AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Welcome to our little sandwich shop,” she says, and she offers Will a private little smile that tells me she’s been waiting for him to bring a lady in someday. “What can I get for you?”
I shrug. “Whatever you recommend.”
She winks at me. “I’ve got you covered. You two take a seat in the back and I’ll bring Will’s favorites right over.”
“Thank you,” I say as she tackles me with the same kind of hug she just gave her son. “It was lovely to meet you.”
“And you, my dear.”
I follow Will toward the table in the back, which is actually what appears to be some sort of break room. It oddly reminds me a bit of the break room at the Gridiron, which reminds me of Lincoln pressing me up against the wall that night, which reminds me of…
Well, the conversation we need to have tonight.
And we’ll get there.
First, though, I don’t want to be rude to an old acquaintance, so I pull my focus back to Will.
“Are you from here originally?” I ask.
He nods. “Born and raised just outside Columbus. My parents have owned this place for as long as I can remember.”
“It must’ve been fun growing up so close to a college campus.”
“It had its plusses and minuses. What about you? Did you like growing up the kid of a pro football player?”
“It had its plusses and minuses,” I echo.
He chuckles. “I’m sure. And aside from the big correspondent promotion, what is Jolene Bailey up to these days?”
Fighting my feelings for the enemy. Worrying about betraying that pro football player father of mine. Trying not to fall back in love with someone who is likely to just break my heart all over again, something I haven’t spent much time considering as I find myself thinking about him pretty much constantly.
I don’t say any of that. Instead, I settle on, “Raising a seven-year-old son.”
His brows raise. “A son,” he echoes.
“Do you have any children?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Much to my mother’s chagrin.”
I smile a little tightly.
“Are you, uh…” he begins, and I wouldn’t expect someone who’s typically poised to stutter over his words.
My brows pinch as I think I know where he’s going but I don’t want to make assumptions.
Eventually he blurts it out. “Are you with his father?”
I shake my head. “His father cheated on me while I was pregnant with my son, and he ended up marrying the woman he cheated on me with.” I shrug. “He’s got his own family now and doesn’t try too hard to make time for Jonah.”
“Jonah? That’s his name?”
I nod as I smile. “Had to continue the Jo tradition in my family.” I dig through my purse to pull out my phone so I can show him a photo, and when I finally locate my phone, I see a series of missed text messages from an unknown number.
Unknown: Who was that?
Unknown: Where are you?
Unknown: Answer me.
