by Jillian Dodd
“Who dropped the milk?” an overdressed woman with teased auburn hair and jewels that belong at a red carpet event rather than a middle school football game says, sitting down on the other side of Jadyn.
“Uh, hey, Lori,” Jadyn says.
Lori? As in Danny’s wife? Of course it has to be her. Her son is playing. She’s here to watch.
Not that I’ve been watching the game. I’ve been babbling in Jadyn’s ear. I didn’t even stop when she stood up to cheer about something.
“Danny dropped milk on my kitchen floor. The dog licked up most of it, so it wasn’t a big deal,” Jadyn states flatly.
I could cut the tension between them with a knife. I figure Lori will ask who I am, but she doesn’t even acknowledge my presence.
“Did you hear that Richard and I will be off to Bermuda for a long weekend?” Lori asks Jadyn.
“I thought you were taking Dani to the spa on Saturday? She’s been looking forward to it.”
Lori waves her hand through the air, dismissing it. “I didn’t cancel the appointments. Devaney can still go.”
“By herself? It was supposed to be a special mother-daughter thing before her first homecoming dance. She’s nervous about it.”
“Why would she be nervous? She loves school. She’s beautiful, and she made varsity cheerleading. She has nothing to worry about.”
“She’s nervous because she’s starting over, kind of. And because Chase and Damon won’t be there with her.”
“I’m sure she’d rather take a friend to the spa than go with her mother anyway. And she needs some new friends. Someone a little more up to her caliber.”
“I’ll go with her then,” Jadyn replies.
“Of course, Jadyn to the rescue.” Lori rolls her eyes. “As usual.”
I notice Jadyn’s hand curl tightly into a ball. I half-expect her to clock Lori.
“Well, thank you, I guess. Now, I don’t have to feel guilty.”
If I were Jadyn, I would go off on this woman.
Instead, Jadyn says, “So, Bermuda?”
“Yes, Richard is just so sweet. He totally pampers me. Unlike my soon-to-be ex-husband, who was too wrapped up in himself.”
“Danny always did nice things for you. In fact, the trip he had planned for your wedding anniversary would have been amazing, not to mention the custom earrings he had made for you. I notice that you are wearing them,” she says, her jaw tightly clenched.
“I earned them. You have no idea what it’s like to be married to Danny Diamond.”
I lean forward, blurting out, “But, hey, at least he gives good diamond.”
“That’s exactly what Richard said!” Lori laughs wholeheartedly and then says, “I don’t think we’ve met.” As she’s laughing, her hand flies up.
Jadyn snatches it midair, holding it tight and staring at a diamond solitaire on her finger. “New ring?”
“Yes.” Lori beams. “That’s why we’re going to Bermuda. To celebrate our engagement.”
“But you’re not divorced yet,” Jadyn says, her anger apparent.
“It’s just a formality at this point. We’ve agreed on almost everything. Most of it was spelled out in the prenup. Danny wants sole custody of the kids, and honestly, that’s fine with me. I think it’s best for them to be able to continue to live in their home and not have to traipse back and forth between his place and mine. I’ll still be a big part of their lives, of course.
“But I have to tell you about the proposal. It was so romantic; I’m practically giddy. We were house-hunting. Richard does quite well, naturally, as one of the top physicians in the country, but once the divorce is final, we’ll be able to afford something a little more spacious than his bachelor pad. Although I do have to say that I have so many fond memories of being together in that place; we might not be able to sell—”
Jadyn stands up in the middle of Lori’s rambling and cheers, “Go, Damon! Go!”
Damon breaks a tackle and sprints down the field and into the end zone, causing Jadyn to clap and wave her little paper pom-pom in the air.
When she sits back down, she turns to Lori. “Your son just scored a touchdown. You might wanna cheer for him. Oh my gosh, where are my manners? Lori, I’d like to introduce you to my friend, Jennifer Edwards.”
Lori gives me a cursory glance. “Like the movie star?”
“Not like the movie star,” Jadyn says brightly. “She is the movie star. She flew back from Los Angeles with me today. She’s the reason Danny dropped the milk. He was so surprised to see her.”
“Why wouldn’t he be surprised?” Lori asks, looking perplexed. “He’s seen all her movies. How do you two know each other?”
“You’ve seen all her movies because she’s always been Danny’s celebrity crush,” Jadyn says.
And that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
Chase, who I just now realized plays both on offense and defense, intercepts a pass and sprints down the field to score again as the time runs out on the half. Jadyn does more screaming and cheering while Lori stays in her seat and glares at me.
She’s a little scary to be honest. Bye-bye, warm fuzzies.
Once the crowd settles down and the team runs to the sideline, Jadyn turns to Lori and whispers, “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you and Dick Rash. See you later.”
She grabs my arm, pulling me down the bleachers and toward her children.
When we’re standing safely on the ground, she mutters, “Not.”
“Holy smokes,” I say. “What was that all about? And is she really marrying a man named Dick Rash?”
Jadyn doesn’t get the chance to reply because Danny is right there.
