Page 24 of Biggest Player (Not Yours #2)
Margot
In the end, I cave.
Actually, that’s not true, and it’s not fair.
I didn’t cave—I gave some serious thought to the dilemma and eventually had a conversation with my daughter. Her opinion matters to me, and she deserves to have input.
So here I am, bringing Dex up to my daughter when I told myself I wasn’t going to get her involved in my dating life until I was certain I was going to continue seeing him long term.
“You went on a date with Dex?”
I nod. “Yes. After you shook him down for LEGO money, he took me out ... sort of as an apology but also to explain himself better. And we ended up having fun.”
My daughter smirks, doing a fist pump. “You’re welcome.”
She’s happily walking beside me as we head to the park. “What exactly am I thanking you for?”
“Playing matchmaker.”
I give my head a shake but smile. She has no idea I had swiped on Dex before she ran into him, but I don’t hold back explaining it to her now, filling her in on the same details I gave Cora.
“So you see? I’d met him—sort of—and you’ve met him, so now I’m trying to decide if the three of us should ... hang out.”
My child misses nothing. “Don’t you like him?”
“I do! I do like him. I just ... I’m not going to bring someone around my child until it’s a serious relationship.” That’s my rule anyway—I’m not sure what other people do, but it’s what I believe.
Wyatt cannot keep the skepticism off her face. “You’ve never had a serious relationship.”
Why must she point out the obvious?
I’ve dated several different guys for several months but still never wanted to introduce them to my kid, nor did I discuss them around her.
“True,” I say slowly. The very fact I’m discussing Dex with her is new, uncharted territory.
“What makes Dex different?” Why does my daughter sound like one of those dating coaches on television? Or someone three times her age.
Lordy.
I pause on the sidewalk, choosing my words carefully, considering that my audience is ten.
“There’s something about him that makes me think it could be more than just a few dates. But I don’t want to rush into anything.” I use the simplest terms to describe how I feel, starting off again toward the park.
Good exercise and a good excuse to talk.
She nods sagely. “I get it. You want to be sure.”
“Yes, exactly. I want to be sure for both of us.” I hesitate. “I don’t want either of us getting attached too soon.”
My daughter’s face lights up with a mischievous grin. “Well, you should give him a chance and don’t future trip about it. You never know unless you try, right?”
“What’s future tripping?”
“It’s when you worry about things that haven’t happened yet. Like you make things up in your brain and freak out about them,” my daughter explains. “For example, thinking about how you’re going to spend the holiday with someone, and you only went on two dates with them. It’s useless to stress.”
I laugh, feeling the weight of the decision lighten just a bit. “How did you get to be so wise?”
“I don’t know. Are we getting ice cream later?” In true Wyatt fashion she does a complete one-eighty on the topic, so quickly it makes my head want to spin.
“We haven’t had dinner yet. Let’s not future trip, okay?”
Wyatt rolls her eyes. “That’s not the same thing.”
Oh.
Shoot.
I realize how uncool I sound because I was trying to sound cool.
“Mom.” My kid pokes me in the arm. “If you end up marrying Dex, will I have to call him Dad?”
I nearly choke on my coffee. “Whoa, slow down there, kiddo. We’re not even close to that stage.”
She shrugs as if she hasn’t dropped a bomb into the conversation. “Just checking. I like to be good and prepared.”
That she does.
“Good and prepared? You sound like you’re planning a mission to Mars.”
“Well, dating is kind of like a space mission, isn’t it? Lots of unknowns and possible aliens.” Wyatt pulls a face, sticking out her tongue and crossing her eyes, wiggling her hands around her head.
I burst out laughing, ruffling her hair. “Yes, and let’s hope Dex isn’t an alien.”
“Or AI,” she whispers with wide eyes. “You never know with technology these days.”
“If he starts glitching, I’ll let you know.”
“Oh, I’ll know. You won’t have to tell me.” Wyatt pauses, hopping over a large crack in the sidewalk. “Wouldn’t it be cool to have a robot dad?”
“He’s not going to be your dad,” I remind her. “You have a dad. And speaking of which, how is yours?”
