Page 111 of Ruled Out

Taking a risk that Dad might be around, I hit dial on Mom’s number and wait for the phone to go to voicemail like it always does when she can’t pick up.

“Mom, hi,” I say as her voicemail connects. “It’s Jessie. I’m sorry I didn’t come home last time I was in town; things were kind of crazy and … yeah.” I inhale a deep breath. “Listen, I wanted to talk to you about something. I have a couple of days between games and practices next week, and I was thinking of coming over. Maybe I could take you out for food or something if you’re up to it. Just like the old days. Yeah, anyway, call me back, okay? I … I care about you.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

JESSIE

“Wow, I feel like I’ve stepped into Disney World or something,” Mia says from beside me as we walk out into Jensen and Kate’s garden for Aster and the twins’ joint first birthday party.

“Their very own Animal Kingdom,” I reply, trying to take in one of the most lavish first birthday parties I’ve ever seen.

As soon as she sees us, Kate approaches, a glass of champagne ready to hand to Mia. “You made it! And on time.” She looks to me.

“Wouldn’t miss this for the world.” The garden is huge, but somehow, they’ve managed to fill it with balloons, activities, and huge models of giraffes, elephants, and every other animal you can think of. “Where are they?” I say, looking for Aster, Will, and June.

Kate points toward a window in their house behind me. “Oh, Jensen, Luna, and Zach are changing them into their costumes.”

“For real?” Mia asks with a squeak, obviously not fazed by this one bit.

“Yep. So, Aster chose to be a lion, June is a hippo—God knows why she chose that—and Will also wanted to be a lion, but we convinced him he made a better crocodile.”

Taking a soda from the tray as the waiter passes, I look down at the animal-themed straw sitting in my glass. “Jon is behind this, isn’t he?”

“Actually, no, thank you. He is not. This is all me and my husband. Zach and Luna too, obviously.”

“Well, you went to town. I don’t think I’ve seen anything like it.” Mia suddenly gasps, and I practically spill my Fanta down my white shirt. “Look!” she says, tapping her hand on my arm. “There they are.”

When Jensen walks out, holding Will, and they’re in matching crocodile outfits, the drink I try to swallow nearly sprays across my girlfriend.

Jensen’s mom, Claire, is the first to run across to the twins with Zach’s mom, Rachel, hot on her heels.

As soon as he hands Will over to his mom, Jensen makes a beeline for us, his scaly tail swaying behind him.

“What do you think of the look? Nailed it, right?”

My eyes ascend his costume slowly and pause on his painted green face, hiding inside a long and pointy mouth, complete with sharp white teeth. “It’s a look—I’ll give you that.”

He shrugs. “Kate likes it. She likes the bad-boy image.”

His eyes drop to the gift bags in my hands. “Oh, there’s a designated present table in the tent. You can just put them in there if you want. We’re going to open them all later.”

He must see the disappointment in my eyes and rolls his. “All right, you can give them to him now.” He tips his massive head over his shoulder to locate his wife, who’s over with June. “But if she gets pissed, I never knew a thing.”

The second I stand in front of Will—a mini version of his dad—he reaches his arms out to me, and I pass the bags across to Mia as Claire hands him to me, a bright smile on her face.

“Hey, buddy.”

When I make eye contact with Mia, I see the understanding in her eyes. My teammates’ children are like family to me, but my connection with Will is something special.

“Do you want to open it?” Mia asks Will, pulling his present from the bag and offering it out to him.

His little hands take it from her, and he giggles as he turns the wrapped cube around in front of him.

“Go for it, buddy,” I say.

“I still can’t guess what it is.”

I turn to Mia. “Time to find out.”