He places his hand on the small of my back, leans in close, and says, “So, what did you think of the first half?”
“Are you touching me just because your wife is here?”
“Lori’s here?” he asks, his hand moving off me so fast, you’d think he got burned.
“Wait,” Phillip says, “Jennifer, did you say marrying?”
“Yes,” Jadyn replies for me. “Lori and Richard got engaged. That’s why she canceled on Dani. They are going to Bermuda to celebrate.”
Her son, Ryder, jumps up to get her attention. “Mom, can we go to the concession stand now?”
“Sure, sweetie.” She turns back to me and says, “We’ll be right back.”
Phillip follows her, giving her a smack on the butt before he veers off to go into the locker room.
“But our divorce isn’t even final,” Danny says incredulously.
“It wasn’t when she cheated on you either, so I don’t know why that would be a surprise,” I blurt out.
“You’re right.”
I give him a conspiratorial grin and bump his side with my elbow. “And you ought to take some comfort in the fact that she’s marrying a man named Dick Rash.”
“You’re right again,” he says with a laugh. “I do. Lori always said Danny Diamond sounded like a porn star name.”
“Will you strip for me sometime?” I whisper in his ear.
“Will you do what sometime?” his son, who I didn’t even see standing here, asks.
“Uh … oh, Jennifer wanted to know if she could get her favorite kind of pizza tonight,” Danny fibs.
“What is your favorite?” Damon asks me.
Based on his facial expression, I can tell he takes pizza very seriously.
Danny answers for me, “Her favorite is extra pepperoni and extra cheese on a thick crust.”
“Pepperoni is my favorite, too,” Damon says, leaving us to head to the locker room.
“I can’t believe you remember that,” I whisper.
“It’s what you said you wished we could have for breakfast. I remember every single detail of that night, Jenn. You had a profound effect on me.”
“But not enough for you to leave your wife.”
“It killed me to say good-bye to you. I would have left Lori in a heartbeat, but I couldn’t leave D
evaney.” His eyes get misty, and he lowers his head. “I can’t talk about this here.”
“Okay,” I reply, my own eyes filling with tears. All this time, I thought it was me. I want to throw my arms around him, hug him with all my might, and never let him go.
“I need to get to the locker room with the team,” he says, walking away from me.
Jadyn comes back from the concession stand, her younger children happily stuffing their mouths full of warm, buttered popcorn.
“Want some?” she asks, holding a bag out toward me. “Wait, why do you look like you’re going to cry? Did Lori say something? I knew—”
“No, Danny did.”
She smiles softly at me. “Are they happy tears?”
“Yes.” I quickly wipe them away. “He told me he couldn’t because of his daughter.”
“I knew it,” she says, looking around to make sure no one can hear. “All these years, I knew that’s the only reason he stayed with her. Remember how I told you about the time when Lori was pregnant and thought Danny and I had an affair?”
“Yeah.”
“She told him that she would make his life a living hell and that he’d never, ever see their baby. That’s why he cut off contact with you, Jennifer. He knew, if she ever found out, that’s exactly what she would do. That’s the kind of person she is. The truth is, when she filed for divorce, I immediately thought of you. But I was afraid, if Danny dated anyone while they were going through it, she would get vindictive. As it was, when they verbally finalized their settlement, she was the one who wanted out of their marriage, and Danny got what he wanted most.”
“Custody of his kids?”
“Exactly.”
“I respect him for that. Wait, when Phillip came in the house and saw me, he said you couldn’t decide if you should contact me. If things were all under control as far as Lori went, why were you still hesitant?”
“Lots of reasons. You live in different cities. Danny could visit you in California, but he wouldn’t move there. At least, not until the kids were done with high school. That’s five more years. Logistically, there’s a lot to consider. His kids. Your careers. For it to work, you’d probably need to be willing to move here. Or you’d have a long-distance relationship. Not to mention the fact that, at the time, I didn’t know if you would leave Troy or work it out. I didn’t want to see either of you hurt because I’d opened up some can of worms that I should have left closed, you know?”
“I know. And thank you for caring about me. About him.”
Jadyn smiles back at me, but then her mouth turns down into a frown. I follow her eyes to see what causes it.
“Matt Malone,” she mutters. “That kid is bad news. Dani shouldn’t be talking to him.”
“Why not?” I ask. “He looks cute.”
“He thinks he’s a badass,” Jadyn replies. “Rides a motorcycle. Acts like he’s all cool. I dated a guy like him in high school.”
“Every girl needs to date a bad boy at least once, don’t they?” I grin.
“Yes, but he’s a senior, and Dani is a freshman. She’s not ready for a guy like him, based on the way he’s all over her.”
“Should we go intervene?” I ask. “See if she wants to come sit with us? Have some popcorn?”
“Yeah, we probably should. Goodness knows, her mother won’t do anything.”
Before we can make a move, Chase comes out from the locker room with the team, sees Dani, and immediately steps in between her and Matt, taking Dani’s hand and leading her across the field. Dani looks at Chase like he’s her hero. And I can see why. Chase looks like the all-American dream boyfriend. His hair is messed up from playing. He’s tall, and the pads under his uniform make him look much older than he is. If I were her age, I’d choose him over the bad boy any day.
