Axl looked to the ceiling, then twisting his neck along the way, he looked to his shoes.

“What?” she asked.

His gaze went to her. “You really have no fucking clue, do you?”

“No fucking clue about what?”

He noticed the line moved again, and he moved them with it, saying, “No fucking clue how hot you are.”

“You like me,” she said.

“Yeah, babe, and I started to like you because you’re hot.”

“And because Lottie set us up.”

“No, because you’re hot.”

She stared at him, befuddled.

Christ.

Hattie.

“You took one of those calls, honey, and he would have told you he’s scraping off his other women to go exclusive for you,” he informed her.

She shook her head. “No, he seemed pretty clear—”

“Hattie.”

“What?”

“That man who just walked away is kicking his own ass right now, what he’s pretty much been doing for months, because he let you slip through his fingers. And now, you are very with another guy, and he’s blown his chance, and he knows it.”

“You can hardly get that in a two-minute interaction with him.”

“Wanna bet?”

She stared at him again, this time hard.

“You’re gonna get another call from him before this day ends,” he told her. “This one he’s gonna make to ascertain he actually did blow his chance because he’s gonna ask you where you’re at with me.”

“I really don’t think that’s going to happen, Axl.”

“Naked Jacuzzi sex says it does.”

“You can’t wager something the other person wants.”

He grinned at her.

Then he used her hand to pull her to him so he could bend and press his mouth to hers.

He pulled back an inch and said, “He’s gonna call.”

She rolled her eyes and said, “Whatever.”

He grinned again and moved them forward in line.

They got the beer, dogs and nachos. Hattie loaded up her hot dog along with her dad’s, Axl took care of his, and they took them back down to their seats.

And after they passed the food out, Don kept laying it on thick.

“The best. Beer. Ball field hot dogs. Nachos. My girl and her man.”

And Axl was done.

He leaned forward to look beyond Hattie and said to her father, “I know Hattie told you I had a family situation this morning, Don. But I can assure you, I’m fine.”

Don leaned forward too.

“My girl is not what I called her, and to my dying day, I’ll regret I called her that.”

Axl stilled.

Hattie went solid next to him.

“That’s my penance,” Don went on. “And I hope your father understands that’s his too.”

“He doesn’t understand that, Don.”

“Then I’m sorry for you, son. But I’m sorrier for him,” Don returned. He looked to his daughter, patted her leg, and said quieter. “I’m sorry, honey.”