Between my screw ups and Cord not being here, we lost miserably.It’s all my fault.
“Covey, my office, now,” Owen barks, his office door shutting a moment later with a loud thud.
I sigh loudly as I rise from my seat and scrub a hand down my face.This is the last conversation I want to have.I just want to go home… except I don’t have a home.I’ll be going home to Cici’s house.
I don’t bother knocking, I walk right in and shut the door behind me.I don’t need the rest of my teammates listening in on this conversation.
“You wanted to see me?”I ask when he doesn’t even bother to glance in my direction after a solid minute.
“What was that?”He asks, folding his arms over his chest.
“That was us losing a game.”I shrug my shoulder like it doesn’t matter, even though it’s eating me up inside.
“Why?”
“I don’t know!Maybe because I was tense before the game and after I tried to talk to Cici to fix that, you decided to blow everything up.Imagine how messed up my head is right now.”
“Why is your head messed up?”He tilts his head to the side like he’s truly confused.
“Are you kidding me right now, Owen?Cici thinks she’s ok with all this tension between her and the family, but she won't be.Not long term.My time with her is limited and I know it.Sooner or later, she’s going to realize I'm not worth it and she’ll dump me.”
“You really think that’s what she’ll do?”He arches a brow.
“Well, either that or you’re going to fire me and then I’ll be forced to move to whatever city I can get a contract with.Either way, my life crumbles.”
“Your life crumbles if Cici dumps you?That’s overreacting, isn’t it?”
“Nah, she’s a once in a lifetime type of woman.I’ll never get another shot with someone as amazing as her.”I squeeze my eyes shut and stare up at the ceiling.My chest already aches and I haven’t even lost her yet.I don’t know how I’ll survive when she finally pushes me aside.
“And that reaction…” He points in my face with a big smile.“That’s why I'm backing down.”
“What are you talking about?”I ask, not really wanting to deal with his antics right now.
“Cici’s happy with you, Covey.She put me in my place and when I went into the suite to watch the game with Sunshine, she did it all over again.She reminded me that you’re not a player off the field and you don’t have a different girl hanging on your arm every time I see you.She reminded me how close you two have been and how you’re kind of perfect for each other.”
“You’re serious?”I sit up a little straighter in my seat and stare at him.
“When I walked in the room, she was talking to Sunshine about you and she said she could picture forever with you.Now, maybe I shouldn’t be telling you that, but I need you to realize she’s all in and if you’re not, you need to tread carefully.”
“No!I am.The only thing that’s ever made me hesitate with a relationship with Cici was my relationship with you and Cord.I knew you’d both flip out… Ireallylike her, Owen.”
“Just… Don’t be like Adam.”He shakes his head as he clenches his jaw.“I almost killed that guy.”
“I handled him yesterday when I picked up dinner for Cici, Cord, Macy, and myself,” I growl.
“Dang, really?”A slow smile spreads across his lips as he watches me.He almost seems proud.
“Yeah, he was talking about her to the other bartender and I told him she’s taken and he should forget she even exists.I told the other bartender if he deletes Cici’s number from Adam’s phone I’d give him my hat and sign it.He was already telling Adam how he screwed up so it wasn’t hard to get him to agree.”
“Wow… ok.Now, I definitely can be Team Covey.”
“Really?You’re not going to stand in our way.”
“Nah, I shouldn’t have flipped out to begin with.I saw her crying into your chest after you guys went away.I saw you having a panic attack over ruining relationships with Cord and me.Over ruining our family dynamics.You’re a good man, Covey, and you really care about my daughter.I'm sorry.Sometimes it’s hard to remember Cici isn’t my little girl anymore and she doesn’t need me to protect her from all the boys.She wants to get married and have a family, I’d be stupid to keep her from that purely because you work for the team.”
“Are you giving me permission to marry your daughter?”I smirk.
“Date.I'm giving you permission to date her… We’ll see about marriage after a few years.”
