Home / Romance / The Texas Mutiny Series / Chapter 10: Daniel, Part 2

Share

Chapter 10: Daniel, Part 2

Author: M.E. Carter
last update Last Updated: 2022-10-20 14:14:18
Quincy shakes her head in humorous disbelief. "I swear this kid has the constitution of a grown man."

I bark a laugh as Quincy holds her nose and says, "Ohmygod, Chance, what did they feed you at day care?"

"Come on," I say, pushing past her and pulling her cart to drag it behind me. "Let's go over to that bench and get him cleaned up. There is no way anyone wants you to let that smell permeate through the store."

She follows me over to the same bench we sat on before and unstraps the baby from the carrier while I spread the changing pad out on the bench and pull out a diaper and some wipes.

"How old is he now?" I ask as she sets him down gently and undresses him from the waist down. He looks up at me, and I'm sure he's trying to figure out why I look upside down. He smiles and reaches for my face when I lean down to talk to him and keep him distracted from the mess his fingers could be getting in down below.

"Four and a half months," she says as she grabs him by the ankles and hauls his butt up in the air to wipe him off. "I can't believe it's been that long. He's grown so much in that time."

"He really has," I agree, wiggling my fingers at him to keep him entertained. "If it weren't for the fact we had been in this situation before, I never would have recognized him."

She cocks an eyebrow at me as she quickly slaps a new diaper on him. "But you would have recognized me?"

I chuckle. "Well, not necessarily without the baby strapped to you. But you guys do seem to make a lot of noise on that baby aisle. It's hard not to notice you."

She laughs, never slowing from redressing the baby and wrapping the dirty diaper in a plastic bag. Smart woman. My sister used to always forget those bags. The diaper bag would always stink because she'd forget the diaper was in it, too. "I guess we are loud. It's genetic, I guess. My dad always used to say he was from a big Polish family and Polacks are naturally loud."

I scoop up the baby as she uses an extra baby wipe to clean her hands and puts things away, sitting him on my lap facing me. "Really? You're from a big Polish family?" I say to her in my best baby voice while looking at him, making him smile a big toothless grin at me. "I have a big Mexican family, so you can't beat us in the loud department."

"That's right. How many kids are there in your family? Five or six?"

"Six of us total. Three girls, three boys, and all the spouses and kids."

"That's crazy," she says, sitting down after depositing the diaper bag in her cart. "It's hard enough having one. I can't imagine having six kids. Your mother must be a saint."

I smile, thinking about my loud, overbearing mother. "Pretty close to it. But boy, her wooden spoon sure could pack a punch if we got out of line."

We sit and chat for a while, neither of us really having anywhere we need to be. If I'm honest, I'm enjoying holding a baby again. My youngest nephew is three, and I kind of miss baby snuggles.

Not many men admit it, but we're big suckers when it comes to babies. We're just not necessarily comfortable with them, nor does it mean we want any of our own. They're just fun to play with.

"So what kind of job do you have that you can grocery shop overnight and still make it through the day?" I stand Chance up on my thighs, sending an over-exaggerated smile his way, causing him to wobble in delight as I support him.

"I'm pretty sure the only reason I make it through the day is because of the Starbucks next door," she says, watching the baby as he bounces and wiggles and drools everywhere. "I'm a hairdresser, so I'm on my feet all day."

"That sounds pretty brutal, being on your feet all day on such little sleep."

"It's probably better than sitting behind a desk. At least it's harder to fall asleep when you're standing up."

"Good point. " Chance reaches for my face with his chubby hands. I pretend to bite them before he can reach me. "Have you been doing it for a long time?"

She cocks her head to the side in thought. "Um, about six years now. I started off in college, but when my dad died, I switched over to cosmetology school so I could start working as soon as possible. I had guardianship over my sister Sarah, Chance's mom," She tilts her head to him. "I needed to have a career as quickly as possible. I've been doing it ever since."

"Wow, I'm impressed."

"Why?" she asks, eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"You keep taking on the responsibility of raising someone. That's admirable."

"Well, what would you do in that situation?"

"The exact same thing you did," I say reassuringly. "I know a lot of selfish people who wouldn't, though. It's nice to meet someone who has a real respect for family values. Not enough people do these days."

She opens her mouth to say something, but before she can speak, we're interrupted by a little boy. He's probably eight or nine and obviously a fan by the look of awe on his face.

Even after all these years, it's still weird when people recognize me on the street. I get it, because I was the exact same way, but it's still strange when the attention is directed toward me.

"¿Me das tu autógrafo?"

"Claro. ¿Cómo te llamas?" I take the paper from him and scribble my standard signature and the number of my jersey on it.

