Sarah turned to face him, looking just as hyped about it as his daughter, and his pulse raced even faster. Her passion for this technology stuff was surprisingly turning him on even more. “Yeah, users are providing feedback, and Marissa is listening. We’re trying to upload an imaging tool that will track a player’s speed with the ball, kicking strength, that kind of thing.”

“An app can do that?”

Marissa rolled her eyes at him. “Have you been listening to me at all?”

Apparently not. Maybe he needed to start.

That feature alone could help determine player position quickly within a team. But he wasn’t quite ready to jump on board yet. “Hey, do I get a hug?”

Marissa moved closer but then crinkled her nose. “Oh my God, Dad, you stink.”

He cleared his throat, embarrassed as he glanced at Sarah, who took several steps away from him as well and covered her own nose. “I haven’t been home yet…I thought maybe you were ready to go.”

“We actually still have work to do. Right, Sarah?” Marissa asked.

Sarah nodded. “I’m happy to keep going on this.”

She was incredible. As much as the grandparents adored Marissa, after two days, they were usually exhausted and happy to hand her back. Sarah seemed to be enjoying the time as much as his daughter was.

“Okay, I’ll head home and shower and then come back… If it’s okay she stays a little longer?” His question was directed at Sarah, but Marissa answered.

“It’s fine.”

He shot her a look. “I was asking Sarah.”

Sarah nodded. “It’s fine. No rush.”

Marissa ran off with the ball again, and Wes shook his head. “Two years of trying and failing to get her to show any interest in sports, and you were able to do it in a weekend.”

She shrugged. “Just needed the right motivation, I guess.”

“Yeah, I guess.” Or maybe Sarah was an even better role model for his daughter than he’d already thought.

…

Wes still wasn’t sure how he felt about that hours later as he put Marissa to bed. He was happy that she was being more active, so did it matter the motivation? He was more disappointed in himself that he hadn’t figured it out. And he owed Marissa an apology.

“Hey, I’m sorry I was reluctant to use your app,” he said, pulling the bedsheets up over her as she fluffed her pillows behind her head.

“It’s okay. But before it was free; now you’ll have to buy it,” she said with a smirk.

“Do I at least get a family discount?”

“I’m a small business owner, Dad, with a new start-up. I can’t be giving my product away.”

He laughed. “Good answer.” He needed to adopt his daughter’s business sense.

“So did you catch anything this weekend?” Marissa asked.