“The same. He works a lot,” Wyatt tells me.
“Does he still have two phones?” Colton is a workaholic and always has been. He used to use it as an excuse not to be in a relationship, telling me he wanted to be established first. Well, Guess what, pal, we already have a daughter! Cannot get any more established than that ...
“He’s always telling me I look just like you.”
She does look like me. Long brown hair, big green eyes, and the same freckles spattered across her nose that I used to count (as a game) when she was little.
I tap her nose with the tip of my finger, booping it. “You’re so stinking cute.”
She pulls away from me and runs, considering herself too old now for mushy stuff.
“I don’t want to talk about dad. He’s boring,” she shouts at me, jogging backward. “What’s Dex like? Does he have a cool job? Any pets?”
I chuckle at her curiosity. “Well, he’s a football player, actually.”
She stops short, waiting for me to catch up. “Like, real football? With the big stadiums and everything?”
“Yep,” I say, nodding. “Not sure what position he plays, though.”
“Wow! That’s super cool!” Wyatt exclaims. “Do you think he’ll teach me how to throw a football?”
“You’d have to ask him that,” I reply, smiling at her enthusiasm. “Maybe someday. But first, let’s see if Dex is someone who’s worth all this excitement.”
Wyatt’s eyes light up. “Do you think he likes me?”
“He’s already mentioned we should all hang out. I’m bringing it up because I felt it was something we needed to discuss and not decide impulsively.” I try to pull her in for a hug, but she evades me. “Besides, who wouldn’t like you?”
“People who don’t like fun, maybe,” she retorts with a giggle.
“True,” I concede. “But Dex loves fun, so I think you two will get along just fine once you get to know each other better. Baby steps.”
“What if we’re at a restaurant eating and he tries to ditch us, the way he did with that one date?”
I burst out laughing. “That’s a good point. You should ask him.”
She shrugs. “I will.”
We spend the next few minutes chatting about our potential outing, and as we near the park—kids playing on the swing sets and other equipment that Wyatt considers herself too grown up for—I can’t help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness.
This could be the start of something wonderful, but only time will tell. For now, I’m just grateful that my daughter is mature enough and supportive enough to understand my dilemma.
I love that we can talk.
“Can we get ice cream on the way home?” Wyatt wants to know, always hitting me up for sweets.
“I guess so. But only if you promise not to be a smart-ass when you meet Dex again.”
She crosses her heart with a serious expression. “I promise. I’ll be nice. But I’ll still ask the hard-hitting questions we all want to know.”
“Fair enough,” I say, finally pulling her into a quick hug. “You’re my little detective.”
She squirms out of my embrace, still trying to maintain her “too cool for hugs” demeanor. “Yeah, yeah. So, when are we doing this?”
“How about this weekend?” I suggest. “I’ll text Dex and see if he’s free.”
Wyatt’s eyes light up. “Awesome! I’ll wear my best outfit.”
“Which outfit do you consider your best?” I am genuinely curious.
“My white pants and that pink shirt.” She says it with a dramatic roll of her eyes. “Or that dress Nana Simpson bought me for Easter.”
Nana Simpson is Colton’s mom.
“The dress might be a bit much for what we’re doing, but I love that you want to look nice.”
Dex seems determined to impress my child, and it sounds like she wants to impress him too.
As Wyatt dashes away from me again, I pull out my phone and send a quick text to Dex.
Me:
Just had The Talk with Wyatt to see how she feels about “US”
Dex:
You did? What’s the verdict?
Me:
She’s fine with it. We can set something up, I feel like it’s safe
Dex:
Safe? Gee, try not to sound so enthused.
Me:
Sorry, but now I’m incredibly nervous . . . !
Dex:
It’ll be fine. I’m great with kids
Me:
You are?
Huh. Interesting.
Me:
Which kids?
Dex:
My friends have kids—give me some credit. They all love Uncle Dex ... especially Kalen Baker’s son. Loved that drum kit I sent him for Christmas.
Me:
OMG I would hate you.
Dex:
Yeah, Kalen hates me all right LOL
I smile at the screen, feeling a flutter of anticipation.