Read The Changeup (Men of the Show) for Free Online

embarrassment of being seen with her. She hadn’t asked him to sit next to her. Granted, she didn’t have the body of a twenty-year-old, but she was still slim and fit enough to be able to pull off wearing an outfit like this if she wanted to.
    “I still owe you tickets,” he finally said as he leaned forward on his knees, watching Bree hop over to the sandbox. “I didn’t forget about that.”
    “You don’t need to get us any tickets.”
    He looked back at her. “I want to.”
    She couldn’t stop her audible sigh.
    “What?” he asked.
    “I don’t know how to say this, but I’ll give it my best.” She paused as she tried to choose her words carefully. “I believe that you really want to do these things for Bree, but I think that perhaps maybe you’re taking on too much. I mean, I don’t think that you would intentionally break your promise, but I just don’t see how you’re going to be able to follow through on everything.” When he continued studying her without saying anything, Maddie pressed on. “I’m just playing mom here. Sorry. I don’t want to see Bree get hurt, that’s all.”
    Chase looked down at his hands replaying her words in his head before he sat back. “I’m not going to pretend that you didn’t just insult my character, but I’m going to give you a break because you don’t know me,” he said with a crooked grin. “I know what I’m promising, what I can deliver on and what I can’t. You’re right, I probably should have explained I was going to be heading out on the road and wouldn’t be around for a while, but it slipped my mind. I’m sorry. But,” he said as he reached down into one of the side pockets of his shorts and withdrew a baseball. He arched his brow. “I’m here now, aren’t I?”
    Maddie couldn’t help herself and smiled back at him, his enthusiasm and charm breaking right through her irritation. He was right. He was here and she really hadn’t given him a chance. His only failure had been not following some timeline she’d devised in her head as acceptable.
    “Okay, okay. You’re right. I’m being a little overprotective, sorry.”
    “It’s okay. I’ll let you off the hook this time, but three strikes and you’re out,” he teased.
    He turned his gaze back to where Bree was running around the jungle gym, chasing her new friends. He was silent for a few moments before turning back to her.
    “What’s the story with her dad?”
    “There isn’t one.” When he looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to continue, she blew out a breath. “He isn’t in the picture for the most part. He sees her about once or twice a year, whenever his family asks to see her.”
    “That sucks.”
    “Yeah, it does, but we deal with it.”
    “Is that the reason you got divorced?”
    Maddie nodded as she stared out across the park, amazed at how easy it was to talk to him but more surprised that she wanted to. “The day I told him I was pregnant he was pretty much out the door. I didn’t try to stop him.”
    “I’m sorry,” Chase said, truly looking so.
    “You hardly had anything to do with it. Besides, I try to tell myself it’s his issue and not mine. He’s got a great daughter and he’s missing out on everything.”
    “Damn right he is.” He watched Bree run around some more and chuckled when she stumbled over her own feet but got up unfazed. “It must suck, marrying someone thinking you want the same things and then finding out at the worst time it isn’t true.”
    She was amazed that he had immediately cut straight to the heart of the issue. So many people hadn’t understood how she could leave Kyle when she was pregnant, effectively choosing to be a single mother over staying with him. Even Karen had expressed some reservations about her decision initially, assuming there had been some sort of misunderstanding. “Thank you. I think you’re the first person who’s seen it from my side.”
    “It seems obvious. I mean, I would think that if