Page 24 of A Little Crush (The Little Things #6)

RORY

S o, Poppy is adorable, and watching Jaxon in his element is strangely…

hot. I don’t bother trying to tell myself any different as he crosses his arms at the bench, ordering Reeves to cut sharper.

They’ve been doing drills for at least the past thirty minutes.

At first, Poppy was somewhat invested, though she fell asleep a few minutes ago and is curled up in my arms while Hades rests his head on the top of my foot, proving he’s as equally exhausted as Poppy.

I guess a long walk through the park will do that to a dog.

Sweat drips down the players’ temples, and one of them lifts the hem of his jersey to wipe at his face, showcasing one of the most toned sets of abs I’ve ever seen in my entire life.

Hell, they’re chiseled enough to rival Dodger’s, which is saying something.

“Seems you’re a little out of shape, Crowther,” Jax calls, but the rest of the team only laughs.

Crowther’s a rookie this year, brought up from the AHL.

My dad’s gushed more than once about how excited he is to see what the guy brings to the Lions’ roster this year.

And from a completely unbiased yet feminine viewpoint, I have no doubt his pretty face will fill more than a few seats this season.

Seeing him mesh well with the rest of the team is an added bonus.

“All right, hit the showers,” Jaxon announces. “Good work today.”

As most of the team heads down to the locker room, Jaxon opens the glass partition and takes the stairs two at a time up to where I’m sitting with Poppy and Hades in the stands.

Hades lifts his head, keeping himself between me and whoever’s approaching, though when he sees who the footsteps belong to, he swishes his tail and lies back down.

“Hey, Hades,” Jaxon murmurs before he takes the open seat next to me. “How is she?”

Tilting the sleeping baby in my arms toward him, I answer, “Out like a light.”

With a soft smile, he drags his fingertips along the swell of her cheek, then looks at me. “And how are you?”

“Good. And impressed,” I add, motioning toward the ice. “You guys are not quiet, and Poppy still managed to fall asleep with all the chaos.”

“Yeah, she’s a pretty heavy sleeper so far.”

I smile down at the baby in my arms, taking in her pouty lips as she lets out a quiet sigh. “I hope it’s all right we came. I know I didn’t give you a heads-up?—”

“You know you’re always welcome.” He leans closer and peeks at his baby girl again. “Besides, it’s probably good to keep exposing her to the chaos, don’t you think?”

“It’s why we’re here.” I grin. “My mom says they did the same thing with me, brought me to all the games and even some practices whenever my dad was checking in. Although from the horror stories my mom tells me, I never learned to sleep like the dead, unlike this little one. ”

“Nah, you bawled the whole time unless your mom was holding you,” Jaxon offers.

Or if he was.

I push the thought aside. “Do you want to…” I start to lift Poppy toward him, but he stops me.

“Nah, she looks comfortable. How was the park?”

“Good,” I answer. “Hades and I both got in a good workout, and I think Poppy liked the sunshine. She also loved sitting on my lap on the swing. I sent you some pictures.”

“I saw,” he returns. “And I appreciate them. It makes me feel like I’m not such a bad dad for missing it.”

“You’re not a bad dad, Jax.”

“I just don’t want to miss anything,” he says with a dash of longing that hits me straight in the chest. “But, uh, seriously, thanks for coming. I kind of figured you’d spend all your time hiding in the hotel. It’s good to see you out and?—”

“Hey, Coach!” Crowther calls from the base of the steps.

Hades lifts his head again, but I reach down and pat his side.

“Yeah?” Jax answers.

Realizing his coach isn’t alone, Crowther tacks on a shy smile and slowly walks up the stairs so he doesn’t need to yell. “Hey, sorry for interrupting.”

“No problem.” Jax motions to me. “Crowther, this is Rory, my…nanny, and my baby, Poppy. She’s asleep.”

“Nanny?” Crowther’s grin stretches. “Figured you were the wife.” Moving closer, he drops his voice low as if sharing a secret. “If I wasn’t so distracted by your pretty eyes, I would’ve checked for a ring.”

My cheeks heat, and I force myself to maintain eye contact instead of giving in and blushing like a schoolgirl. Yeah, this man is going to be great at selling tickets to games. I’d heard rumors about the young rookie being a flirt, but I never expected I’d be on the other end of it .

“No ring,” I murmur. “And yes, just the nanny,” I give Jaxon the side-eye. “Apparently.”

“She’s a family friend,” Jaxon clarifies as his attention shifts from Crowther to me and back again. “And one of my favorite people. But what can I do for you, Crowther?”

“A few of the guys are saying we’re supposed to bring a plus-one to the banquet before the first home game. That true?”

“It’s voluntary, but yes, you’re allowed to bring a plus-one.”

“Good to know.” He tosses another smirk at me. “Nice to meet you, Rory.”

“Nice to meet you, too.”

As Crowther jogs down the stairs again, I find Jaxon staring at me. His expression is unreadable, but it makes me want to squirm nonetheless.

Shifting an inch in his opposite direction, I ask, “What?”

“Nice to meet you, too,” he says, mimicking me. “What’s that about?”

My cheeks flame as he stares at me. Mirth dances in his eyes, but there’s something beneath it. Something I can’t quite place. “What’s what about?”

“Nothing, it’s just…what would Dodger say?”

“To me being polite to a stranger?” I counter. “He would say nothing. Because there’s nothing to say.”

“Yeah, but there’s a difference between being polite and being flirty,” he argues.

Flirty? He thinks I was being flirty? What the hell is he talking about?

If that’s flirty, I’ve been reading the wrong playbook my entire life.

Okay, scratch that. Now that I think about it, I probably have been reading the wrong playbook my entire life.

The realization doesn’t exactly make me feel any better.

Was I flirting? It’s not like I have any game or feminine wiles as Dodger likes to call it.

I’ve never even really kissed anyone. Not after my first disaster of an experience.

But still. I replay the short conversation with Crowther again, then shake my head.

No, I’m not crazy. There was zero flirting going on.

“Exactly,” Jaxon says, as if he’s already won. “Like I said, there’s a difference between being polite and being flirty.”

“Says the guy who took me out for drinks a few nights ago,” I point out.

He pulls back, surprised. “That was…work related.”

“And in a way, so was my polite conversation with Crowther.” Shifting Poppy in my arms, I throw Jaxon a bone and change the subject because let’s be honest, he isn’t the only one who would prefer to keep our little get-together at SeaBird in the past. “So, what’s the plan for the rest of the evening? ”

“They’re bringing in food, then they’re probably going to have a movie night or something and hit the weight room in the morning.”

“Got it. And where do you want me and Pops?”

“I was gonna go back to the hotel and look over some tapes from last year. Do you want to come?” He hesitates. “You can leave Pops with me and go out or…stay in and order room service. Whatever you want.”

Go out? I’d laugh if the idea alone wasn’t so ludicrous. If anything, I’d take Hades on another walk which would take an hour, tops. Other than that? I got nothing.

“Room service sounds great,” I tell him.

“Well, then.” He stands. “Let’s get outta here.”