Nick.”

“All the better to eat you with.” I pretend to devour her while she screams with delight.

Charlie shoots a guilty glance toward Lainey. “Will you get that Nick?”

No, I think, because my arm is still warm from the almost touch of Lainey’s hand, and I want to enjoy it for two seconds more. But that thought, like the crappy one I had five seconds ago about Chip, is better kept in my head. “Sure.” I push away from the table, and the still giggling Cassidy, to go and let Chip in.

Behind me, I hear whispering. “—sorry, Chip is coming over.”

“Ugh, really?”

“I know.”

“You should have told me before.”

“But I wanted to see you, and you wouldn’t have come over if I told you Chip was coming.”

I don’t even need to look at Lainey to know what kind of silent, disapproving expression is on her face now. It’s not the duh one, but a mom face. A face you learn when you give birth. My mom has directed it toward me a hundred plus times in my life.

Charlie quickly apologizes. “Okay, I should’ve told you before, but we’ll get rid of him. Please stay. We’re having fajitas tonight.”

“I love those,” Cassidy pipes up.

“I know you do, honey.” Charlie pats her head.

Good move by Charlie there, appealing to Cassidy’s stomach. Lainey’s pretty much a pushover when it comes to Cassidy. A knock at the door signals Chip’s arrival. We all look at Lainey who throws up her hands in defeat. “We can’t leave when there are fajitas on the stove.”

“Yay!” yells Cassidy, and she begins to run around the coffee table with her hands in the air, yelling out her enjoyment. Charlie chases after her while Lainey watches.

Chip scowls as I open the door. It is loud. “Sorry. Kids,” I shrug and throw the door open for Chip to step through.

“Brought your tape, man.”

He takes a tentative step in and then another, as if the condo was just cleared of a quarantine and he doesn’t quite trust the space is safe.

“When the team told you that you need to do charitable work, they didn’t mean for you to bring it home.” Chip’s snide remark is delivered in a low voice, but the stiffening in Lainey’s shoulders tells me she heard him.

“Are you talking about Charlie?” I deliberately misunderstand him. “She pays her own way. I’m not funding this palace on my own.”

“I wasn’t referring to Charlotte,” Chip hastens to correct me. “I know she’s all class.”

Maybe Chip doesn’t realize how he’s insulting Lainey with every word, but if he’s this careless all the time, I can see why Lainey and Charlie aren’t fond of him.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he says, walking up to give Charlie a hug. She stares at me wide-eyed as he gathers her into his arms like they’re old friends.

I hold my hands up in confusion because I don’t know why he’s hugging her.

She pats him awkwardly on the back. “Nice to see you, Chip. You know Lainey, right?”

He barely gives Lainey a nod. “Hey, I smell something awesome. You’re beautiful, and you cook? Marry me, Charlotte.”

She shoots a glance over to Lainey who looks up to roll her eyes. She’s quieted Cassidy down and has her on the sofa looking at a picture book.

“It’s a kit I picked up from a store.”

“Yeah? Tell me more.” Chip crosses his ankles as he leans against the kitchen island.

“It’s a place that specializes in prepackaged dinners you cook at home. I thought it might be good for the single guys so they don’t have to eat out all the time.” Charlie’s reluctance to chat couldn’t be more obvious, but Chip is clueless.

“Like me. I’m single.”

Jesus, he is laying it on thick.

“Well, um, okay.”

“I’ll stay and give you a client’s viewpoint.”

It wasn’t even a request. Charlie’s eyes dart toward mine in panic but what can I do? I can’t really tell him to shove off because he’s my coach and I’m a second year starter. I could lose my position to the next man up if I don’t produce on the field.

“Sounds good, Chip,” I say with false cheerfulness. I mean, really, how bad could dinner with Chip be?

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