“Chase to the rescue,” Jadyn says.
“Has he ever considered modeling?” I ask.
“I don’t think so, but maybe he should. He’s always been photogenic.”
“He belongs on an Abercrombie bag. He’s kind of a little hottie.”
“I’ll have to tell him you said so.” Jadyn laughs. “He will die of embarrassment.”
My eyes get big. “Please don’t tell him then. I don’t want the kids to think I’m weird.”
As we head back up the bleachers, Jadyn stops. “Lori’s still here.”
“Why wouldn’t she be?”
“She usually only makes an appearance. She really doesn’t like football.”
“Does that mean she stayed because of me?”
“Probably. I should have kept my big mouth shut. Don’t tell her anything. Like, nothing.”
“You’re still here,” Jadyn says, sitting back down next to Lori. “Usually, you leave at the half.”
“It’s a gorgeous fall evening, and you know how I love football,” she says, giving me a curt smile. “What about you, Jennifer? You a fan?”
“I love football,” I answer honestly.
“So, am I to understand that you’re seeing my husband now?”
“Seeing? Uh, no.”
“He put his arm around you. In front of our children. In front of everyone.”
“He didn’t put his arm around me. Damon wanted to know my favorite pizza toppings. I guess we’re going for pizza later. Is that a problem?”
“Considering we aren’t divorced yet, I’d say so.”
“Says the woman who was just showing off her engagement ring.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” she snarls.
“It’s not supposed to mean anything, Lori,” Jadyn says. “She was simply stating a fact.”
“Why are you here again?” Lori says.
“She’s here because I invited her,” Jadyn replies. “I might be working on a project in LA, and I needed her input.”
“What kind of project?”
“An old hotel. She’s the only person I know who has to deal with paparazzi out there, and that’s a big concern for the new owner.”
Lori reaches across Jadyn and sympathetically pats my hand. “You’ll get used to it, honey. I deal with it all the time, being married to Danny. Although I bet, since your husband got caught cheating with all those women in Amsterdam—what did they call it? The Brothel Debacle?—that you have been hounded more than usual. The trick to having the press love you is never do anything stupid like that. But live and learn.”
“Um, thanks, but he’s not my—” I say as her phone buzzes.
“Oh, that will be Richard,” she says, cutting me off. “We’re off to catch our flight. Have a lovely weekend. I know I will. Sand. Surf. Amazing sex—something I wasn’t getting at home. Ta-ta.”
“Have a wonderful trip, Lori!” Jadyn turns, and whispers to me. “It couldn’t have come at a better time. We won’t have to see her until after the papers are signed on Wednesday.”
Danny
I should probably say something motivational to the team as the second half is about to start, but I can’t take my eyes off Jennifer. I can’t believe I touched her back earlier, like it was the most natural thing in the world. The crazy thing is, that’s how it felt. Natural. Like I’d been doing it my whole life.
The news that Lori is engaged should piss me off, but it doesn’t. Especially when I watch Jennifer’s backside as she walks up the bleachers. I love how she and Jadyn seem to be having fun together. My head is practically spinning from the thought of seeing her naked again as well as the future I wish I could have with her.
Phillip flicks me on the back of the head, getting my attention. “You’re practically drooling.”
“It’s just so surreal. She’s here. At my son’s football game. She and Jadyn love each other. I should have—”
“No regrets—isn’t that what you always tell me? She’s here now; focus on that.” He looks up into the bleachers. “Or on the fact that Lori didn’t leave at the half, like usual.”
“She and Dick Rash got engaged,” I mutter.
“She’s no
t going to like you dating Jennifer.”
“I don’t care what she thinks—wait. Dating?”
“You touched Jennifer in front of Lori. Was that to piss her off? Because you don’t want to piss Lori off. You want Lori deliriously happy with Dick Rash until she signs on the dotted line.”
“You think she will be mad?”
“She’s a complete B, Danny. Of course she will. I bet she even cancels her trip.”
“Speaking of that, did you know Chase offered to take my daughter to Paris on Saturday?”
“What? Why?”
“She was upset that Lori canceled on her for the spa. Chase said he’d do something with her instead. Said he’d take her in your plane.”
“He wants her to be happy.”
“I’m not sure I like that.”
“Did you see what he did during the half? Did you notice how that senior was seriously hitting on Dani? How he had his arms around her? How Chase got her away from him?”
“No. What happened?” I say in a panic. “Who was hitting on her?”
“Matt Malone.”
“I’ve heard he’s trouble. Damon said he got kicked off the high school football team for fighting.”
“That’s him.”
“He’d better stay away from my daughter.”
“Oh, boy,” Phillip says, causing me to shift my attention to the field. I assume we made a bad play, but the guys are just lining up for the snap.
“What?”
“Lori must have said something bad, based on the look on my wife’s face. Oh, Lori’s getting up and leaving.”
“Do you think I should go check on them?” I ask.
