Page 24 of Coach Me (Boston Blues #2)

Lucie

Leaving for my nail appointment felt a little weird.

Almost like I didn’t want to leave to get my very overgrown nails done.

I know I definitely want a nap on a non-hotel mattress, but I also think I just want to spend the day relaxing with Dex and Miles.

I feel like that’s the one thing we truly haven’t gotten to do.

“I need to know everything,” Jensen says before her butt even hits the chair next to mine.

My manicurist, Elle, pulls my hand in. Jensen and I always get the same girls—Elle and Kylie—who I believe we’ll follow to any salon for the rest of our lives.

“I’m not so sure what you’re wanting to know. I’m a nanny to a baseball coach, not a wild celebrity.”

Jensen hits me with her free hand. “Oh, come on, let me correct that statement. You’re a nanny to a superhot baseball coach. Who, Callie says, is normally all broody, but you, Lucie Anderson, make him laugh!”

“Okay, I can agree to that, but you’re reading way too much into it. I make him laugh sometimes. He more so has the willingness to laugh with other people now because he has help—it’s not directly related to me.”

I can admit that I’ve noticed Dex has relaxed around me a little bit after our little team chat over pizza.

My crack in his walls is bigger, but every now and then, I notice him trying to add more cement.

He’ll forget—or pretends to at least—that I’m actually here to help him, so if there’s something he needs that I don’t think of, he’ll try to handle it himself.

I get there are some things that he needs to do as a father, but if I don’t jump in where I can, I swear he’d never ask me to do anything.

I try to give him as much space as possible, which helps. Me leaving today is probably something Dex is grateful for, if I’m being honest.

Especially after our little run-in with Jordan. I know Dex can’t stand him. I think Dex tries to be civil with Jordan, as a coach, but the animosity from them as players is still there.

I wasn’t too sure how volunteering Dex to come with me was going to be received on his end, but there’s no way I would ever go out with Jordan. It might seem odd to say, but if Dex doesn’t trust him, I don’t either.

Jensen purses her lips. “Eh, that could be debated, but I’ll let it slide for now. You’ve spent two weeks with the man, so it’s too soon to tell.”

“There’s nothing to tell. So the man laughs now.”

Elle snorts. “There’s a lot to tell in a man’s laugh.”

“Thank you!” Jensen agrees with her entire chest.

Kylie chips in now, too. “Especially if it happens more since you started.”

Jensen hums while giving me major side-eye. “Interesting, three to one. ”

“I think we’re very much overanalyzing a laugh.”

The girls collectively give each other a look.

Goodness, I can feel my chest turning red.

“Okay, full transparency. Do you all seriously think I’m not beyond attracted to him?

Have you gotten a look at him? Now imagine what it’s like being around him all the time while he’s practically the best dad you’ve ever seen, and you get a front row show of his personality outside of that too…

I get to see this man in the mornings when he’s still got that adorable sleepy-man look.

I can’t overthink his laugh, I’m barely holding it together as is. ”

Another look is exchanged, but this time I feel like I’m being pitied.

“Dex and I have finally seemed to land on good footing with each other. I want to work on myself, and he just wants someone to help with Miles. I’m good. He’s good, and Miles is happy. I can’t entertain the fantasy.”

Jensen tilts her head. “Unless he wanted to entertain?”

I bite back my immediate “yes” and opt to send her a glare as my answer.

Jensen swivels in her chair. “Alright, fine, I get it. I’m a bit of a secret romantic, but believe me, I get why you wouldn’t want to get swept up in the idea of it either, knowing that it might not be in the cards.

How’s working on yourself going anyway? Based on these past two weeks, it seems like you’ve barely had time. ”

“Yeah, it’s not exactly been the easiest when the guys have a game practically every single day and I’m following a five-year-old around. Miles is great, don’t get me wrong, but there’s not much time without him either.”

