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But her eyes were mostly on her four-year-old daughter, who was chatting up the best quarterback in the league like he was just another kid on the playground.
“Will you throw less interceptions this season?” she chided him.
Everyone around her chuckled, and Ford’s cheeks tinted pink as he drew his hand through short brown hair. “That’s the goal.”
“And I think you should run more on the fourth down instead of kicking it away.”
He folded his arms over his chest. “You think so?”
She nodded. “You gotta take a risk sometimes. And I—”
Larkin put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder. “I’m sorry. She’s a big fan.”
“I guess there’s a fine line between fan and critic,” Ford teased with a chuckle.
Larkin blushed hard. “Yes. We watch a lot of football in our house. And of course we cheer for our local team.”
Emily piped up. “Do you know Alex Hill?”
“He’s my best friend,” Ford replied.
Emily grinned like she’d died and gone to heaven. “I have some things to say to him too.”
Larkin shook her head at her daughter. “Let the man enjoy his party. You go play with Maya.”
“But,Mom,” Emily whined.
“Three... two...”
“Fine,” Emily piped off, spinning on her heel and marching across the grass to the sandbox.
“Sorry about that,” Larkin said to Ford. “She’d probably act the same way with Blippi if she ever met him.”
Ford tilted his head. “Which team does he play for? I thought I knew all the quarterbacks in the league.”
Everyone else cracked up, including me.
My sister-in-law, Liv, stepped closer, explaining, “He’s the star of a kids’ TV show.”
“Right,” Ford said, shaking his head. “I’m getting a drink. You want a drink?” he asked Larkin.
She nodded. “A beer would be great.” Her eyes lingered on my brother for a moment as he walked away, then she looked back at me, hitting my shoulder with her free hand. Baby Jackson copied her, and she held his hand. “How could you not tell me someone famous would be here?”
I chuckled, shying away, and said, “Guess he’s just ‘little brother’ to me.”
Liv rolled her eyes at me and then extended her free hand to Larkin. “I’m Liv, married to Fletcher.” She gestured toward my oldest brother standing next to her.
“It’s nice to meet you, Larkin,” he said, shaking her hand. “And you too, Jackson.” He gave a little wave to Jackson, who waved back.
I breathed a sigh of relief that Liv didn’t mention all of this had been thrown together last second or that I had to promise Ford I’d cook according to his dietary plan to get him to come.
Liv asked Larkin to go sit with her at the folding table and started asking her all sorts of questions. I went with them, listening intently while trying not to act too invested.
Larkin had grown up in Houston, moved to Dallas with her mom and sister when her dad passed in her teenage years. She worked as a nurse and had been hired to work at the local retirement home but was thinking about working in a school setting when her kids got older so they could be on the same schedule. Her sister lived in Paris, her ex was in Dallas, but her former in-laws were so supportive of the kids she decided to move here for free babysitting.
When Ford brought her beer out and Larkin was thanking him, I whispered to Liv, “You should be a detective.”
Liv laughed, tossing dark brown hair over her shoulder. “I already have my dream job, being a stay-at-home mom.”