Page 29 of Coach Me (Boston Blues #2)
Today may not have started completely as planned, but it got so much better. I loved the yoga class. It was absolutely incredible. The people there were so nice, and the whole place had this sunrise-sunset vibe. I loved everything about it.
After it ended, I felt so empowered that I even decided to go buy a vibrator all by myself. That was the whole purpose of this list to start—doing things on my own.
Walking down the hall to Dex’s place, I stuff the new bullet vibrator to the very bottom of my bag. The store was an experience for sure, but with all the traveling, I thought small and discreet might be best.
Unlocking the door, I make it a step into the living room before Miles pops up in front of me. “Lucie’s back!”
“I am.” I chuckle, but then I notice something’s different. “Miles, did you get a haircut?”
“I did! Daddy took me to the barbershop. Doesn’t it look really good?”
“It does. I love it, bud.”
“Good, that means Callie will too.” Miles beams, but within a second, his mood shifts. He puts his hands together and gives me the sweet puppy dog eyes. “Can we please bring one of the turtles to the stadium today?”
I open my mouth to tell him that they need to stay in their home, but then I hear Dex’s voice behind me. “We already talked about this, Miles. Don’t ask Lucie when I’ve already said no. ”
Miles groans with a major pout with his bottom lip.
I fold my lips together to hold in a laugh. Poor kid. I swear, one day Miles is going to kidnap them and sneak them into a game, or worse, an away game.
“Why don’t you grab them two strawberries from the fridge for their treat?”
Miles’s lip comes straight up and now we’re back to a smile. “Okay!”
I watch Miles race around me to the kitchen, but then my eyes find Dex, and I have to do a double-take. “Ah, Dex, you got a haircut too!”
Dex tilts his head with a laugh. “Shit, Luce, what are you trying to say? Was it that bad before or that bad now?”
The smile on my face has got to be huge. “No, no, it was great before too, but this is how you would wear it during the season when you played…” My words die off, because Lord help me, he looks so hot right now. Good thing I still went to get that vibrator.
The corner of Dex’s mouth turns up, and he takes a small step closer to me. “You remember what it looked like when I played?”
Ope, I need to throw together some sort of answer, but then my mistake from yesterday catches up to me.
“Because you were Lucie’s favorite baseball player, Daddy,” Miles says as he munches on a strawberry with two extra ones in his other hand.
Yep, I knew that secret wasn’t going to last long.
Dex’s smile grows as he processes Miles’s words. “Really?”
You know what? I’m not embarrassed. Looking at this man—yeah, he was my favorite .
I dare a small step toward him, for what reason I don’t know, other than I just want to be closer to him. Dex seems to feel the same as he steps another inch in.
I look up at him with a smile. “You did say you would find out eventually.”
Dex’s eyes soften. “Yeah, I did.”
“Can I give the turtles their strawberries now?” Miles asks, completely oblivious to the moment around him.
Taking a step back, I turn to Miles. “Sure can, but then I need to get some water and a shower before we head to the game, okay?”
“Okay!” Miles skips over to the tank, and I help him get them set in place. I try not to think too much about Dex behind me, but when I turn back, he’s no longer in the living room.
I didn’t think him finding out he was my favorite player freaked him out, but maybe he’s having a delayed freak-out.
Okay, deep breaths, we’re keeping the ball in his court for a reason.
Miles hops off his stool with a thud. “I’m going to go play until we have to leave, okay?”
I barely get “okay” out before he races down the hall to his room.
Goodness, his energy—I wish I had it. Between my unenjoyable run and super uplifting yoga class, I’m feeling beat already and the day’s barely even started.
Making my way to the kitchen to grab some water, I stall when Dex meets me halfway with a glass. “So, how’d you like the class?”
Okay, maybe no freak out, but still proceed with caution.
“You were right, it was perfect.” I take the glass of water from him while making sure to keep my hand from brushing against his. “Thank you for finding it for me.”
I take a heavy sip, not realizing how much I needed it until now.
“I thought you would.” A smirk tugs at Dex’s lips.
Setting my glass down on the side table, I know we need to talk about the payment of it all because I definitely want to go back.
“I know you said you paid for the first membership, so if you want to take that out of my pay?—”
Dex holds up his hand. “Gonna stop you there, Luce. It’s paid for, don’t worry about it.”
“Dex, no. It’s my thing, let me pay for it.”
“Not happening.” He shrugs.
“Yes, yes happening. Dex, part of why all of this got started is because I rely so much on my siblings. Will has always paid for the majority of my stuff. I don’t want to keep being this spoiled?—”
Dex takes a step in, his cool peppermint scent demanding even more of my attention to his closeness. For weeks, he’s taken steps back, and now he’s inching closer. There’s maybe two inches between us now, and yet, it still doesn’t feel like it’s close enough.
He tucks a loose strand behind my ear, and his voice comes out calm and even.
“I can see I’ve hit a nerve. Lucie, you’re not spoiled.
I think you are the furthest from spoiled, actually.
For two weeks, you’ve traveled with me and Miles.
You’ve eaten nothing but shitty hotel food and bad concession hotdogs.
You haven’t gotten to visit a single place we’ve been to because you take care of Miles nearly twenty-four fucking seven just like me, without a single complaint. ”
“I like the concession hotdogs,” I grumble. “They’re underrated. And I still want to pay for the classes.”
“Too fucking bad, Luce.” Dex chuckles. “You can stop taking your brother’s money all you want, but if I want to spoil you, then I’m going to.”
An argument doesn’t even start in my head. “Okay, Coach.”