"Gabriel."

"¿Juegas fútbol, Gabriel?"

"Sí." He smiles. "Soy delantero como tú."

"Que bien. Tienes que seguir practicando si quieres ser profesional. ¿Okay? Saca buenas calificaciones y hazle caso a tu entrenador."

"Lo prometo." I hand him back his paper. "¿Me puedo tomar una foto contigo? Mis amigos no me lo van a creer." He's smiling so wide. I remember what it was like to meet my favorite player when I was a kid. It's kind of magical. So of course I'm gonna say yes.

"Por supuesto. ¿Tienes tu teléfono?"

He hands it to me and stands behind me so I can snap the pic for him. We smile for the camera quickly.

"Gracias, Zavaro."

He takes the phone from me and races away, probably back to his parents.

I turn to Quincy. She has a strange look on her face.

"What?" I ask sheepishly. I know this just opened the door to her finding out about my job. It's not a secret but I'm enjoying her not knowing anything about my choice in career. I love what I do, but sometimes its nice to talk about other things, too.

"What was all that about?"

I chuckle. "I take it you don't speak any Spanish."

"Beyond the Pappasito's menu, not a word," she says with a grimace .

"How can you live in Houston and not know any Spanish?" I ask.

"I took a couple years in high school. I still know how to count to twenty, if that's any consolation."

"Impressive," I say, shifting Chance to my shoulder and patting him on the back. He's gotten wiggly in the last couple of months.

She quirks an eyebrow at me. "So are you going to tell me why some random kid came up and got a selfie with you?"

"It happens sometimes because of my job." She gives me a confused look. "He asked for my autograph. I'm a soccer player. I play for the Mutiny. The kid was just excited to meet a professional player."

Quincy sits up straight, like she's shocked by my revelation, but she recovers quickly. "That explains the overly muscular calves, I guess."

I give her a flirty smile. "So you've been checking out my legs, have you?"

"They're hard to miss," she says with a smile. "They are larger than the average legs."

Chance takes that moment to start squirming and getting fussy.

"As fun as this is, I think this is my cue to go home." Quincy takes Chance out of my arms, and he nuzzles into her neck. She straps him into his carrier.

"Did you get everything you needed, or do we need to swing back through the baby aisle?"

"We already have everything," she says as she stands up. "When you found us, we were browsing. You never know when you'll need to know where the gripe water is."

"Good point."

As we make our way to the checkout lanes, all I can think is this was the most enjoyable conversation I've had in a long time. Most beautiful women I spend this much time talking to are soccer fans so the conversation revolves around my job. But with Quincy, things are more free. It's refreshing.

We find a lane with a short line, and Quincy gets into it. "Thanks again for all your help, Daniel," she says. "It's been a lot of fun."

"Quincy, wait," I say as she turns away. She looks back at me. "Think you'd be interested in going to dinner with me sometime?"

Her face breaks out in a grin. "I think I could do that."

"Great," I say, smiling back.

We exchange numbers and go our separate ways. I thank my lucky stars I remembered to write a list of what I need to buy, because I can't focus on anything beyond a beautiful blonde and her killer smile.

Maybe shopping overnight has its perks after all.
Continue to read this book for free
Scan code to download App
Comments (1)
goodnovel comment avatar
Kimi Hernandez
Love that!!!
VIEW ALL COMMENTS

Latest chapter

  • The Texas Mutiny Series   Chapter 228: Tiffany, Part 3

    The snick of the lock unlatching when I wave my key fob in front of the door is the first real sign that life is going back to normal. Well, as normal as life can be after a new little human has come into the world. But as I step through the door and into the newsroom, I realize nothing has changed. The scanners are still squawking. Reporters are still making calls and typing. Televisions still glow with every local station and CNN ready to be monitored. The only difference is the person at the assignment desk."Hi Tom," I greet as I grab a huge stack of mail I'll need to sort through upstairs. There's too much to go through down here."Tiffany." He tips his head at me and goes back to his business. Tom took over for Caleb when he moved upstairs. He's a little older than everyone else in the newsroom. His hair and neatly trimmed beard are almost gray. He's pleasant enough, just sticks to himself. We definitely don't have the same kind of rapport Caleb and I use to have.That also mean

