Fair Play Read Free Page A

back at him, and he places his palms together for a moment and presses them against his cheek, closing his eyes. Then he opens them, and I get the hint.
    I nod and close my eyes and smile again because I’ve seen what I wanted to see. No ring on his left ring finger, and no tan line.
    Perfect.

Chapter Tw o
     
    Nick
     
    Ben watches as I lay Scarlet’s limp body into bed and pull up her plump unicorn comforter. “That’s one tired little toddler.”
    She doesn’t move a muscle. Her lashes don't even flutter when I kiss her on her forehead. She never looks more like her mother than when she’s sleeping. Her face is relaxed, her bottom lip pouts, and the corners of her mouth naturally turn up into a hint of a smile. Mariah was always smiling and full of energy just like Scarlet. I wish she could be here to watch her grow up.
    Mariah never got to see one second of her daughter’s gorgeous face. She never got the chance to hear her giggle and sing and talk, and Lord, that child can talk your ear off. Mariah would have loved that she chatted almost as much as she did.
    “She’s had a long week, and without Mimi, it’s been hard for her.”
    “What’s going on with her? Is she going to be able to come back with her foot all jacked up?” he asks. Ben is my best friend and teammate on the Hawks. He’s single, but he’s not into the player scene, so he hangs out with the old dad on the team, me.
    “I don’t know. Last time I spoke to her, she was doing better and planned on being back to work in a week in a limited capacity. That was a couple of days ago, though, I’ll have to call her again tomorrow.”
    “Yeah man, I don’t know how you get anything done hauling her around everywhere with you.”
    I cross my arms over my chest and slowly turn to face him. He’s standing in the entrance to Scarlet’s room. With brows lifted high, I wait for him to apologize for making my precious daughter sound like a burdensome sack of potatoes.
    He holds out his palms in surrender. “I didn’t mean it like it sounded, man, you know I just don’t know how you do it, you’re fucking superman, man.”
    “Watch your language.”
    He gestures to her with one hand, taking a step forward, “But she’s asleep.”
    “Her mind is a sponge. She’s subliminally picking up everything we’re saying. You probably traumatized her for life.”
    He stands with his mouth agape, unsure if I’m messing with him or not. I am messing with him, but he doesn’t need to know that.
    “Let’s go watch a movie or something. I need to unwind.”
    “And you can talk to your little online girlfriend, too.”
    “Shut up, Danielson, I don’t have a girlfriend. That damn website is full of sluts and women looking for deep pockets and old men on their deathbeds. I don’t know how I let you con me into setting up that account anyway.”
    “You need a woman, that’s how. Mr. Wood needs to get some wood.” His eyes pop, and he gyrates his hips in a circle like a stripper and ends his incredibly un-sexy dance with a powerful thrust accompanied by two fists pounding on his pelvis.
    I roll my eyes and push past him into the hall. He chuckles and pulls the door shut. I reach back and open it a couple of inches so I can hear her if she wakes up.
    Downstairs in the theater room, he grabs the remote and shuffles through the selection of movies on the screen. I sit in my chair in the front row and check my messages.
    And my dating app.
    I told Ben I wasn’t interested in anyone, but I did see a profile that caught my eye a couple of days ago. I haven't had time to look again until now.
    I should have asked the woman I met on the plane tonight out on a date. Téa was beautiful, in a wild, untamed sort of way. Not my usual type, but I'm beginning to think I should scrap the type concept altogether. Scarlet seemed to take to her, which is great and at the same time unusual. I still can't decide if I'm ready for the dating scene again. I've been burned so