Page 69 of 3 Daddies to Go

“Thank you so much,” I say to Sandra and Margot as I leave the office. “I couldn’t do this without you.”

We all hug.

“We’re here for you, Kendall. If you ever need any more help, you don’t hesitate to ask, okay?”

I nod.

“I won’t.”

“And keep us updated,” Sandra says. “We want to know how this turns out. Though I’m sure I’ll see your face in the papers. You’re going to do big things, dear.”

I squeeze her a little tighter, hoping she’s right. Not about the newspaper thing, but about doing big things. I’m not so sure about the publicity. I’ve never been great at public speaking.

I still have a half hour before I have to leave, so I head outside to the fields where an early morning kickball game has begun. I stand behind home plate and cheer on both sides.

Travis, one of the older teens, gets up to kick. “Ms. Kendall, you need to pick a side,” he says. “You can’t cheer for all of us.”

I laugh.

“Watch me!”

Travis rolls his eyes and kicks the ball to the outfield. He makes it to first, and the ball returns to the pitcher. Or the roller? I’m not sure what they call it in kickball.

I continue to shout for all the kids, no matter what team, earning me some laughs and dirty looks from both sides. It’s in my nature to remain neutral, no matter what. I don’t want to show any favoritism!

The game is still going, but my time is up. I have plans to meet up with the guys, and I want to shower and change first. It’s a hot morning.

I say a quick goodbye to Sandra before she leaves. I probably won’t see her in person again for a couple of years, if history repeats itself.

The, after checking in with the next group of volunteers, I grab my purse and head out. I’m practically skipping back to my apartment. I need to type my business plan up before I meet with the guys. If I don’t talk to them about it today, I might lose my nerve.

I can’t lose my nerve. I’m finally close to achieving my dream, and I won’t let anything stop me.

25

Trace

Today’s adventure is a zoo twenty miles from Boone. We’ll have to take another taxi, which means it’ll take us a while. We called for one ten minutes ago, even though Kendall won’t get here for another fifteen.

“You know we have to pack, right?” Tag says, walking into my room. My suitcases are still safely in the bottom of the hotel closet. We leave tomorrow, and I haven’t even thought about emptying the drawers. I guess I’m not as excited to leave Boone as I thought I’d be.

“I’ll get to it,” I tell him. “Did you come in here for a reason?”

“Seeing if you’re ready. We should head down to the lobby to meet Kendall.”

“Is she here?” I ask.

He shakes his head.

“I figured we could meet her down there, though. Otherwise we might not leave.”

Tag has a point. Kendall has been determined to leave the hotel this week, which is fine, but it’s hard to leave when we know what we’re missing. Making love with Kendall has been better than with any other woman we’ve shared. We want to spend as much time in bed as we can.

Tanner joins us in my room and flops onto my mattress. The comforter wrinkles under his ass. WTF? I just remade the bed after a quick nap earlier, and Tanner ruined my hard work.

The nap was amazing, though, because I don’t usually get to nap when I’m in the city. I honestly can’t remember the last time I slept during the day. I’m usually wake by five am at the latest, so I can hit the gym before work. I don’t go back to bed until late, sometimes well after midnight. Hopefully, this vacation hasn’t ruined my sleep schedule too much. I need to be back at work on Monday morning.

“Have you started packing?” I ask Tanner.