Page 12 of Driven to Love

He liked the guy well enough. The man was a good stepdad to Davey, and after nine years, Nash didn’t clench his jaw every time he saw the man.

The game ended in a seven-to-nine loss for the boys. After the players all shook hands and the coach gave them a final speech, Davey jogged down the baseline to them.

“You played a great game, slugger.” Paul patted Davey on the back.

“Thanks, Grandpa.” He hugged his grandma, and she handed him a Rice Krispie treat before he turned to high-five Nash.

“Good game.”

“Thanks, Dad. The team is going out for pizza. Do you want to come?”

Nash looked at his parents. Both looked a little wilted from the mid-ninety-degree heat. “I think I should take Grandma and Grandpa home. You have fun with your friends, and I will pick you up next Friday.”

“Sounds good. Bye.” Davey promised he’d come see them sometime this week and ran off to his teammates.

The smell of flowers with a hint of sweat enveloped him. He turned to find Beth and one of the moms.

“Thanks for coming, Nash. Davey loves having you here. Georgia and Paul as well.” Beth smiled, crinkles appearing beside her sunglasses.

“I wouldn’t miss it.” Not one, and Beth knew that.

“Are you joining us for pizza?” Jillian asked. Davey’s friend’s mom was newly divorced and, from her body language, on the prowl.

“Not this time.” Funny, did Beth’s shoulders relax at his reply?

“Well, maybe next time. Or, you can bring Davey over for a playdate, and we can have a beer by the pool.”

Now Beth turned away and scanned the surroundings. She wasn’t the only one uncomfortable with this conversation. Nash just smiled and focused on his ex-wife. “Well, I better get my parents home before they melt.”

“Yeah, Kyle was getting the car. Davey, time to go,” Beth called to her son before turning back to Nash. “See you next week.”

Jillian slipped her arm around Nash’s bicep and fluttered her lashes. “My number’s in the team directory online. Give me a call.”

Nash just smiled and removed her hand from his arm. Take a hint, lady. The last thing he wanted was to date one of Davey’s friends’ moms. That could get messy real fast.

Jillian had been sending some pretty strong signals, and Nash deflected them all. Thankfully, the season was almost over.

He turned to his son and pulled some cash from his wallet. “Here, play some games while you wait for your pie. Practice up, because I’m going to whoop your butt next weekend.” He cracked a smile.

“No way. I always win.” Davey stuffed the money in his pocket and gave his dad a hug before running after his friends.

Beth gave Nash a quiet smile and followed her son.

A throat cleared. “So, you have Davey next weekend? Maybe we can get the boys together for a playdate?”

“Next week is bad for me. Maybe another time.” He started packing up his sunshade.

“You’re a mechanic, right?”

He nodded. “No” hung on the tip of his tongue. He knew what was coming. The ask.

“My Toyota is making a funny noise. I can’t describe it. Maybe I could bring it down and you could take a look under my hood?”

If he had a dollar for every time a woman asked him to look under her hood, he could pay off his house. He pulled out the shop’s business card and handed it to her.

She flipped it over and frowned. No personal information.

“I don’t do side work, but you can call the shop and set up an appointment. I would be glad to look at your vehicle.”