“I handled it. What time do you get off work? I thought you and Mia could meet me at my place, and I’d ride with you to get it, and then take my SUV back home with me.”
“What do you mean ‘you took care of it?’”
“Amanda.” I sigh. “I wanted to help. I would have done the same damn thing if it were Bellamy.”
“I can afford to repair my car.”
“So can my daughter, but that wouldn’t stop me from handling it. I wanted to,” I say, my tone softer. “Just say ‘thank you, Will.’”
“I—” She pauses. “Thank you, Will. I’ll make you dinner or clean your house or something to pay you back.”
I laugh. “My intention was not to add strings to the situation, Amanda. I wanted to help you, so I did. Now, if you and that sweetheart, Mia, want to have dinner with me, I’ll take you up on that any day of the week,” I tell her, before clamping my mouth shut. I’m probably creeping her out. Who wants to hang out with their best friend’s dad? I wasn’t thinking when I said it, but it doesn’t mean that I didn’t mean it. I enjoy the times we’ve spent together, no matter how it came about, and I’m lonely in that big ole house. Amanda needs someone to lean on, and I’m unattached. There’s no reason I can’t help out where I can.
It hits me that for the first time in my life, I’m seeking more than what football can give me. I want more than the game. The one I’ve devoted my life to. The one that assisted me in ruining my marriage and almost lost me my daughter.
“I’d like that,” she replies softly, and I don’t know if it’s my revelation or her agreement that has my heart tapping a crazy rhythm inside my chest.
“Anytime, you call me,” I tell her, my voice raspy. The idea of having someone to have dinner with here and there settles inside me, and I love the idea more than I should—especially since she’s my daughter’s best friend. “What time do you get off work?”
“I know you’re busy, Will. I can call Bellamy.”
“Mandy, we just talked about this. I’m not too busy to help you. What time should I meet you at my place?”
“I can leave early. What time does the garage close?”
“They’ll leave the keys for us, so we can pick up your car at any time.” I don’t know for sure if that’s the case, but I’ll make sure that it is.
“What’s your day look like? When are you able to leave?”
I think about it. “I can make any time work, but late afternoon is fine.”
“Okay. I’ll leave here at four, grab Mia from day care, and be at your place around four-thirty or so, depending on traffic. Is that okay?”
“I’ll see you then. Have a good day, Mandy.”
“You, too, Will,” she replies, ending the call.
Shoving my phone into my pocket, I take a deep breath and head back into the conference room. It takes me a few minutes to tune back into the conversation, but once I do, I get lost in work, but not for long, not like I would in the past. I have a date with two ladies this evening. Okay, not a date, but it’s not a lonely night spent at the office either. Not even draft week could keep me from helping her.
I smile when I think about little Mia and how sweet she is.
“Whoa, what’s that?” Jerry says, pointing to my face. “Did you get abducted by aliens when you stepped out?”
“What are you talking about?” I ask, wiping at my face.
“You’re smiling.” He points at me.
I chuckle. “Is that a crime?”
“Nope, but it’s not something we see often from you, especially during crunch time.”
“The pressure falls on your shoulders, my man,” I tease.
He nods, laughing. “True enough. So, what’s got you all teeth and dimples this morning?”
“Nothing, just a good day.”
“You were not doing that”—he points at me again—“before you stepped out to take a call. You got a new lady friend you haven’t told me about? You know, Beth has been begging me to set you up with her friend, Nina.”