“Okay, well, you’re off today, right? Get out, get some space, do something for you! Ya know, besides this.”

I try to stop the crinkle of my nose at Jensen’s idea. I get that I probably should take advantage of this day off, but I don’t want to. “I mean, just because I spend a lot of time with them doesn’t necessarily mean I need space.”

“Lucie! I thought we weren’t entertaining the fantasy.” Jensen tilts her head again, but now with a blink like she’s caught me red-handed.

“I’m not! It’s just—I don’t know. Can’t I just enjoy being around them?”

The collective looks are back.

“Okay, I’m done talking now.”

Jensen whips her head back to me. “You know what? As your accountability buddy, I insist you do something on your list today. Even if it includes being with Dex, I added stuff to your list for a reason.”

I nearly die in my chair when her eyebrows go up and down with the last part. “Subtle.”

Elle snorts a laugh. “I assure you, we’ve heard way worse. You don’t even have to give us the details—I swear, this is tame.”

I exhale. “I will figure out something to do, but not from your suggestions, Jen. And this is my official request to no longer talk about Dex the entire appointment.”

Jensen mumbles, “Fine,” but her smirk tells me everything. The topic of Dex will most definitely be coming up again—I fear it will a lot.

For the rest of the appointment I try to keep the topics going to ensure they don’t come back around to me. Jensen lets some of her stress out about Tally’s Shop, and Kylie threatens to cut Hank’s balls off with her nail scissors. Which is fair.

“So, games every day this week, right?” Jensen asks as we walk out of the nail salon.

“Minus Sunday. We’ll be leaving for Detroit that night. Then another week in New York before I’m back.”

“Damn, well then, I’ll make sure my nail appointments fit your insane schedule, babes. Just text me the date.”

“You know you don’t have to do that. Your schedule can be just as nuts—don’t worry about me if you need to do it on a day I’m not here.”

Jensen scoffs. “And miss out on all the Daddy Dex updates? I refuse.”

I should have known. I can already feel my cheeks and chest turning red again. “There will be no Daddy Dex updates. Please don’t say that again.”

“We’ll see. He might not deserve the title anyway, but with that in mind…” Jensen trails off to dig into her bag. “A-ha.”

Jensen pulls out an envelope and hands it over to me. “Since you said I needed to work on my penmanship, this is for you.”

Eyeing Jensen while I open the envelope, I’m a little scared about what she could have put in here, but then I pull out this beautiful piece of cardstock. It’s got gold embellishments of daisies, small suns, and turtles all around the list.

“Flip it over,” Jensen says.

And when I do, I’m met with a completely different vibe. Jensen’s got Lucie After Dark written in a deep red ink. Cherries, snakes, and hearts with flames decorate the spicy additions Jensen made.

“The different vibes felt appropriate. If you’re going to stick to this, I thought a visual would help.”

“Jen, this is perfect. Thank you.”

“So, what are you going to do today? Gotta make it about you in some sort of way, Luce.”

“I know, I know. Part of me fears I’ll find my new personality in Dex and Miles if I’m not careful.”

“You won’t, that’s what you have me for.

” Jensen flips her hair behind her shoulder dramatically.

“For what it’s worth, I think you can still figure out yourself and still want to be around someone all the time.

We’ve already covered that it’s not about you not being able to be alone.

Finding yourself doesn’t exactly have to happen on your own.

You just have to have someone who won’t dim your light. ”

“Have I told you how happy I am that we became friends?”

“Yeah, me too. Now, go find Lucie and if she just so happens to like her hot boss, then so be it! Maybe making a move could play into something unexpected.” Jensen waggles her eyebrows.

“I was thinking I’d start with something like finding a hobby.”

“I hate to break it to you, but I could easily turn every single item on the bright-side list naughty. There are so many hobbies I think you could do with that man.”

“Okay, I’m leaving now.”

“Good luck on finding your hobby. I hope it brings you a lot of pleasure.”