  • The Texas Mutiny Series   Chapter 227: Tiffany, Part 2

    Rowen makes sure we're all settled before kissing me on the top of the head and throwing on his sweats. "What do you want to eat? My mam brought bangers and mash.""I'll leave that for you," I joke, knowing it's his favorite. "But do we still have any of that grilled chicken salad? I don't know why but it sounds really good.""Yep. I'll go grab it for you."The last three months have been an adjustment, but overall, it's gone really well. Cace is a great baby, but I didn't expect anything less with him being Rowen's child. Well, that's not exactly true. A part of me always remembered Ryan is his grandfather, so I know there's some ornery in there waiting to come out. But for the most part, he's very docile. Cries when he's hungry, fusses when he's wet, but otherwise even-tempered. And my in-laws have been wonderful. Sure, the men argue all the time about the safest way to hold the baby or the best cleaning products. Denise and I just laugh at the ridiculousness and let them hash it ou

  • The Texas Mutiny Series   Chapter 226: Tiffany, Part 1

    "Keep doing that," I moan, grabbing Rowen's hair and pulling him closer to my core. His tongue still does magical things to my lady parts and today, he's going to town. Licking, nipping, and sucking as he inserts two fingers inside me, hitting just the right spot. "Oh, that's it. Right there… ohgod…"My orgasm hits me fast and hard, just the way I like it these days. He continues to suck on my clit as the waves overtake me, riding me to that sated feeling I love. But he's not done yet.As soon as I've come back down to earth, he kisses up my body, paying special attention to the scar that now mars my abdomen. When I look at my stomach, I see flabby skin that hasn't tightened up yet and a knife wound. But Rowen tells me it's beautiful. That it's a reminder of the sacrifice I made to give him the best gift he's ever received - our son. Coming from anyone else, I'd say they were full of shit. But coming from Rowen, I know he means every word. Because of it, I still feel beautiful. It al

  • The Texas Mutiny Series   Chapter 225: Tiffany

    "I know you'll be here when you can, Mom," I say through FaceTime on my phone. "Really, all we're going to do for the next few weeks is sleep and eat anyway. Maybe bathe."Stroking the top of my son's head, I watch as he suckles on my breast. Yes, the dull pain of breastfeeding is there, but that doesn't take away the surreal feeling of being a new mom. It's amazing."I know." My mom sighs. "I'm just mad at myself. Of all the times to fall down some steps and break an ankle, this is the worst."I giggle lightly. "I still can't believe you did it at the gym.""And right after my kickboxing class too! I had just shown everyone what a badass I am, and three steps took me out.""Any muggers with ill intentions better beware of running into you in a back alley. Unless there are stairs involved." "Well, hopefully in the next few weeks, the doctor will clear me for travel. Then I'll be on the first plane there.""Sounds good to me." Baby Cace squeaks and pulls away from my breast, nuzzling h

  • The Texas Mutiny Series   Chapter 224: Rowen, Part 2

    The thoughts are overwhelming. I've never been this happy in my life, and I've only seen him for a split second. Lifting my head, I look around trying to catch another glimpse. Apparently, I'm not as subtle as I think I am."Would you like to see your son? You can go over there."Nodding, I stand up and follow the person over to a small table where my son is lying down, clearly unhappy by being poked and prodded. I don't blame him. I wouldn't like if all my glory was on display in front of these strangers either."Can I… can I touch him?" I ask tentatively, not sure what I'm allowed to do right now."Absolutely," the person says. "And talk to him. Babies like familiar voices."Slowly, I get closer, still in awe that I'm looking at my son. My son. It feels like I'm walking through a dream. Reaching down, I touch his tiny hand which immediately stretches and grabs my finger. The contact makes me suck in a breath. He's real. This is real. It's not a dream at all."Hello there, mo mhac. I'

  • The Texas Mutiny Series   Chapter 223: Rowen, Part 1

    I have dreamed about this day for months. Thought about every scenario on how it could happen. Planned for any situation. Prepared myself in every possible way.Except this one.Not one part of me anticipated I'd be standing in the hallway of the hospital wearing drab green scrubs with a matching surgical cap, waiting to join my wife in an operating room. And yet here I am, and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't more nervous than I've ever been in my life.It's not just the operation. Yes, that is my immediate concern. As much as I like Dr. Hermann, he's getting ready to cut Tiffany open and pull our son out through a gaping wound. I'm sure there's more to it than that, but it basically boils down to that, and it's scary. What if he cuts the wrong part and he can't stop the bleeding? What if he accidentally cuts my child? What if she gets a major infection? The horrific possibilities are terrifying.Taking a breath to refocus my thoughts, I try to remember all the positives. Tiffany won't

More Chapters
Explore and read good novels for free
Free access to a vast number of good novels on GoodNovel app. Download the books you like and read anywhere & anytime.
Read books for free on the app
SCAN CODE TO READ ON APP
DMCA.com Protection Status